Video Game Review: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

Nintendo 64

Back in the late 90's I was all about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It was the first and only game I ever waited in line to purchase on the exact day it hit the shelves. Never mind the 60 plus dollar price tag, 16-year-old me wanted this game and he wanted it NOW. And it turned out to be well worth the money.

I played it religiously inside and out. I beat it a countless number of times, discovered every secret there was to discover. I don't think I even realized I was playing "the greatest game of all time" like some people seem to have dubbed the title. I just know that I really liked the game and that the game was stuffed with so much content that it kept me coming back time and time again.

You would think it would only be natural for me to snatch up Majora's Mask when that game came out a couple of years later. But I didn't. And I can't really remember why. I had read all the previews for the game before it came out. Maybe I thought it looked too similar to the original game? Maybe when it came out I read a bad review somewhere along the way? The game's price could have also played a factor. I remember that this game required an extra expansion pack to play it. So you not only had to buy the game, you had to buy the expansion pack to play the game as well. Maybe I just couldn't afford it at the time?

Whatever the reason, I missed out on an excellent game. I had another chance to play Majora's Mask a few years later when it came out on the Legend of Zelda Collector's Edition disc for the Gamecube. I think I even fired up the game and played it for a half hour or so. I didn't save my progress, telling myself I would come back to it later. But then I broke up with the girlfriend I was with at the time. She insisted that the disc was hers and took it when we split.

It wasn't hers, but we had been arguing so much that I didn't feel like pressing the point. Bad move, especially when I see how rare that collection is and how much people are willing to pay for it. I should have found a way to hang on to that disc!

More years passed. And passed. And passed. 2016 rolled around. 16 years after this game had originally came out, and I STILL hadn't played it yet. Well, sure I had played it for a half hour once back in the day, but I didn't count that as really playing it. I kept noticing that the game was coming up in all of my online circles. Everyone seemed to love the game. I really wanted to join in the conversations, but I couldn't because I hadn't played it. So I made it my goal to find this game. Somewhere, somehow, I was finally going to play Majora's Mask.

I ended up downloading the game from the Wii Virtual Console. But I didn't play it right away. More months passed. 2016 melted away to 2017. But thoughts of playing the game still lingered in the back of my mind. I was just waiting for the right time.

Finally the right time came. I was finished with all the other games I was playing. I was jonesing to start a longer game that I could dedicate 100% of my attention to. There were no outside distractions, nothing heavy was on my mind. It was time to finally play Majora's Mask.

The game certainly starts off with a bang. Link is riding Epona through the Lost Woods, looking for Navi, who had disappeared at the end of Ocarina of Time. There he runs into Skull Kid, who you may remember from the original game. He is wearing a very strange mask. This mask gives Skull Kid super powers, and he uses these powers to steal both Epona and the Ocarina of Time away from Link. Link gives chase, and the chase leads him to a giant hollowed out tree with a large pit in the middle of it. This is seemingly where Skull Kid has escaped to. Link takes a leap of faith and jumps into the pit.

Link survives the fall only to be cursed by the Skull Kid and turned into a walking Deku Shrub. Link makes his way through a series of underground passages and emerges in a strange place called Clock Town. There he finds a man known as the Happy Mask Salesman. This creepy looking dude explains to Link that Skull Kid had managed to steal Majora's Mask from him. Majora's Mask gives whoever is in possession of it god-like powers. It becomes your quest to stop Skull Kid and return the mask to the salesman.

When gameplay resumes, you head out to explore Clock Town. You discover that Skull Kid has used the mask to make the moon fall from the sky. This moon is on a direct collision course for Clock Town. It will impact in three days.

Controlling Deku Link, you confront Skull Kid on the third day. You manage to get the Ocarina of Time away from him, but find that he is too powerful to defeat. You hear a mysterious chant that tells you that you need to visit several areas in the land to find what you need to win. Before the moon can crash down and destroy everyone, Link plays the Ocarina to return back to his first day in Clock Town. He encounters the Happy Mask Salesman again. The salesman agrees to turn Link back into a human if he uses the Ocarina to stop Skull Kid once and for all.

And this is where your true quest begins. You must visit all four areas mentioned to you during your battle with Skull Kid and retrieve four masks which will help you win your fight.

There are four major regions in the game, with Clock Town sitting squarely in the middle acting as a central hub. The southern section represents the swamp lands, populated by the Deku. The west is Great Bay, home of the Zora. The north is snowy mountain territory populated by the Gorons. And the east is a rocky area which is under siege by ghosts and the undead.

You must visit each area, unlock its temple, and retrieve the mask from each temple. Once you have all four masks you can return to Clock Town and take on Skull Kid in a battle for Majora's Mask. You may think that with only four temples to beat, the game would be really short. But it is not.

All four temples require a lot of work to unlock. You must help the inhabitants of each area before you can access each temple. For example, in Great Bay to the west you must collect a bunch of Zora eggs which have been scattered throughout the ocean and return them to the hatchery before you can access the temple. In the east you must find out what is causing all the dead to come back to life before you can proceed. So on and so forth.

Each quest you must undertake is lengthy and time consuming, taking nearly as long to complete as the actual temples them selves. So while in concept this game may seem like it would be pretty short, it really isn't. Especially if you are playing without the help of the internet or a strategy guide. The game doesn't always make it clear what you are supposed to do next. And that really adds to the challenge of the game.

When you are clearing an area you gain access to masks that make it possible to access the next area of the game. For example, in the north you can wear a Goron mask that turns you into a Goron. You can smash stuff, lift heavy objects, and roll over your enemies. There is a Zora mask that allows you to swim underwater. A Deku mask that allows you to fire bubbles at your enemy, skip over water, and fly for a limited time through the air. These are the three major masks you will find throughout the game and that you need to have in order to advance.

I was a little intimidated by the whole mask aspect of the game, but really once you get used to it it all becomes second nature. Just picture changing suits in OoT to fit whatever environment you are trying to conquer. It is similar to that concept, although I must admit that you will be pausing quite a bit going around and selecting masks to add to your quick select menu.

In addition to these three required masks, there are also a countless number of optional masks you can collect by completing side quests through out the game. These masks can do things like collect fairies, make you invisible to enemies, and many other small things that will help you on your way.

The game controls just like Ocarina of Time. If you have played that game (or really any 3D Zelda game released since then) you will feel right at home playing Majora's Mask.

Graphically, the game looks really good. It is a very similar style to Ocarina of Time. I think technically this game probably looks a little better, but not overwhelmingly so. It has definitely aged well, especially when you factor in all the wonky, trippy colors and bright visual effects - plus how immersive each environment is. This is definitely a game you can lose yourself in playing it in the dark with headphones on.

The music is great too. I loved hearing the classic Zelda theme on the overworld map. All the little town themes, area themes, and dungeon tunes are great as well. I don't think the game has quite as many memorable tracks as other games like OoT and Wind Waker, however. But that's okay. All the classic Zelda sound effects are present as well, most of them ported directly over from OoT.

Now I must discuss the major twist of this game, what sets Majora's Mask apart from all the other Zelda titles: the whole three days before the end of the world concept. You have three days (in-game days) to beat the game before the moon crashes into Clock Town. If you don't finish it in three days, you die. But how is this possible, you may ask? Simple - you are in possession of the Ocarina of Time. You can and will use this object to manipulate time to allow you to complete your quest.

If you have ever seen Groundhog's Day or Edge of Tomorrow - you should be a little familiar with the game's twist. You must accomplish as much as you can in the three days you are allotted, and then use the Ocarina to send you back to the beginning of the three day cycle again. When you travel back to the beginning of the cycle - you keep all the special items you have picked up (your bow, for example), the Ocarina songs you have learned, and the masks you have collected. That's it. Most of the progress you make before resetting the cycle is lost.

So for example, you collect all the Zora eggs and learn the song that lets you unlock the water temple. But you look at the clock and see that you only have half a day left. No way to complete the temple, right? Warp back to the beginning of the three day cycle. You know the song you need to unlock the temple. Come back, unlock the temple, and you now have three days to complete it. But say you don't learn the song to unlock the temple. You collect 90% of the Zora eggs but then run out of time and have to warp back to day one. You lose all progress and have to run the side missions to learn the song all over again.

If you are taking too long to complete a temple once you are inside it and find that you have to reset the three day cycle - you lose all progress you made in the temple. When you come back to it, you will have to do everything all over again. There is definitely a learning curve here. And to me that makes this game a lot more challenging than almost all of the other 3D Zelda games. That feeling that you are working against the clock. I must admit, every time I hear that ringing of the bells that indicates that another day is about to pass, I just about crap myself. But in a good way. I hated this twist when I first started to play the game, but it actually started to grow on me after a while. It really makes the game a true challenge while at the same time adding to the intensity and desperation of your quest.

When I did beat the game, I had to sit back and take a deep breath. This isn't your typical Zelda game. It is difficult. Its intense. It is very dark in its tone. But I liked it.

The game narrowly misses out on a perfect score, mainly because I only award that to games I consider all time classics. And there were some flaws here. I was having to pull out the ocarina and perform songs waaaay too often for my liking. And with all the masks and items you carry around, three inventory slots is not enough. I was having to pause the game every minute or so to change things around. I found the whole item system to be very inefficient.

The save system is flawed too. You can only save after resetting the three day cycle. If you want to save at any other time - you can. But the game makes you quit playing. When you resume, that save is deleted. It is only temporary. You can't save for insurance in case you die and then continue playing. I found this to be extremely annoying.

And I do feel as if the game could have done a better job directing you as to where to go or what to do next. I don't need the game to hold my hand, but I get the feeling that if I didn't have access to help from the internet I would have gotten stuck a lot and gotten very frustrated as a result. Especially considering the game has you working against the clock.

Despite the flaws, I still loved the game. I wish it didn't take me 17 years after the game came out to finally getting around to playing it. I have a feeling I would consider this an all time great if I had grown up playing it. Now I simply think it is an excellent Zelda title, no more.

But you know that this must be a good game when I want to turn around and immediately play it over again. I NEVER feel that way with anything. I ended up not playing this a second time, but I have no doubt in my mind that I will be returning to it in the coming years. I vowed when I started up this blog that I wouldn't replay a game in my collection until I had gone through everything I own and reviewed each title. But I have a feeling Majora's Mask is going to be the game to make me break that promise.

Overall:

A

Video Game Review: Super Mario Bros. 3

Super Mario Bros. 3

Nintendo Entertainment System

As much as I have grown to love Super Mario Bros. 2 I will admit to feeling an initial sense of disappointment when I first played the game as a kid. I thought the original Super Mario Bros. game was the greatest thing ever, and I was hoping that its sequel would be a bigger, better, more innovative twist on the classic Mario format. Instead, Mario 2 was nothing at all like the first Mario game.

Like I said, I did grow up to love the game. But it was nothing at all like what I had anticipated. Six year old Dan just could not shake that sense of disappointment that the game had given him. Two years after the release of that game, however, Super Mario Bros. 3 hit the shelves. And THIS was the game that that anxious little kid had been hoping for.

Mario 3 basically tossed aside everything that happened in the previous game and returned to what had made Mario famous to begin with. Goombas, turtles, fire flowers, stars, blocks, coins. Even the control scheme was fairly similar to that of the original title.

But instead of just being simply a clone of the first game, Mario 3 went above and beyond even the most imaginative young gamer's wildest expectations. This game was a fun, colorful, vibrant, secret filled, insanely addictive thrill ride that was basically a piece of video game nirvana to me. I instantly fell in love with this game, and even now - 27 years since the game first came out - I still think it is sensational.

A lot of people like the mention Super Mario Bros. 3 whenever the topic of "best NES game ever" comes up. And it is really hard to disagree with that choice. This game has it all.

Graphically, this is one of the better looking NES titles out there. It is bright and colorful. Each stage in the game has its own distinctive look and feel. The stages almost feel like characters in the game themselves. You never get the feeling like you are running around the same recycled environments over and over again.

You've got stages with lots of green grass. You've got castles, water stages, desert stages, snow stages, sky stages. You've got a stage where enemies and items are bigger than they normally are. Some stages throw classic enemies like goombas and turtles at you. Some introduce new enemies like chain chomps, boos, flying beetles, fire monsters, and those little green things that burp up black spiked balls and chuck them at you.

Like I said, no two areas of the game are alike. Each stage has something unique and iconic about it.

The game just oozes personality and charm. Everywhere I would turn, I'd see something that would bring back memories of playing this game as a kid. The sun that swoops down from the sky and attacks you? Ahhh! The green shoe that you can hop in and use to kill enemies and walk on spikes? Ahhh! Clearly, the makers of the game had a vision and put a lot of thought and effort into making that vision come true. They really made the world of Super Mario Bros. come to life.

If you have been living under a rock, or are just really young and not into retro gaming, let me explain how the game works. When you start the game, you will notice that you control Mario and can move him around on an overworld map. You must navigate Mario from the beginning of the map to the castle at the very end.

You must complete each numbered stage in order to move on. Occasionally, the path on the map will split and you can skip some stages, but being the completionist that I am I never do that. This game is super fun. Why would you want to play less of it?

Aside from the traditional numbered stages, you will encounter some other fun things on the map as well. Mushroom houses, where you can select from one of three treasure chests in order to add an item to your inventory. Yes, you can collect items in this game and use them while on the map screen to give Mario an added edge when you are having trouble. There are Hammer Brothers, who you must battle to get past. Beat them and in the process you will get another item for your inventory.

There are also a couple of different mini games you can play for bonuses. There is a card flipping game where you must match up pairs of items in order to win them and add them to your inventory. And another game where you must stop three fast moving picture fragments in the right order to make a complete picture. Do so, and you can win extra lives. I always sucked at these.

Sometimes you can use a hammer to destroy rocks that block your path. Most of these rocks lead to areas with hidden items or mini games. You will occasionally unlock things like bonus ships filled with gold coins. You can also find hidden warp whistles which you can use to skip ahead to later levels. Only losers do this though.

Once you reach the end of a stage, you come to a castle where its ruler has been transformed into an animal by Bowser. You must board one of Bowser's flying ships. Each ship stage ends in a boss battle with one of Bowser's children. Beat the kid and unlock a magic wand that you then use to restore the castle's ruler to his former glory. And on to the next world you go!

There are eight worlds in total. Make it all the way to Bowser's hideout and at the end of the game you square off against him to save the Princess.

What sets this game apart from the original Mario is not only its graphics and game play, but the fact that there is SO MUCH extra to do and see in this game. It is one of those rare sequels that demolishes the original game and improves on it in every way possible. 

I already talked about the variety in stages and in enemies. I mentioned all the little mini games and hidden things you can find everywhere. But I haven't touched on Mario's outfits yet. In the first game, all you have was little Mario, Big Mario, star Mario, and fire Mario. In this game you have raccoon Mario, who can fly and use his tail to whack enemies. Frog suit Mario who can swim much, much better than he can without a suit (but is pretty much useless on land). Tanooki suit Mario who has all the advantages of raccoon Mario, but also the added ability to turn into a statue to avoid enemies. P-Wing Mario, whose powers of flight do not need charging. And the ultra rare Hammer Bros. suit (that I always end up wasting by getting hit right after I use it) that lets Mario throw little hammers and retreat into his fireproof shell.

Like I said, there is so much more substance to this title than to the other Mario games. Lots of hidden secrets too. I must have played this for months and months nonstop and each play through I would discover hidden secrets and little things I hadn't noticed before.

The game's difficulty level is a medium. It is challenging if you've never played it before, but fairly easy once you get the hang of it. My most recent play through I racked up 100 lives and only died a small handful of times. But I am kind of a pro at this game. 

I consider Super Mario Bros. 3 to be the ultimate Mario game. Some say that Super Mario World for the SNES is better, but I never had a SNES as a kid. I have one now, and I own SMW, but I still don't think it is as good as 3. Perhaps it is because I didn't grow up playing it as a kid and it doesn't carry the same sentimental value for me that it does for other people. Who knows. Or maybe Mario 3 is just the better game?

Either way, you can't go wrong with this title. That is simply impossible. This isn't just a great game, it is an EPIC game. The best NES title of all time? There are so many to choose from. But I will say probably. It is about as flawless of a 2D platformer as you can get. 

It is fun. There is variety everywhere you look. Variety in the stages, variety in the characters. Variety in all the mini games you can play. Variety in the items you collect and the outfits you can wear. You can pick this game up at any time and start playing and instantly have a good time. In fact, just thinking of the game makes me smile. 

If this is not an instant classic, I don't know what is. Best Mario game ever? Probably. Best NES game ever? Probably. Best game ever? That is more debatable, but just the fact that it is almost thirty years old and still in that conversation says a lot about its merits. 

If you don't like this game, you are not someone I want to associate with.

Overall:

A+

Special Guest Video Game Review: Final Fantasy XV

Final Fantasy XV

PlayStation 4

The Almighty Wisk returns again for another guest video game review

I know this blog is dedicated to mainly older video games, but with my newly acquired PlayStation 4 I feel the need to review the latest installment of Square Enix's most epic franchise - A King's Tale: Final Fantasy XV. With a franchise that's been around since 1987, it has been 30 years since a dying video game company flourished into a genre staple and the definition of the role playing community.

With simple beginnings, Final Fantasy was one last attempt for Squaresoft before they went bankrupt. The release of the game put them on the map, and served as a staple of the role playing genre. If you're a gamer, Final Fantasy is a household name. On a realistic note, Square Enix did get lazy with Final Fantasy in previous years and relied on familiarity and scenery to get past the horrific gameplay, but it seems they got their act in order and decided to try something fresh and new while maintaining that Final Fantasy feel.

Final Fantasy XV opens with the dialogue on the screen: "A Final Fantasy for fans and first timers." I wasn't sure what that meant, how can someone who's been playing since 1992 relate to a first timer? I was wary when I hit that X button and saw the title screen. The first thing you see is a series of options when you start the game. New game, Load, options, and then I saw another one: tutorial. I was waiting for the game to install, so I decided to click on tutorial. Instantly I was thrown into battle in a large open area in front of a gigantic castle. I was confronted by a Final Fantasy staple: imps. Every game they are the weakest monsters.

You are able to freely move about, hacking and slashing. Occasionally a screen pops up explaining battle techniques, attack, casting magic, defending, parrying, and something brand new: warp points and warp strikes. The battle system is quite simple to understand. Circle to attack, square to defend and dodge, R1 to lock on to enemies, and R1 and triangle to Warp strike enemies. Warp striking lets you lock on to an enemy and teleport to them with an attack that lets you easily get out of danger.

Don't let the simplicity fool you, there's much more here than meets the eye. You can break an enemy's defense or blindside an enemy from the back for extra damage. Fleeing is still an option. You are given a wide range field to battle that has a big red circle on the HUD in the top right corner. Once you leave that red zone the battle is over.  A short section this is just with one character. Then there are 3 party members with you, adding to the battle system and making it both wonderful in depth and simplistic.

The game installed, I hit the new game button and was treated to a dramatic battle from the get go - flames burning, controlling a character who seems to be hurt, walking towards a demon of some sort. While short, it ends abruptly and a message on the screen says "Before the fall." You find out that the character was Prince Noctis, heir to the throne of Insomnia. Noctis is your main protagonist and is speaking to his father the king about leaving the kingdom to marry a princess while he signs a peace treaty with the Imperials. Noctis is joined by 3 bodyguards: Gladios, Ignis, and Prompto, who will be your party members throughout the game.

Your father gives you a gorgeous car called the Regalia and sends you on your way.  Gaining control of your character Noctis, the first thing that happens is the car breaks down and your first mission is to push it to the nearest garage.

The game introduces outposts, "safe zones" that are free of monsters and have people around. This is how you save, buy items, refill the gas tank, and accept side quests.  Keeping this review spoiler free, I am not going to give away plot points. So I will do my best to just go over the pros and cons while keeping it entertaining. The reason they have outposts, is because you have freedom everywhere in this world. Everything is explorable, everything. The game is trial and error. In my first playthrough, the first time it became dark I decided that I could handle it and went out. HUGE mistake. I ventured out from the lights and had a run in with the Daemons (demons) that haunt the night. A level 30 Iron Giant and a level 30 bomb, and I was level 1. I reloaded my save and decided to turn in and wait until morning in game.

I reached a camper to rest. My surprise was that you have an experience multiplier depending on where you stay. It turns out a camper was 1.2 experience boost, an inn is a 1.5, and specialty hotels that have 2x and 3x boost experience but at insanely high prices. I also learned why I wasn't leveling up: your experience accumulates throughout your playing until you rest. So with that 1.2 experience boost I reached level 4 quickly.

I was given the option to save photos when I turned in for the evening. Turns out one of your party members likes to take pictures. Each character has their own skill to level up. Noctis is fishing, Gladiolo is survival, Ignis is cooking, and Prompo is photography. Noctis is self-explanatory, but survival is running around the map and cooking. There are campsites that act as outposts in the wild where your character cooks for you and you gain stat boosts for the day depending on what you make. Photography is automatic, it snaps shots of you as you play throughout the day.

The game play is smooth. You take long road trips with your partners, lots of witty banter along the way. The game sets the tone that these 4 individuals are close friends, and the rhythm of the game becomes clear a few hours in. Ride in the car, do side quests, beat baddies, and occasionally progress the story. The game isn't without its faults: while the battle system is great, the camera angles at times leave much to be desired. Occasionally you will be swinging at nothing. The enemies can and will gang up on you, leaving you battered and beaten while you are frantically trying to click for a link strike.

Picking up items and opening doors has never been more irritating. This wouldn't be an issue if X wasn't already linked to the jump button. Cooking is highlighted in the game, but you NEVER get to use it - it's exclusive for campsites. The game discourages you from going out at night, so most of the time you're in an outpost and can't use the cooking ability. While the battle system is complex and easy, it can get mundane from time to time. Hit circle, hit circle, hit circle, hit circle, occasionally hold square so you can hit circle more.

Overall the pros outweigh the cons. This game will put Square Enix back on the map. A review, while nice, cannot and will not compare to playing the game yourself, so if you have a PS4 expect at least 35-40 solid hours of gameplay and even more if you do the side quests. Well worth the money dished out.

THE GRADE:

A-