There are plenty of games in the Zelda series that could be seen as the best that the franchise has to offer. After all, it's no secret that the series has a few titles that some would consider the best games of all time, such as Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild. While those are great places for newcomers to the series to start, after they've gotten their "Zelda sea legs," they should check out The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. Conveniently, it is coming to Nintendo Switch Online for those who are paying for the additional N64 titles.
Although the emulation for N64 games on the service isn't fantastic, Majora's Mask's quality will likely be able to shine through the spotty controls and delayed inputs when it arrives on the Switch in February. It's a title that fans of the franchise often know about, but have never played or finished, but now is the perfect time for newcomers and diehard fans alike to give the game a shot and see all the weird things that it has to offer.
Majora's Mask's Timeless Quality
When it comes to traditional sequels, Majora's Mask isn't the typical follow-up that fans were expecting after Ocarina of Time. The game has a surreal feeling to it, as it reuses plenty of characters from Ocarina of Time but gives them different roles in the story, and none of them seem to recognize Link despite meeting him in his previous adventure. In addition to that, it introduces a time loop mechanic that the series hasn't gone back to, but works as an interesting way to emphasize the cyclical nature of its story.
Essentially, Link finds himself in a situation where a mischievous villain, Skull Kid, is going to crash the moon into the land of Termina, ending the world in three days unless Link can stop him. As he soon finds out, he can't do it in the three days given to him, so Link opts to reverse time as many times as necessary to get the proper equipment to stop Skull Kid and save the world. Zelda games can often get a bit far out with their plot points, but Majora's Mask ditches the traditional hero's journey that's been told time and time again in The Legend of Zelda and leans into absurdity to tell a story about hope in hopeless times.
With the constant fear of doom hovering over the player throughout the entire experience as the moon gradually gets closer to the earth, Majora's Mask is able to address a lot of the panic and anxiety that many feel today over large-scale issues. However, it juxtaposes that anxiety by showing that lives are able to be taken away at any time by having Link meet different characters who die before the world even ends. These moments hammer home the point that life is fragile regardless of what's going on and that people should enjoy their lives while things are good.
Anyone who's never experienced it should give Majora's Mask a shot, especially since it seems like Breath of the Wild 2 might be following the game's lead and leaning into a less traditional story as the sequel to a widely successful Zelda title. Many people might be turned off by the ticking clock element of the game, which is entirely valid. Still, giving Majora's Mask a chance and sticking with it might hook players into the rhythm of completing unique side stories and temples just before resetting the clock at midnight on the third day.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is available for Nintendo 64 and arrives on Nintendo Switch Online in February.