Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

20 to 40 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Amazing"

While it's older brother, Ocarina of Time, gets much more hype than Majora's Mask, I still find the latter to be the best Zelda game to date. The game is extremely thick, with its time mechanic really working itself into the game. For example, this time, you have to go save the cows and bring peace to the Great Bay, and then you have to reset and move on to Ikana Valley. The dungeons are all excellent, and the concept of Stray Fairies was even more so. But among all of this, the best part of Majora's Mask is its characteristic dark feel. An ominous moon coming to kill everyone, characters who die trying to protect their people, etc.: Link must save them all, but he can never save all in the same time frame, which always makes me feel a bit sad for the various people who have to suffer. In any case, the emphasis on sidequests was very nice in this game, as was the various uses of masks. Although it was missing everyone's favorite Gerudo Demon Monster, the latter was replaced by Majora, a maniacal spirit intent on total destruction and mayhem, with no coherent thought process other than playing with its victims as well as Link. A very dark character, Majora actually murders people throughout the game, or at least has his masked monsters kill people. Killing Majora is a very satisfying feeling, as it is the mastermind behind all of the sorrows in this land of Termina Link has found himself in. A truly wonderful game.