Sequels are never as good as the original, right? Well, for some games, that's true. Playing a sequel to an awesome game can never replicate the feeling you achieved from playing the original. If this is an absolute truth, then Majora's Mask isn't worth playing, is it? Actually, it is. Majora's Mask is one of the few sequels to an amazing game that can actually sell on it's own without having to rely on the fame of its predecessor. While the game is far from perfect, it nonetheless leaves the player happy by the ending.   Released on October 26, 2000, in the United States, this game came just two years after Ocarina of Time, and capitalized on the fame of Ocarina. In this game, Nintendo strove to correct many of the issues players had with Ocarina. Many of the people who developed Ocarina  also developed Majora, with a few small changes in the writing department. One of the biggest disappointments of Ocarina was the lack of a powerful or developed story to drive the gameplay. This has been fixed in Majora's mask, which offers a more in depth main story, as well as very well developed side stories. Unlike its predecessor, Majora's Mask is a game that will make you want to do the side quests, not only for the in game rewards but for the deep and rich lore of the game.   In this installment of The Legend of Zelda, the hero, Link, is no longer in Hyrule. After defeating Ganondorf at the end of Ocarina of Time, Link's fairy friend, Navi, left him. Link then set off on a quest through the Lost Woods in Kokiri forest to find her. After a dramatic fight in the woods, Link ends up without his trust steed, Epona, lacking his precious Ocarina of Time, and lacking his body. Yes, Link has been cursed to walk the earth as a Deku. Hoping to break the curse, Link goes through a door which leads to Termina, a land outside of the Kokiri Forest. And, as is Link's style, he gets caught up trying to save the entire world from destruction when the moon threatens to crush the Earth in three days. This sets up the rest of the game, which is frustratingly based on time. Time flows onward in Majora's Mask, much like it did in Ocarina of Time, but what with the moon falling and such, Link must complete his journey in three days. Luckily, the Song of Time played from Link's ocarina will turn back the flow of time, causing Link to start back on day one of his adventure. Unfortunately, this means that Link loses all of the rupees he hasn't stored in the bank, as well as all of his ammo and items. Quests also reset when time goes backwards, meaning that if you find that you've run out of time in the middle of a quest and must reset the clock, you're going to have to do that quest all over again. This poses a particularly acute problem in some of the longer side quests, a few of which must be started on day one and continue all the way to the last few minutes of life on night three. Now, onto scores.Graphics: This game has very good graphics for the time. It uses the same3D polygon based graphics of its predecessor, but improves upon the details greatly. A very solid 10/10.Sound: One of the greatest aspects of Ocarina of Time was its soundtrack, and Majora's Mask is no different. While few of the tunes from Ocarina have made a return, there are many new tunes to take their place. The songs are so catchy, in fact, that I distinctly remember being grounded by my mother when I first played this game because I would never stop whistling the main theme =)Addictiveness: This is a game that you won't want to stop playing. The constant treat of getting new items, upgrading your health, and finding new masks makes for hours of entertainment.Story: The story is quite riveting. Unlike Ocarina of Time, which focused more on gameplay and less on story, Majora's Mask gives you a lore based reason as to why Link is going through all of these dungeons, slaying countless monsters, collecting endless amounts of rupees.Depth: The combination of hours of gameplay and an amazing story means that this game is deeper than any Zelda games that came before it. While the main quest line itself is noticeably shorter than that of its predecessor, the numerous and deeply involving side quests develop the land of Terminus more than the land of Hyrule was developed in all of Ocarina of Time. Difficulty: The Legend of Zelda series was never meant to be a hardcore game series. While Majora's Mask poses greater tactical difficulty in defeating some of the bosses, the overall challenge of the game is minimal. Those who are used to the controls and combat system of the game, which haven't changed from Ocarina of Time, will find no difficulty in slaying any beast that dares impede your progress.   Majora's Mask is an amazing sequel to an amazing game. The story and graphics are greatly improved, and the classic gameplay is fun for new players and veterans players alike. Though the main quest is on the short side, and some of the time based gameplay elements can become frustrating at times, Majora's Mask is still a great game. It cannot mimic the epic feel of its predecessor, but it still gives off a fun, though somewhat creepy vibe. This game is definitely worth playing for young and old gamers alike.

I also suggest those who are interested, to read the Manga of this game as well. However, if you like Manga's due to the action/fights, then you will not like the Majora's Mask Manga. Some fights literally last only one or two pages. You can read a lot of Legend of Zelda Manga's in the URLI will provide. Specifically, the Majora's Mask one, with PROPER translations! ( http://www.zelda-infinite.com/files/manga/ ) The manga can help people who don't fully understand the Majora's Mask storyline. As it gives a lot more in depth story in the end, as well as the REAL reason the mask was created. At the same time, the Manga may raise more questions then answer.

Vincent Swiftstrike : Thanks. I've never read the Majora's Mask manga, but I am a fan of manga, usually ones that are based on anime that I've watched. And I don't care so much about the fights, as long as I can read more of the amazing story of Majora's Mask =)

Your review is great I love this game
it's great to play around with the masks.