The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is a 2000 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It is the second game in The Legend of Zelda series to use 3D graphics, following Ocarina of Time (1998). 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 features enhanced graphics and several gameplay changes, but reuses elements and character models from Ocarina of Time, a creative decision made necessary by time constraints.

A few months after Ocarina of Time, the character Link arrives in a parallel world, Termina, and becomes embroiled in a quest to prevent the moon from crashing in three days' time. The game introduces gameplay concepts revolving around a perpetually repeating three-day cycle and the use of various masks that transform Link into different forms. As the player progresses, Link learns to play numerous melodies on his ocarina, which allow him to control the flow of time, open hidden passages, or manipulate the environment. As with other Zelda games, players must navigate through several dungeons that contain complex puzzles and enemies. Majora's Mask requires the Expansion Pak add-on for the Nintendo 64, primarily to support the game’s complex mechanics, such as the repeating three-day cycle and extensive mask system. It also allows for graphical enhancements and more on-screen characters.

A critical and commercial success, Majora's Mask is considered to be one of the greatest video games of all time. Some critics deemed it to be on par or superior to Ocarina of Time in certain aspects, praising its innovative gameplay, intricate design, robust control scheme, and atmospheric soundtrack, though it received minor criticisms for graphical limitations, and was considered less groundbreaking than its predecessor. It generated a cult following, with retrospective analyses highlighting its dark narrative tone and emotional depth. It was re-released as part of The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition for the GameCube in 2003, the Virtual Console service for the Wii and Wii U, and the Nintendo Classics service. An enhanced remake developed by Grezzo for the Nintendo 3DS, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D, was released in 2015.