The Legend of Zelda, The – Majora’s Mask^[a] is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 home console. It was released worldwide in 2000 as a main installment in The Legend of Zelda series and was the second to use 3D graphics, following 1998’s The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, to which it is a direct sequel. Designed by a creative team led by Eiji Aonuma, Yoshiaki Koizumi, and Shigeru Miyamoto, Majora’s Mask was completed in less than two years. It featured enhanced graphics and several gameplay changes from its predecessor, though it reused a number of elements and character models, which the game’s creators called a creative decision made necessary by time constraints.

The story of Majora’s Mask takes place two months after the events of Ocarina of Time. It follows Link, who on a personal quest, ends up in Termina, a world parallel to Hyrule. Upon reaching Termina, Link learns that the world is endangered as the moon will fall into the world in three days and becomes embroiled into a quest to prevent the end of the world.

Majora’s Mask earned widespread acclaim from critics and is widely considered one of the best video games ever made. It received praise for the gameplay, graphics, story and has been noted for its darker tone and themes compared to the other titles in the franchise as well for its distinct art style and level design. While the game only sold about half as many copies as its predecessor, it generated a substantial cult following.^[1][2] The game was rereleased as part of The Legend of Zelda: Collector’s Edition for the GameCube in 2003, for the Wii‘s Virtual Console service in 2009, for the Wii U‘s Virtual Console service in 2016, and for the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack in 2022. An enhanced remake for the Nintendo 3DS, The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D, was released in 2015.

Gameplay

The gameplay of Majora’s Mask expands on that of Ocarina of Time. It retains the concept of dungeon puzzles and ocarina songs and introduces new elements including character transformations and a three-day cycle. As in previous installments, Link can perform basic actions such as walking, running and limited jumping (although sometimes Link performs flips), and must use items to battle enemies and solve puzzles. Link’s main weapon is a sword, and other weapons and items are available—Link can block or reflect attacks with a shield, stun enemies by throwing Deku Nuts, attack from a distance with a bow and arrow, and use bombs to destroy obstacles and damage enemies. He can also latch onto objects or paralyze enemies with the Hookshot. Magic power allows attacks such as magical arrows or spin attacks and the use of special items such as the Lens of Truth, which allows the player to see invisible objects and disappears fake objects.^{[citation needed]}

Similar to the other games, the player has to progress through a variety of dungeons. These dungeons include numerous puzzles that the player needs to solve with the equipment and/or mechanics set in the dungeon depending on its theme. Similar to A Link to the Past and its predecessor, which is now a tradition into the series, the player can obtain a map and a compass for assistance, although they are optional. The player also has to find a key to unlock the boss’ room. New to Majora’s Mask are little fairies, which are collectibles. Fifteen are set through a dungeon and the player has to find them all and put them back in their respective fountain to gain a new ability, such as a greater defense or an upgraded “Spin Attack”.^{[citation needed]}