xav's 2023 media thread: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (2000) (REPLAY)

(originally posted 3/21/23)

played through my JP copy on a total whim! 100% completion, of course. i have many thoughts. but i may or may not be ever so slightly tipsy, so that might impact my words here...but i will try to convey some of my feelings here

MMs major thing is atmosphere. you could go through the game not reading a single line of text and so much of the game still tells its story extremely well just from character actions, music, and the environment alone. while i was always aware of this, it kind of struck me all over again how oppressive the feeling is in MM. you cant really seek safety anywhere. from area to area in the overworld, you cant forget about the moon. it looms over you in literally every map no matter what, inching ever so slightly closer to termina. in dungeons, you cant forget about the moon. clock town’s bell tower rings loud and clear no matter where you are. even in real life, you cant forget about the moon. one of the key pieces of information that the player is given to confirm their status, the hud, has the clock SMACK DAB in the middle of the screen at all time, marching on and on whether you like it or not. wanna take a break with fun little minigames? cool, clocks STILL THERE! exit a funny or heartwarming cutscene? BAM, clock!

you are UNABLE, under ANY CONDITION, to forget about the fucking moon

now with all this, you have these people in termina, planted right in the way of the inevitability of death, you get to witness firsthand how so many of them cope with it. some deny it, staying in town until the final hours even when everything’s abandoned. some act like it isnt even there. some know its there, but have no choice but to put a strong face on and do their jobs and just try to live. and that’s just in clock town!

in every corner of the world, theres unrest and tragedy and pain.

but, underneath all of this, is a story about empathy. sure you can blaze through the four dungeons and fight majora no problem, but you miss out on so much of what the game wants to convey to you if you do that. as link, you have the ability to return hope and happiness to so many people who are hurting in this world. you’re able to connect and do so much GOOD in the face of pessimism and despair, from bringing families back together, helping people find purpose, and reunite lovers

(fun fact about the last one by the way, the anju and kafei quest drew inspiration from the strange feelings aonuma, koizumi and co. experienced when they were attending a staff member’s wedding when north korea launched a missile over japan without permission in august of 1998)

and with the dead, the people who still linger, clinging to this plane of existence through their regrets, you have the power to soothe them and help them move on, reaching acceptance and finally peace. its not a coincidence that those are the masks that literally transform you

even if you never use them, every mask you gain doubles as an item and as a symbol of one good deed you did. one change, one connection you, a total outsider to termina with 0 obligation to these people, made. and the bombers notebook keeps track of everything you did to help

there was an interview, i forget where, that said that link screams when he puts on a transformation mask because the feelings and emotions of the owner shoots through link in an instant. the pain and sorrow that they felt right before dying. and the fierce deity mask is no different. in fact, that one is the culmination of the emotions of *everyone* in termina’s pain and struggles. in order to gain the ultimate power in the game, you have to be more than yourself and be one with the burdens of an entire country

the fierce deity mask makes the final boss an absolute pushover but i think thats kind of the point. for all that you went through to get to that point, all the times you had to reset the game to make everyone happy, i think that’s the devs telling you "go nuts, you earned it"

and hell, lets say you dont wanna take that slant. from a collectors standpoint? of COURSE you’re going to want to get every mask! seeing the collection screen empty is just weird! and what does the game ask of you in order to FINISH your collection? it asks you to give a shit!!!

so when people call MM dark, i certainly agree, but it isnt dark for darkness’ sake. it isnt stressful for stress’ sake. it has something it wants to say, and at the end of it all, it has one of the happiest endings in the entire series. you owe it to yourself to see it through

the fucking weight behind this screen, man. genuinely gives me chills with the SFX

this...was longer than i intended it to be. i just care a lot about majoras mask. i care a lot about zelda! and i hope i was able to convey why i feel this game is so fucking kino

(oh, and its still better than OOT. lol lmao)

i have many, MANY more thoughts about MM that i could say but im getting embarrassed by how much im writing here that im gonna shut up now. i think the booze really did do something to me, phew.

anyways uhhh SEEYA LOL

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