Echoes of Wisdom is a great example of a very different take on Zelda games that I love.
There are a few elements of Majora’s Mask that set it apart from other Zelda games, and they are ones that I would love to see return to the series in some form. First, there’s the game’s time travel mechanics, which created a new way for players to interact with the world. The game’s tone and setting also stand out as distinct from other games in the series, and are some of Majora’s Mask’s greatest strengths. I’d love to see how a modern Zelda game would handle some of these qualities, especially with a longer development period.
Majora's Mask Has The Strongest Setting & Tone Of Any Zelda Game
Majora’s Mask’s Termina Is Quirky & Surreal
Majora’s Mask immediately shows players that it is going to be a very different Zelda game. Unlike most games in the Legend of Zelda series, Majora’s Mask doesn’t take place in Hyrule, but in the land of Termina. However, it isn’t the literal location that sets Majora’s Mask apart so much as the difference in tone.
Many Zelda games, going back to the beginning, start with Link being given a sword and sent off on a journey. Majora’s Mask starts very differently. Link has already had his journey in Ocarina of Time and is fully equipped with his weapons. Instead of empowering Link to go on his journey, the game starts by robbing him of everything he has, even his human form. Not only is Link’s transformation into a Deku Scrub visually terrifying, but it also turns Link from the Hero of Time into one of the weakest enemies from the previous title.
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This initial feeling of helplessness only intensifies when the game introduces its ticking clock, giving Link only three in-game days to complete his quest before Termina is destroyed. The game has a somewhat scary and mournful tone as Link and the residents of Clock Town are forced to confront their seemingly imminent demise. This is a unique mood for a Zelda game and one that is enhanced by the game’s setting.
Aside from being tonally different, the world in Majora’s Mask also feels distinct from other entries in the series. Termina is a strange and somewhat surreal place, a noticeable divergence that has spawned countless fan theories about the game’s setting. I was not surprised to read that Link’s Awakening director Takashi Tezuka drew a direct line from his Twin-Peaks-inspired entry in the series to Majora’s Mask in an Iwata Asks interview, as Termina and Clock Town share a similarly otherworldly vibe to David Lynch’s famous TV show.
Termina's Residents Feel More Real Than Other Zelda NPCs
By Having A Schedule And Storylines, Majora’s Mask’s NPCs Felt More Alive
It may sound contradictory, given that I’ve just praised Majora’s Mask for its surreal tone, but the game’s characters feel much more real than NPCs in other Legend of Zelda titles. This isn’t because of the way they speak or act, but because of the way the game’s mechanics work. NPCs have a schedule and an agenda, and many of them aren’t just hanging around waiting to interact with Link. Link can even miss certain quests if he doesn’t interact with people at the right times. This makes the residents of Termina feel alive.
This is a big departure from something like Wind Waker, where players can find Mila in the exact same place on Windfall Island every night, and have infinite chances to follow her. Even games like Breath of the Wild, which shows NPCs going to bed at night and some change in their behavior based on major events, don’t come close to creating the same facsimile of life that Majora’s Mask did. Link is free to start most quests, spend countless in-game days doing anything else, and then return like he never left.
Going Back To A Unique Setting Could Help Shake Up The Franchise
Most Zelda Games Have A Similar World
To say Hyrule isn’t always somewhat unique wouldn’t really be fair to the Zelda series. The Hyrule of Skyward Sword is wildly different from the one in Ocarina of Time, and both are distinct from the version seen in A Link to the Past. However, while many aspects of Zelda maps may change, their settings still feel somewhat similar. This is because, regardless of their layout, they are built to serve a similar function in a similar story. So, while the layout changes, the feelings stay largely the same.
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Making another Zelda game like Majora’s Mask wouldn’t just require a new layout for its world, but also a unique tone to match. Perhaps this could be achieved through a new unique mechanic, similar to how Majora’s Mask used time to create a unique feel. Alternatively, it could be a setting that requires Link to take a new approach to solving problems, similar to how Link needed to rely more on talking to NPCs when stuck as a Deku Scrub. It doesn’t matter what the new setting is, so long as it facilitates a unique tone and gameplay mechanics.
Using A Smaller World Could Make A Future Zelda Game Feel More Alive
Breath Of The Wild Was Unique, But Too Big To Capture The Magic Of Majora’s Mask
You may notice that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild actually accomplished a lot of what I’m asking for here. Its weapon durability forced Link to constantly look out for new items, and there were more survival elements like cooking to help keep him healthy on his journeys. The world’s vast empty stretches also created a different tone for the game, leading to many people likening it more to Princess Mononoke than to other Zelda titles. While I appreciate the direction that Breath of the Wild took Zelda games, I’d love to see a new, smaller map.
Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom Map Size Compared To TOTK & BOTW
Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s map is quite different from those of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Here are their sizes, compared.
While a smaller map might be less realistic — Majora’s Mask’s frozen entrance to Snowhead is a short jog from a tropical beach — it can help make a game feel more alive. Not only can smaller maps be more densely packed with content, but as Majora’s Mask proved, they can breathe life into the smallest corners of their worlds. Clock Town may be small, but there are numerous different questlines and NPC stories all happening within its walls. This gives it the feeling of a real, living town.
I would love to see the Zelda games try to return to a more intimate setting like Majora’s Mask. I think the advancements in gaming since its release in 2000 could create an even richer setting with a stronger sense of atmosphere. I would also love to see how a title like Majora’s Mask would turn out if it wasn’t constrained by a smaller development window than most modern Zelda titles have.
Source: Iwata Asks/Nintendo
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
- Released
- October 26, 2000
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EAD
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Franchise
- The Legend of Zelda
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo 64, GameCube
