Nintendo’s newest entry in the Legend of Zelda series proves why the company is synonymous with what gaming is all about.  The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask is the sequel to Ocarina of Time, a game that made a huge splash over 2 years ago.  While this new game was conceived as a side-quest to the original, Majora’s Mask is actually a worthy sequel that proves a worthy successor to the first game’s greatness.  Incorporating all of Ocarina of Time's strengths, Majora’s Mask continues the legacy of exceptional gameplay, intuitive control, and a complex world, while introducing some new features of its own.

Majora’s Mask picks up right where Ocarina left off.  Link is riding away from Hyrule after saving the day when he is attacked by a mysterious masked villain and his two fairies.  Epona, Link’s horse, and the valuable Ocarina are stolen while Link is turned into a helpless Deku – a denizen of the forests of Hyrule.  Chasing after the evil stranger, Link finds himself in the parallel world of Terminus where the masked villain has set in motion a disastrous collision with the moon.  Link has 72 hours -- or 3 days -- to stop him before Armageddon sets in.  The clock is always ticking while Link is exploring and fighting.  72 hours game time is equal to 1.5 hours real time.

The game takes place around Clock Town and 4 areas that must be solved to win the 4 major masks needed to defeat the villain.  Once the Ocarina is recovered, Link learns a song to reset the clock back to day one.  Of course all the minor tasks he has accomplished such as collecting money, items, side-quests, will all be reset and people he has talked to won’t remember him.  However, hearts found, major items -- such as the bow, containers, and dungeon masks -- will be retained.  Thus, there is a way to progress despite having to start over and over again from day one.  Other features include warp statues that allow easy access to far away locations and a song that slows the clock down without adversely affecting the gameplay.  The strategy of the game is in using your time wisely to accomplish as many objectives as possible and knowing when to reset the clock for maximum effect.   

The graphics are pretty much identical to Ocarina of Time despite the requirement for the expansion pak.   Locations include the town, snowy mountains, forests, water, and fields.   Each area has its own inhabitants and problems that Link must solve to gain access to the dungeons.  Sound effects retain the usual hack-and-slash action with no spoken dialogue but only strange mumblings among the characters.  Familiar tunes from the older games grace the many locations and bring familiarity to the series.  

Control is handled identically to the first game.  Actions are assigned to the A, B, and C buttons with scrolling between the various submenus done by the Z-trigger.  The C buttons can be assigned many actions such as using arrows, bottles, masks, bombs, and sticks.  The very useful auto lock-on system is also present.   Much of the gameplay centers on mask collecting.  Most of the masks are purely optional and are only sought after for rewards such as money, heart pieces, and other masks.  The transforming masks are essential items acquired during the quest.   These masks will transform Link into different beings such as a Deku, Goron, or Zoran.  In these forms, Link will obtain all the powers of the species.  For instance as a Goron he will be able to spin and smash rocks.  As a Zoran, he can swim deep under water, etc.  These transformations really expand the gameplay experience and are the central reason why this game is so fun.  In addition to the exploration and problem solving aspects, the dungeons are really a big bonus to the rest of the game.  Each is huge and must be solved with Link’s unique abilities.  

Many players will be simply overwhelmed with the sheer variety of things you can do in this game.  More than half of it is made up of optional tasks and the essential task is big enough to last for many enjoyable hours.  The variety of gameplay, the quirky characters, the numerous secrets, and puzzles are what make this game classic Zelda and a jewel in the crown of Nintendo’s strongest franchise.  For those people left without a PlayStation 2 this holiday season, The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask is an excellent substitute.