No other series has managed to redefine video games like The Legend of Zelda. Whether it’s the dungeon-delving formula of Link to the Past, the jump to 3D in Ocarina of Time, or the open world innovation of Breath of the Wild — Zelda has, time and again, pushed the entire medium forward. But despite those seminal games, there’s one Zelda entry that still doesn’t get the credit it deserves, and it’s also one of Nintendo’s biggest masterpieces. Majora’s Mask is one of the most bizarre video games ever made, engulfing players in a fever dream of a world that feels as disturbing as it does majestic. It’s the pinnacle of Zelda’s storytelling, but also breaks off into some wildly ambitious gameplay ideas. There’s still literally nothing else like Majora’s Mask — except the remake that made it even better.
The original Majora’s Mask released on Nintendo 64 in October 2000, which was less than two years after Ocarina of Time was released in November 1998. That’s actually a big part of what makes Majora’s Mask feel so memorable because it’s what’s known as an asset flip. Majora’s Mask essentially re-used all of the characters, enemies, and objects from Ocarina of Time, in order to accommodate that short development time.
