Timeshift Thursday – Ikana Kingdom

Hello again Zelda Dungeon readers and welcome to another Timeshift Thursday feature! I must express my sadness in not being able to write a feature last week yet it’s great to be back and I hope you will forgive me. Anyhow, I look forward to exploring another iconic area in the Zelda series as this week I’ll be covering a special section found in Majora’s Mask. Let me get this straight first, though. I have never played Majora’s Mask at all. I’ve seen it at game shops dreaming of playing the title on the original N64 but never got the chance to purchase it. So, first I’ll ask, should I play this Zelda title? Is Majora’s Mask a worthwhile game in the Zelda series to play? Should I be heading to the Wii Shop to download this game straight away? With those questions in mind, let’s head into this week’s Timeshift feature!

The Ikana Kingdom was once a prosperous province whose soldiers would unwaveringly fight to keep its King and his land free from their enemies. Yet, by the time Link arrives to this sacred place, a curse has been placed haunting the once beautiful landscape and turning the lush kingdom into a withering desolation. The King sits on his devastated throne lording over the dead as his castle lies in ruin. Just writing about it leaves me in tears and that’s what makes Majora’s Mask seem like such an emotionally moving game; probably more than any other Zelda title. From what I’ve read about Majora’s Mask, it’s dark, depressing, and the script details destruction and unhappiness.

Let’s take a closer look at Ikana Kingdom, its descriptive areas and find out some interesting details and theories regarding the area after the jump!

Ikana Kingdom is regarded in Majora’s Mask as the “land where only the dead roam.” Gibdos spread their malice over Ikana Village, the original inhabitants hold a curse which only Link has the ability to lift, and the once beautiful aspects of nature are gone. The Ikana River has dried up leaving behind a wasteland without the abundance of vegetation and a graveyard remains right in front of Ikana Canyon. It’s not the kind of place you’d want to be living in without being spooked out of your life! Swordsmen of Ikana have been turned into Stalfos while still protecting their once profound King, Igos Du Ikana, who has experienced multiple wars over years of bloodshed and needs to find a way into the hallowed Stone Tower Temple. The King gives Link the task of besieging the Stone Tower Temple and attempt to lift the curse from the Ikana Kingdom.

The Stone Tower is an illusive set of three stone buildings which resemble closely to the Leaning Tower of Pisa as they stand on a bent angle and its Link’s job to climb the Tower and head to the Temple perched on top to face the final dungeon before calling upon the Four Giants to save Termina from the descending, anticipated crash of the moon. Many think that certain blocks found around the Stone Tower, which carry the design of the Triforce, relate to the Tower being created for the ultimate purpose of being an oppositional structure of defiance against the Golden Goddesses. This theory may be true because the Triforce is never explicitly mentioned in Majora’s Mask and can only be referred to because of the designs found on these particular blocks.

The music composed for the Ikana Kingdom is also a haunting tune to listen to! It reminds you of how cursed the land really is as if the spirits are floating around Link as he’s traveling through the ghostly Kingdom of Ikana. This is probably not the tune you would want to hear before saying goodnight to the world for another day; who knows what dreams or nightmares you may have! It could be described as a lament of the Ikana tribe as it seems to indicate by the female vocals. Interestingly, Nintendo used the same female vocals for the night overworld theme in Twilight Princess. Take a listen below!

Do you enjoy exploring the Kingdom of Ikana? Do you like the way Majora’s Mask incorporates dark and depressing themes? What do you think of Ikana Kingdom’s music? Do you think I should play Majora’s Mask considering I have not even touched the game before? Please let me know your thoughts and opinions below in the comments!