Majora's Mask truly embodies the spirit of the Zelda series

So much has been said about Majora's Mask that it's easy to overlook what makes this game so great when it comes down to bare bones. One of this game's claims to fame is the "Ben Drowned" Creepypasta that plays off of the macabre and dark environment of the game. This game has such a large cult following (it's become even more apparent with the recent collector's editions of the game being sold out in 15 minutes or less) that the premise of the game almost gets drowned out (no puns intended) by all the hype. So, what is it about Majora's Mask that that makes it so popular?

Like Majora's Mask, the Wind Waker wasn't a fan favorite at first

If you think about it, Majora's Mask and The Wind Waker have a lot in common. They both were games that resulted in an upgrade in hardware (MM with the ExpansionPak and WW with the GameCube), and they both weren't well received by the Zelda fanbase at first. You can really tell that the developers were attempting to try something new with these titles. In Majora's Mask, they were able to add more detail and complexity to the overworld that was absent from Ocarina of Time. With Ocarina, the developers introduced the concept of the 3D Zelda game, but with Majora's Mask they perfected it. With The Wind Waker, I think the developers wanted to play with the idea of a more expressive Link and more dynamic overworld, hence the cell-shaded graphics. Both titles were hailed as being too different, and therefore fans steered away from them at first. However, they both eventually became huge hits and received/are receiving remakes. In my eyes, these games (Majora's Mask more specifically) embody the spirit of the series that was introduced in the original game.

The least popular Zelda titles are often the most different (excluding the original of course)

In the original Legend of Zelda game, there was very little direction, leaving the player to explore the world as they pleased. Granted, the Zelda games of today are way more linear than the original Legend of Zelda, but I think Majora's Mask is a more modern version of the original game without being being a direct sequel.
There are so many secrets to be discovered in Majora's Mask. The game itself is like one big puzzle, and it's up to the player to figure out where all the pieces go. That's much like how the original Legend of Zelda game is. In both games, the player acts as a detective trying to solve a mystery with very few clues along the way. Granted, many other Zelda games feature these elements, but in Majora's Mask and The Legend of Zelda, I feel like the exploration element is the most prominent.

There are 24 masks to collect in Majora's Mask, and 20 unique quests to get them

The developers of the upcoming Zelda game for Wii U claim that they're going back to basics. However, I think they already have in the form of Majora's Mask. The game is such a good example of what makes Zelda times great, both new and old. The time where that game was seen as taboo and too different is now gone. I think it's arguably one of the most popular Zelda games to date. Hopefully the upcoming remake will do it justice, but only time will tell. I'll be playing that game as soon as it comes out, so expect a post about by thoughts of the game! With this post thus ends my series of Majora's Mask posts.

If you're intertested in other things I've written about Majora's Mask, be sure to check out my top 5 hopes for Majora's Mask 3D, my theory about the story of Majora's Mask and what it means, the Majora's Mask easter egg in A Link Between Worlds, the classic dungeon theme easter egg in Majora's Mask and the Star Fox easter egg in Majora's Mask.

3 Days of Majora's Mask Love: Day #1 Dawn of a New Year

Majora's Mask 3D is coming in 2015!

Hello everyone! I thought I'd start out the new year with a blog post about a game that's all about new beginnings, and that game is The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. But first, I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone who has helped make this blog grow; you know who you are! 2014 was a great year for me; I jumped back into the world of gaming by starting this blog, and I'm constantly overwhelmed and touched by the support and kindness I receive from the gaming community. It's because of you guys I decided to start this blog, and the reason I want to continue making content about games. I can't wait to see how this blog will grow in the coming years, and here's to a great 2014! Again, thank you so much; I can't say it enough.
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This post is the first of three posts I will be writing about the masterpiece that is The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. I'm overjoyed to say that we will indeed be getting a Majora's Mask remake in 2015. It's ironic to me that my first post of this year is about a game that was the topic of my very first post ever, which was speculating about whether to not we'd see a remake on the 3DS. I always knew in my heart that we'd eventually see a remake of the well loved, black sheep of the Zelda franchise; we just had to have faith it would happen...

Just have faith..

Of course, with every remake, there are changes to be made. We haven't gotten much word yet about how this remake will be different from the original game, so I thought I'd share my thoughts about what I hope to see in Majora's Mask 3D. Here are the 5 things I'd like to see implemented in the remake (beware of mild spoilers about the original game):

#1. Better controls/camera
Honestly, the things I struggled the most with in Majora's Mask were the controls and the camera—not the three day cycle or the toughness of the temples. Controlling the camera with the c-stick was a pain, especially with aiming. The camera would fall as soon as you moved an inch, and you would end up aiming wrongly or just miss entirely. The most frustrating experience I had in the game was in the first temple. Towards the end, you have to shoot an arrow through fire in order to light a beacon in a dark corner on the other side of the room, all while you're rotating on a moving pillar. It was hell. Pure hell. You have to be so precise, and I feel like the controls barely allow you to do that. Swimming in the game is so tough because to swim up, you have to move the stick down, and vice versa. I often found myself flopping and bouncing against the bottom of the ocean because the Zora form was a nightmare to control. There's one articular boss fight where the swimming controls and the camera are detrimental; I'm pretty sure veteran Majora's Mask players know what I'm talking about. Luckily, it seems as if we will indeed get better controls in the remake, seeing as Ocarina of Time 3D got improved controls and camera movement.

#2. More apparent objectives/straightforward temples
It's a well known fact that Majora's Mask is a lot like piecing together a complex puzzle. Pieces and parts of different storylines intertwine, and it is not made entirely apparent why or how—that's up to you to figure out. That's all well and good, being as that is probably my favorite aspect of the game, but there's an area of the game where it's barely apparent as to what you're supposed to do next. In the last area of the game, Ikana Valley, you're supposed to acquire the Mirror Shield (probably my favorite item in the game) in order to tackle the last temple. In order to do that, you must do an obligatory Bottom-Of-The-Well dungeon, but you need the following items:

* 5 Magic Beans
* 10 Deku Nuts
* 10 Bombs
* Fish
* Milk

In no way is it apparent that you need these things. If you go into the well without these items, you can't get the shield. So, you have to waste time (a precious commodity in Majora's Mask) to backtrack to get everything you need. I don't want a game to hold my hand, but when you have to be subjected to useless backtracking, I'd prefer a little warning to avoid it. Not to mention that those items are completely random quantities that make hardly any sense

Again, before you can complete the last temple, you need to learn a new song. In order to learn said song, you have to go through Ikana Castle, but you have to buy items in order to do so. You need a powder keg, which you have to do a side quest in order to buy, so you end up backtracking a lot. Also, the game doesn't let you know that you need to even go through the castle or even how to do so in the first place. There was hardly any direction during this last part of the game. Again, I don't need my hand held, but there needs to be direction in a game in order to move things forward. I don't usually use hints or walkthroughs when playing Zelda games because I prefer to figure things out myself. But with this particular area, I had to use a walkthrough. It was the only area in the game I couldn't figure out. So as a result, I'd like the remake to have more apparent (but not easier) objectives. 

On a slightly different note, I'd like it if the the temples were a bit more straightforward and forgiving. In almost every temple, if you make a small mistake, you lose progress. For example, in the cylindrical shaped Snowhead temple, if you fall, you have to backtrack and activate switches and pretty much jump though a bunch of hoops to get back to the top. In the Great Bay temple, the awful swimming controls can cause you to go in the wrong direction, which can cost you time since you have to turn around and go back. In the Ocarina of Time remake, Nintendo corrected a lot of the annoyances in the temples that were present in the original games, so I hope they'll do the same with Majora's Mask. I like how in Skyward Sword, once you reach a new part of an area or temple, you can open up a shortcut that can save you time if you need to leave and come back later. I think having shortcuts in the temples in Majora's Mask would make them a whole lot more enjoyable.  

Mirror shield, I love you, but you're such a major pain in the butt

#3. Good use of the touch screen

In both Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, scrolling through menus to change and equip items can be a major pain, and can waste a lot of time. In Ocarina of Time 3D, they made the bottom screen of the 3DS the items menu, making it super easy to switch items. I hope they do the same for Majora's Mask 3D. I can see it now—being able to put on different masks with just a simple tap of the stylus...*sigh* I can't wait. 

#4. Loyalty to the original game while still improving upon it

Eiji Aonuma, the director of many of the Zelda games has said that they are making Majora's Mask 3D easier while still retaining its difficulty. While that is in a nutshell everything I want for this remake, I really hope they keep the complexity of the game intact. To me, asking for such a complex game to be simplified is like a double edged sword. Let me put it this way: there are points in the game where the complexity really helps the overall experience (like the storytelling), and there's places where it hinders it (no clear direction about what to do next in the last area of the game). I hope they improve upon the shortcomings while not harming what was good about the complexity in the original game. 

I also hope they improve upon a lot of the graphical parts of the game as well. For an N64 game, Majora's Mask looks pretty darn good, but there are parts where it's too dark, and the graphics can get grainy, making it hard to see and make things out. I'm sure they will improve upon this, but I hope they keep a lot of the original charm of the game too. Thanks to the ExpansionPak, Majora's Mask featured greater detail than its older brother, Ocarina of Time. I hope in the remake, they will keep all those little details, but still improve upon them. I'm also looking forward to a fleshed out soundtrack, which I'm sure won't disappoint.

The graphics on the 3DS look clearer and sharper—a welcome change!

#6. The collector's edition to be released in the U.S.

This is more of a personal preference, but it has been confirmed that Europe is getting a collector's edition of Majora's Mask 3D. Majora's Mask is my favorite Zelda game, if not my favorite game ever, so I'd like to have all of the goodies of the collectors edition. I'd also like to be able to purchase both Majora's Mask and Ocarina of Time 3D together in some sort of pack. I've played and completed OOT 3D, but I don't actually own it, so it'd be nice to have both. Two birds with one stone, if you will.

Ugh, Nintendo, I want all the things!

So there you have it. There are all my hopes and dreams for the remake of one of my favorite games. Hopefully, 2015 will bring lots of gaming goodness besides Majora's Mask 3D, but I hope this remake will be as awesome as I think it'll be. I'd love to hear what you all think of the remake so far, so feel free to leave a comment. Also, be on the lookout for two more posts regarding this incredible game here in the coming weeks.

I hope you all have a very happy new year as well!

Daily Easter Egg #12: Mario Paintings in Ocarina of Time

The Royal Family must vacation in the Mushroom Kingdom

When you meet Princess Zelda for the first time in Ocarina of Time, paintings of characters from the Mushroom Kingdom can be seen through some of the windows in the courtyard! Paintings of Mario, Yoshi, Peach, and Bowser can be seen hanging on the wall if you play around with the camera enough.

This easter egg also translated into the version for the 3DS. Instead of individual paintings on the wall, there is now a scene from New Super Mario Bros.

How the easter egg appears in Ocarina of Time 3D

(Source)

Concerning Girl Gamers and Girls in Games

The many stigmas of being a girl who just happens to play games 

Considering that 45% of people who play games are female, it surprises me that the term "girl gamer" has so many negative connotations attached to it.
Many (though not all) stereotypically claim that girls who identify as "gamers" are either looking for attention from guys, or that we only like "girly" games, or that we aren't "real" gamers because we only play these so called "girly games". Girl gamers can also be a sort of "fantasy" to some people because apparently we're so rare and desirable. In reality however, we're everywhere. The truth is that lots of girls play games, but some are just afraid to say so for fear of having these stereotypes applied to them. It was only recently that I started to apply the term "gamer" to myself. I had held off doing it for so long because I was afraid of what people would think or say. Then I realized that by hiding, I was only helping perpetuate the stereotype of "the girl gamer".  So, I decided to delve into the issue further, and analyze it from the inside out, starting with how games are made.
As of right now, most of the people who make games are male. Only 11% of game designers are female. As a result, most games are geared towards male gamers. Some examples of such games are Halo and Call of Duty. Now, this doesn't mean that these games are only for boys and that girls don't play these games, because they do. Nor are these games bad just because they don't appeal to girls very much. However, since these games are designed by males with males in mind, sometimes this can drive girls away from playing them. Since girls aren't really involved in the development of games, women seemingly aren't "present" in the gaming world, hence why some people are surprised when a girl calls herself a gamer. Gaming right now is a man's world, and sometimes it can be difficult for a girl to find her place in it.
 Some of the solutions I've heard to solve this issue are along the lines of making games that appeal solely to women. I don't agree with that at all. Girls (at least older ones) don't want their games coming in bright pink boxes straight out of a Barbie commercial. I think developers should make games that appeal to both genders. That way they can make one game that everyone can relate to and enjoy rather than spending more money making two separate games. I love games where the player gets to design their own character to be either male or female. I think implementing character customization is a great way to make games more appealing to everyone. I think the easiest way for companies to understand girl gamers is to treat them like everyone else. After all, many girls love games just as much as boys, and we'd just like to have the opportunity to play along and feel welcome. The industry has already started to include more leading ladies in games, and it turns out that those games have been some of the most critically acclaimed titles to date. Coincidence? I think not.

FemShep,

Faith,

and Chell, oh my!

Mass Effect, Mirror's Edge, and Portal have all featured female protagonists (or allowed you to choose to play as one, as is the case in Mass Effect). These are obviously stellar games, for more reasons than just that they feature killer leading ladies. These games prove that having a strong female main character can be a good thing, and can be just as normal as having a male main character. I love these characters because they don't carry with them the normal stereotypes that females in games often do. They don't need rescuing, they aren't helpless, and they aren't just pretty faces. These characters are paving the way for future strong female leads in games. However, it seems for every FemShep or Chell, there is the likes of Bayonetta, or Kasumi.

Bayonetta is over sexualized to the extreme 

While Bayonetta and Kasumi kick serious butt as characters, their appearances kind of counteract their roles as strong female leads. In Bayonetta's case, her over sexualized design and demeanor are literally the only character traits she has, making her only a virtual sex symbol, flat and unvaried and nothing more. I want to like Bayonetta, I really do, especially since the sequel is going to be a Wii U exclusive. The gameplay of Bayonetta is over the top and is really fun, but I just don't respect her as a character (and her legs are way too long in my opinion and they kind of freak me out; she looks disproportionate). I understand that video games are supposed to be outlets of creativity and a medium for people and developers alike to express their fantasies, but Bayonetta's design is solely based around fantasy and multiplied by 100. Most of her attacks involve her undressing herself, and she regains health by sucking on lollipops. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with having appealing or attractive characters; in fact I think most people would prefer to play as characters that don't make their eyes burn with their hideousness. However, when the only thing a character has going for them is their looks, it's not a good example of good character design.
Another character that is an awful female lead is Princess Peach. She's remained stagnant for pretty much all  29 years of the Mario franchise's existence, pretty much only filling the role of a helpless damsel in distress. She's only had one game of her own, Super Princess Peach, where her emotions dictate how she gets through the level. That's her only gameplay mechanic, which to me seems like a representation of virtual PMS. Not only is that mildly offensive, but it's also ridiculous.

Seriously, Nintendo? This is the best you could come up with?

Then there are some that are more in the middle in terms of being strong female characters. Zelda, Samus, and Lara Croft come to mind. Starting off with Samus, she used to be the epitome of a strong female lead. Then, players could unlock a scantily-clad 8-bit Samus in the game and that kind of soiled her image as a strong lead a little. Her newer renditions in Zero Suit form aren't much better. She's still a strong female lead, having single-handedly committed mass genocide against the Metroids, but I just don't understand why the developers have to make her sexy.

Samus' "Zero Suit" leaves very little to the imagination

Is this really necessary?

As for Zelda (and this greatly pains me as she is one of my absolute favorite characters in all of gaming), she often solely plays the role as damsel in distress throughout The Legend of Zelda series. While she is scores above Princess Peach, I still wish she wouldn't always be the one to be in trouble and need rescued.  I mean, she has the Triforce of Wisdom for heaven's sake! You think she'd use it once in a while to outsmart Ganondorf. I know she disguised herself as Sheik for 7 years to avoid capture in Ocarina of Time but she still got captured anyways! Also the whole entire franchise is named after her, and I think that merits giving Zelda a better and stronger role within the games. Although, in many games she does help Link take down Ganondorf, and I really like that. I like a princess that is smart, and can also kick butt and take names. Anyways, getting back to the whole damsel in distress thing; isn't having to rescue a princess getting a bit old now anyways?
Finally, Lara Croft is a strong character whose design isn't as bad now as it used to be. Originally, the creator of Tomb Raider didn't want Lara to be a sex symbol. Instead, he wanted her to be attractive for her skill and her intelligence. But then, he accidentally increased the size of her boobs by 150%, and the rest was history. Thankfully, her more recent designs are a bit more realistic.

The evolution of Lara's design.

In all, I think the video game industry has come really far in terms of how they incorporate girls in their games. I just wish developers would realize that sex doesn't always sell when it comes to video games—great characters do.  The industry has more to gain by keeping females in mind when developing and designing their games. If they broaden who they market to, they can expect a bigger payoff. And as for a girl's place in the gaming world—how about we all just be "gamers"—despite what he have downstairs?

(Source #1, Source #2)