149-568: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is a 2000 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 . It was the second The Legend of Zelda game 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 , which
298-573: A Skyrim , there was the intimidating land of Hyrule. The Legend of Zelda has done more than shape the series as it's known today. It is known for influencing many of today's best games and its formula has inspired many of today's most recognizable game developers, both in the mainstream and indie space". Liz Finnegan for The Escapist commented on the original game's influence on the RPG genre, particularly its nonlinear open world, and opined that " Zelda ' s design inspired countless other titles to adopt
447-619: A fantasy " setting. Tutankham , debuted by Konami in January 1982, was an action-adventure released for arcades . It combined maze, shoot 'em up, puzzle-solving and adventure elements, with a 1983 review by Computer and Video Games magazine calling it "the first game that effectively combined the elements of an adventure game with frenetic shoot 'em up gameplay." It inspired the similar Time Bandit (1983). Action Quest , released in May 1982, blended puzzle elements of adventure games into
596-446: A joystick -controlled, arcade-style action game, which surprised reviewers at the time. While noting some similarities to Adventure , IGN argues that The Legend of Zelda (1986) by Nintendo "helped to establish a new subgenre of action-adventure", becoming a success due to how it combined elements from different genres to create a compelling hybrid, including exploration, adventure-style inventory puzzles , an action component,
745-566: A monetary system , and simplified RPG-style level building without the experience points . The Legend of Zelda series was the most prolific action-adventure game franchise through to the 2000s. Roe R. Adams also cited the arcade-style side-scrolling fantasy games Castlevania (1986), Trojan (1986) and Wizards & Warriors (1987) as early examples of action-adventure games. Games like Brain Breaker (1985), Xanadu (1985), Metroid (1986) and Vampire Killer (1986) combined
894-759: A subgenre of open world action-adventure video games in the third-person perspective . They are characterized by their likeness to the Grand Theft Auto series in either gameplay or overall design. In these types of open world games, players may find and use a variety of vehicles and weapons while roaming freely in an open world setting. Metroidvania is a portmanteau of Metroid and Castlevania ; such games are sometimes referred to as "search action", and are generally based on two-dimensional platformers. They emphasize both exploration and puzzle-solving with traditional platform gameplay. Survival horror games emphasize "inventory management" and making sure
1043-519: A child's body who must step up when the other adults in the game fail to do so in the face of crisis. The existential horror of the falling moon is another common topic of analysis, providing both pathos and a prism to understand the themes of loneliness and forgiveness. Majora's Mask has been cited as a thematic and mechanical inspiration for games such as Kena: Bridge of Spirits , Outer Wilds , and Elsinore , among others. Author and literary critic Gabe Durham of Boss Fight Books has also observed
1192-545: A choice of what to say. The NPC gives a scripted response to the player, and the game offers the player several new ways to respond. Due to the action-adventure subgenre's broad and inclusive nature, it causes some players to have difficulty finishing a particular game. Companies have devised ways to give the player help, such as offering clues or allowing the player to skip puzzles to compensate for this lack of ability. Brett Weiss cites Atari 's Superman (1979) as an action-adventure game, with Retro Gamer crediting it as
1341-474: A combination of complex story elements, which are often displayed for players using audio and video. The story is heavily reliant upon the player character's movement, which triggers story events and thus affects the flow of the game. Popular examples of action-adventure games include The Legend of Zelda , God of War , and Tomb Raider series. There is a good deal of controversy over what actually constitutes an action-adventure game. One definition of
1490-448: A complex text parser and no free-moving character. While they share general gameplay dynamics, action-adventures vary widely in the design of their viewpoints, including bird's eye , side-scrolling, first-person, third-person , over-the-shoulder, or even a 3/4 isometric view . Many action-adventure games simulate a conversation through a conversation tree . When the player encounters a non-player character , they are allowed to select
1639-524: A darker, more unsettling version of Hyrule, in which landmarks are familiar but twisted and minor characters who previously appeared in Ocarina of Time are presented with individual stories of misfortune. In the skies above Termina, a grimacing moon threatens to crash and obliterate all life. It is predicted to impact on the eve of the Carnival of Time, an annual harvest festival that begins in three days. Despite
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#17331058763791788-478: A drawer and revisit anytime you like". He drew his inspiration from the Kyoto countryside that he had explored in his childhood and wanted to recreate the experience of adventure and discovery. Alongside writer Takashi Tezuka , Miyamoto created a fantasy world in the style of fantasy authors like Tolkien , which was viewed from a top-down perspective . It was populated with colourful characters, monsters and dungeons for
1937-516: A fully 3D realm while successfully preserving the heart and soul of previous Zelda games. Its 'Z-targeting' mechanic refined the clumsy auto-targeting systems that made 3D console games of the day feel inferior to 3D action games on the PC. Finally, it presented a story about healing a broken world". Heather Alexandra, writing for Kotaku , remarked on the impact of the game's release: "There have been countless open world games since 1998, but Ocarina of Time
2086-403: A game of its type was unlikely to be repeated due to the conservatism of big-budget game development. Sliva identified the short development cycle and reuse of assets as a limitation that sparked the design team's creativity. Jonathan Holmes of Destructoid called Majora's Mask a game about "being a young adult", with all the responsibility and confusion that entails. He saw Link as an adult in
2235-517: A game with a mix of elements from an action game and an adventure game , especially crucial elements like puzzles inspired by older adventure games. Action-adventures require many of the same physical skills as action games, but may also offer a storyline, numerous characters, an inventory system, dialogue, and other features of adventure games. They are typically faster-paced than pure adventure games, because they include both physical and conceptual challenges. Action-adventure games normally include
2384-475: A horse or opening a treasure chest. These features were landmarks for Nintendo and influenced 3D world development within the games industry. During development, the staff spent less time on developing the dungeons. According to Miyamoto: "Instead of mapping your way through a maze, I think what's more important is a sense of dread, a sense of pressure, and of course an opportunity for finding secrets and solving puzzles—we should be pursuing an emotional immediacy,
2533-516: A key to the Sacred Realm. It was first introduced in A Link To The Past , it has the power to "repel evil", which enables it to overcome powerful dark magic and slay evil and demonic beings that cannot be harmed by conventional weaponry. Skyward Sword reveals that it was originally known as the Goddess Sword, which is inhabited by a sentient female spirit named Fi . Near the end of the game,
2682-577: A kingdom across the land. The kingdom is ruled by the Royal Family of Hyrule, into which the various incarnations of Princess Zelda are often born. The Hylian alphabet is a cipher of either English or Japanese that first appears in A Link to the Past , where it is identified as "the ancient language of the Hylians" and is composed of symbols that Link must translate to progress. In Japan, an explanation of
2831-422: A lake. It was quite a surprise for me to stumble upon it. When I traveled around the country without a map, trying to find my way, stumbling on amazing things as I went, I realized how it felt to go on an adventure like this". Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto conceived the land of Hyrule as the setting for the original The Legend of Zelda , describing it as "a miniature garden that you can put into
2980-527: A land corrupted by Ganondorf's influence, with Hyrule Castle Town in ruins and Redead zombies as its inhabitants. Due to concerns about the limitations of the Nintendo 64, Miyamoto initially conceived the game taking place within a central hub in the confines of Ganon's Castle, similar to Peach's Castle in Super Mario 64 . He described Ocarina of Time as a "huge project" due to the fact that it involved making
3129-438: A little longer to get into this Zelda ", but also that "there are moments when the game really hits you with all its intricacies and mysteries, and that makes it all worthwhile". Majora's Mask was a runner-up for GameSpot ' s "Best Nintendo 64 Game" award, losing to Perfect Dark . It was also nominated for "Best Adventure Game" among console games . During the 4th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards , Majora's Mask
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#17331058763793278-455: A major effect on the possible actions. It sounds obvious, but for example, if you push down a rock, it's going to roll according to the slope. We wanted people to be able to feel things in a "realistic" way, to break or move around big objects in the game and believe they could have had the same feeling in real life. This physically lived experience is very important". Breath of the Wild' s open world
3427-418: A new game using the existing game engine and graphics in just one year. By reusing game assets, the smaller team was able to finish Majora's Mask in 15 months. The aggressive development schedule resulted in a great deal of ' crunch '—mandatory overtime—and the writers expressed their frustration by inserting complaints about overwork into the script. Another team finished Ura Zelda , but it never came out on
3576-421: A one-player game with dungeons under mountains that surrounded Death Mountain, but we couldn't shake that "I want to play above ground, too!" feeling, so we added forests and lakes, and eventually Hyrule Field". The first specifications were drawn up on a whiteboard by Miyamoto and then copied onto a document on 1 February 1985. The document detailed early concepts for items and enemies that would later feature in
3725-421: A pin badge, double-sided poster, and steelbook case. The UK retailer Game offered a Majora's Mask -themed paperweight as a pre-order bonus for the standard edition of the game. Majora's Mask was the primary inspiration for the 2010s web serial Ben Drowned by Alexander D. Hall, which helped define the creepypasta genre of online storytelling. Building on the horror elements of the game, Ben Drowned
3874-500: A place like it existing in our world. It's not just some fantasy, flashy place like you'd find in the Star Wars universe. It's meant to look like the real world, and Miyamoto achieved that goal in a way no one would have expected without actually seeing it first". The open world of Hyrule in Breath of the Wild has received praise for its design. Noelle Warner of Destructoid ranked all of
4023-410: A plague that brings the dead back to life. Through his travels, Link heals more souls with the song he learned and learns that Skull Kid cursed the land as revenge for feeling abandoned by his Giant friends when they became Termina's guardians. Tatl and Tael befriended the lonely Skull Kid and accompanied him in the mischief that led to his theft of the mask, which has been corrupting him ever since. Under
4172-402: A princess from an evil villain and bring peace to Hyrule. The new game concept caused concern with Nintendo's management. In 2003, Miyamoto stated in an interview for Superplay magazine: "I remember that we were very nervous, because The Legend Of Zelda was our first game that forced the players to think about what they should do next. We were afraid that gamers would become bored and stressed by
4321-492: A short time by launching from Deku Flowers; Goron Link can roll at high speeds, punch with deadly force, pound the ground with his massive, rock-like body, and walk in lava without taking damage; Zora Link can swim faster, throw boomerang-like fins from his arms, generate an electric force field, and walk on the bottoms of bodies of water. Some areas can only be accessed by use of these abilities. Link and his three transformations receive different reactions from other characters which
4470-705: A side-scrolling platformer format with adventure exploration, creating the Metroidvania platform-adventure subgenre. Similarly, games like 005 (1981), Castle Wolfenstein and Metal Gear (1987) combined action-adventure exploration with stealth mechanics, laying the foundations for the stealth game subgenre, which would later be popularized in 1998 with the releases of Metal Gear Solid , Tenchu: Stealth Assassins , and Thief: The Dark Project . The cinematic platformer Prince of Persia (1989) featured action-adventure elements, inspiring games such as Another World (1991) and Flashback (1992). Alone in
4619-400: A single avatar as the protagonist . This type of game is often quite similar to role-playing video games . They are distinct from graphic adventures , which sometimes have free-moving central characters, but also a wider variety of commands and fewer or no action game elements and are distinct too from text adventures , characterized by many different commands introduced by the user via
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask - Misplaced Pages Continue
4768-457: A soldier who needs medicine and an affianced couple estranged by Skull Kid's mischief. Blue bars on the notebook's timeline indicate when characters are available for interaction, and icons indicate that Link has received items, such as masks, from the characters. Majora's Mask is set in Termina, an alternate version of Hyrule which is the main setting of most Zelda games. Termina is depicted as
4917-465: A specific area of Hyrule and its inhabitants. Several recurring races, such as the Gorons, Zora and Gerudo were introduced and given a distinct history and culture. Hyrule Field, an expansive open grassy area, was positioned at the centre of Hyrule, acting as a hub that connects other areas to create the illusion of a vast world. The game's time travel mechanic also introduced a dark version of Hyrule Kingdom,
5066-466: A subscription offer to Nintendo Power magazine, or through Nintendo's official website. The Collector's Edition was also available through the Club Nintendo reward program, with a bonus discount offered in 2004 with the purchase of The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures during the month-long "Zelda Collection" campaign. Similar to other GameCube rereleases, versions of the games featured in
5215-594: A sword, Link can block or reflect attacks with a shield, stun enemies by throwing Deku Nuts, attack from a distance with a bow and arrow, and use bombs to destroy obstacles and damage enemies. He can also latch onto objects or paralyze enemies with the Hookshot. These actions are aided by the "Z-targeting" system introduced in Ocarina of Time , wherein the player may lock the camera onto a particular character, object, or enemy and maintain it in view regardless of Link's motion through
5364-474: A three-day cycle. Whereas the masks in Ocarina of Time are limited to an optional sidequest , they play a central role in Majora's Mask , which has twenty-four masks in total. Using the three primary masks, the player can transform Link into different creatures: a Deku Scrub , a Goron , and a Zora . Each form features unique abilities: Deku Link can perform a spin attack, shoot bubbles, skip on water, and fly for
5513-527: Is a reference to a similar fan-based movement, Operation Rainfall , set up to persuade Nintendo of America to localize a trio of role-playing games for the Wii . The petition reached 16,000 signatures after a week. Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé acknowledged the campaign but said that the ultimate decision would be based on financial projections rather than a fan petition. Both Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma and Miyamoto expressed interest in developing
5662-410: Is an action-adventure game set in a three-dimensional (3D) environment. Players control the on-screen character, Link, from a third-person perspective to explore dungeons, solve puzzles, and fight monsters. Players may direct Link to perform basic actions such as walking, running, and context-based jumping using the analog stick , and must use items to navigate the environment. In addition to wielding
5811-729: Is an action game that includes situational problem-solving. Adventure gamers may also be purists, rejecting any game that makes use of physical challenges or time pressure. Regardless, the action-adventure label is prominent in articles over the internet and media. The term "action-adventure" is usually substituted for a particular subgenre due to its wide scope. Although action-adventure games are diverse and difficult to classify, there are some distinct subgenres. Many games with gameplay similar to those in The Legend of Zelda series are called Zelda clones or Zelda -like games. Popular subgenres include: A Grand Theft Auto clone belongs to
5960-439: Is available as customizable headgear to be worn by Mii characters in Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and Ultimate . Ember Lab made an animated short film called Terrible Fate in 2016, based on characters from Majora's Mask . The studio would later develop Kena: Bridge of Spirits as a "natural next step". Action-adventure game An action-adventure game is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both
6109-494: Is framed as an urban legend about a "haunted" Majora's Mask game cartridge that causes unexplainable events in-game and in the player's real life. Eric Van Allen of Kotaku compared it to a campfire story adapted for the digital age . Victor Luckerson of The Ringer attributed part of Majora's Mask ' s enduring cult following to its ambiguous themes, malleable and receptive to reinterpretations like Ben Drowned . Sliva considered Ben Drowned an inextricable part of
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask - Misplaced Pages Continue
6258-507: Is frequently accompanied by a companion in Zelda games, starting with Navi in The Ocarina of Time . Characters like Navi, Midna , and Fi serve a tutorial function in their respective games and comment on events as they transpire in the story. The supporting cast of Breath of the Wild , featuring characters such as Mipha , Prince Sidon , and Urbosa , has proven to be popular among fans of
6407-519: Is incredibly inspiring". Adam Saltsman , creator of Canabalt , commented on the consistency of the game environment and the player's ability to experiment. Vlambeer 's Rami Ismail said that "no game has done verticality as well as BotW ". Sam Byford of The Verge commented on the impact of Breath of the Wild' s open world on the video game industry, describing it as a "revolutionary approach to open-world game design". He cited several other subsequent game worlds that bear similarities to Breath of
6556-692: Is key to solving certain puzzles. For instance, Goron and Zora Link can exit Clock Town at will, but town guards do not permit Deku Link to leave due to his childlike appearance. Other masks provide situational benefits without transforming Link. For example, the Great Fairy's Mask helps locate stray fairies in the four temples, the Bunny Hood increases Link's movement speed, and the Stone Mask renders Link invisible to most enemies. Certain masks are involved only in sidequests or specialized situations. Examples include
6705-452: Is made up of three smaller triangles known as the Triforce of Power , the Triforce of Wisdom , and the Triforce of Courage . These embody the essences of their respective goddesses, and present a power struggle and balance of morality between the central characters, Ganon, Zelda and Link. The Triforce first appeared in the original game as a focal point of the plot, which involves Ganon stealing
6854-408: Is set within a fantasy world reminiscent of medieval Europe which consists of several recurring locations, races and creatures. The most prominent race in the series are the Hylians, a humanoid race with elfin features identifiable by their long, pointed ears. The series' lore contains a creation myth , several fictional alphabets, the most prominent being Hylian, and a fictional universal currency,
7003-456: Is similar to Hylian and is written in elongated, wispy letters. The Sheikah language was introduced in Breath of the Wild and consists of a complete alphabet of square-shaped symbols. Players have deciphered these languages to translate numerous signs and inscriptions commonly found around Hyrule. The universal currency of Hyrule is the rupee. Although it shares its name with the real-world currency , Miyamoto said in an interview that this
7152-451: Is worthy of wielding it. Hyrule is the main recurring setting of The Legend of Zelda series, but several games are set outside Hyrule in other lands, realms and parallel worlds. The geographical relationship between Hyrule and these other worlds is not clearly defined. Despite most games in the series nominally taking place centuries apart, The Legend of Zelda often features many recurring characters. The silent protagonist Link and
7301-614: The St. Petersburg Times , who previously called Ocarina of Time "the Gone With the Wind of video gaming", claimed Majora's Mask outdid its predecessor. Reviewers did not take issue with the reuse of game engine , control mechanics, and visual assets from Ocarina of Time ; Jes Bickham of GamesRadar said they were already "nigh-on perfect after all" and the recycling allowed the development team to concentrate on delivering new content. Critics praised
7450-525: The Uncharted franchise, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Ark: Survival Evolved . Deku Scrub The Legend of Zelda is a video game franchise created by video game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka and mainly developed and published by Nintendo . The universe of the Legend of Zelda series consists of various lands, the most predominant being Hyrule . The franchise
7599-514: The Collector's Edition are emulations of the originals using GameCube hardware. The only differences are minor adjustments to button icons to resemble the buttons on the GameCube controller. Majora's Mask also boots with a disclaimer that some of the original sounds from the game may cause problems due to their emulation. Aside from these deliberate changes, GameSpot ' s Ricardo Torres found that
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#17331058763797748-479: The Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack service on February 25, 2022. After the release of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D , a remake for the Nintendo 3DS , director Eiji Aonuma suggested that a Majora's Mask remake was dependent on interest and demand. Following this news, a fan campaign called "Operation Moonfall" was launched to demonstrate that demand. The campaign name
7897-491: The Triforce , a mystical artifact that will enable him to possess ultimate power. Although Link and Zelda have similar appearances in each game, they are different characters who reappear whenever evil threatens the world. Skyward Sword was established as the beginning of the series' history and involves the antagonist Demise cursing the first incarnations of Link and Zelda so their descendants appear in an endless cycle to protect Hyrule from evil. "I went hiking and found
8046-589: The action game and adventure game genres. Typically, classical adventure games have situational problems for the player to explore and solve to complete a storyline, involving little to no action . If there is action, it is generally confined to isolated instances. Classical action games, on the other hand, have gameplay based on real-time interactions that challenges the player's reflexes and eye-hand coordination . Action-adventure games combine these genres by engaging both eye-hand coordination and problem-solving skills. An action adventure game can be defined as
8195-511: The frame rate "appears choppier" and noted inconsistent audio. The GameCube version also features a slightly higher native resolution than its Nintendo 64 counterpart, as well as progressive scan . Majora's Mask was released on the Wii 's Virtual Console service in Europe and Australia on April 3, 2009, and Japan on April 7. It was later released in North America on May 18 and commemorated as
8344-407: The princess Zelda are reincarnated in most Zelda games, while the antagonistic force Ganon , the final boss of most Zelda games, born from the primordial evil "Demise", repeatedly returns in a new form as well. Other figures who reappear across the series include Zelda's caretaker Impa and the fairy-obsessed man Tingle . In many Zelda games, Link obtains a horse named Epona . Link
8493-813: The "first to utilize multiple screens as playing area". Mark J.P. Wolf credits Adventure (1980) for the Atari VCS as the earliest-known action-adventure game. The game involves exploring a 2D environment, finding and using items which each have prescribed abilities, and fighting dragons in real-time like in an action game . Muse Software 's Castle Wolfenstein (1981) was another early action-adventure game, merging exploration, combat, stealth, and maze game elements, drawing inspiration from arcade shoot 'em ups and maze games (such as maze-shooter Berzerk ) and war films (such as The Guns of Navarone ). According to Wizardry developer Roe R. Adams, early action-adventure games "were basically arcade games done in
8642-429: The 1998 film Run Lola Run as inspiration for the time loop concept. Miyamoto and Koizumi came up with the story that served as the basis for the script written by Mitsuhiro Takano. Koizumi said the idea for the moon falling came from one of his dreams. Art director Takaya Imamura said that the name "Majora" was a portmanteau of his own surname and "jura", from one of his favorite films, Jurassic Park . Reflecting on
8791-473: The 300th Virtual Console game available for purchase in the region. During January 2012, Club Nintendo members could download Majora's Mask onto the Wii Console at a discount. A similar deal was offered at the discontinuation of Club Nintendo in 2015. The game was released for the Wii U 's Virtual Console service in Europe on June 23, 2016 and in North America on November 24. Majora's Mask was released through
8940-484: The 64DD, which was a commercial failure in Japan and was not released outside its home country. It was later officially titled Ocarina of Time: Master Quest and packaged with pre-ordered copies of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker for GameCube . According to Aonuma, the development team grappled with the question of what kind of game would follow in the wake of Ocarina of Time 's success. Aonuma recruited Koizumi, who
9089-486: The Dark (1992) used 3D graphics , which would later be popularized by Resident Evil (1996) and Tomb Raider (1996). Resident Evil in particular created the survival horror subgenre, inspiring titles such as Silent Hill (1999) and Fatal Frame (2001). Action-adventure games have gone on to become more popular than the pure adventure games and pure platform games that inspired them. Recent examples include
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#17331058763799238-736: The Goddess Sword transforms into the Master Sword after being infused with the Three Sacred Flames, with Fi's spirit form ceasing to be after the Master Sword absorbs Demise 's remains. The sword traditionally rests in a stone pedestal hidden in sacrosanct locations indigenous to Hyrule, such as the Temple of Time or the Lost Woods. Like the Sword in the Stone , the Master Sword can only be removed by someone who
9387-546: The Happy Mask Salesman recovers the now powerless Majora's Mask. The Carnival of Time begins with celebrations based on Link's accomplishments as the Salesman disappears. In a nearby forest, Skull Kid draws himself with Link and his friends on a tree stump. Whereas Ocarina of Time needed five years since the previous entry in the series, Link's Awakening , Majora's Mask was released on a much shorter timetable. The game
9536-554: The Happy Mask Salesman, who pressures Link into recovering the mask that Skull Kid stole, promising to break the curse if he succeeds. After three days, Link manages to locate Skull Kid and retrieve the Ocarina of Time but fails to get the mask. As the moon nears impact, Tael instructs Link to awaken the Four Giants, Termina's guardian deities. Link plays the Song of Time and miraculously returns to
9685-586: The Hylian Alphabet used in A Link Between Worlds , and the Hylian Alphabet used in Twilight Princess . The first three are used for transcribing Japanese, while the latter three are used to transcribe English, totaling six variations of written Hylian. Additional languages have subsequently appeared in the series. The language of the Gerudo was introduced in Ocarina of Time , a written and spoken language that
9834-755: The Hylian alphabet was written on the back of the instruction manual for The Wind Waker with a phonographic writing system, or syllabary , like the Japanese language. Since its first appearance, five more Hylian scripts have been developed and deciphered: the Old Hylian Syllabary used in Ocarina of Time , the Modern Hylian Syllabary used in The Wind Waker , the Hylian Alphabet used in Skyward Sword ,
9983-568: The Kingdom , Aonuma used the same map of Hyrule as the one players experienced in Breath of the Wild to create a continuation of the same world. Hyrule was extensively expanded, by introducing Sky Islands to the map to place emphasis on vertical gameplay. In addition to its sky expansion, the game introduced the Depths, a vast pitch-black area beneath the surface of Hyrule. Aonuma said the development team had learned lessons from Skyward Sword , where Link
10132-425: The Nintendo 64, which provides additional memory for more refined graphics and greater capacity in generating on-screen characters. Majora's Mask earned universal acclaim from critics and is widely considered one of the best video games ever made . It received praise for its level design, story, and surrealist art direction, and has been noted for its darker tone and themes compared to other Nintendo titles. While
10281-459: The Postman's Hat, which grants Link access to items in mailboxes, and Kafei's Mask, which initiates a long sidequest to locate a missing person. Majora's Mask revolves around a three-day cycle (about 54 minutes in real time), in which non-player characters and events follow a predictable schedule. An on-screen clock tracks the day and time. Players may save their game and return to 6:00 am of
10430-515: The Triforce of Power and Link searching for the scattered pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom to stop him and protect Hyrule from evil. The Triforce of Courage was introduced in The Adventure of Link as the third piece. When united, the Triforce allows the person who touches it to make a wish that usually lasts until they die or the wish is granted. If the person who finds it does not possess a balance of
10579-475: The Wild , including Genshin Impact , Immortals Fenyx Rising and Horizon Forbidden West . Both the miHoYo development team of Genshin Impact and Sam Barlow , creator of Telling Lies have cited Breath of the Wild as a significant source of inspiration. Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki also said that he was influenced by Breath of the Wild ' s open world. Upon its release, Breath of
10728-500: The action-adventure-exploration hybrid with a top-down perspective and expansive, cohesive overworld. These games have long since been informally dubbed " Zelda clones". Christian Donlan of Eurogamer noted the similarity and influence that Hyrule had on Dark Souls , comparing both kingdoms: "In the original Legend of Zelda , however, Hyrule feels, well, a bit more like Lordran—a place of scarred earth and wasteland, parched and rugged and filled with horrible creatures that erupt from
10877-550: The center of Clock Town, the timer at the bottom of the screen, and mask transformations. In November, Nintendo announced a "Holiday 2000" release date. The final title was announced in March 2000. The game was supported by a $ 8 million marketing campaign in America. The game was released on April 27, 2000 in Japan and October 26, 2000 in North America and featured a gold Nintendo 64 cartridge. Majora's Mask runs on an upgraded version of
11026-448: The conventions of previous games. He explained that in Ocarina of Time , the game world featured "routes" to help players navigate the 3D environment without getting lost, but that certain handholding and blockages had caused players to feel frustrated. By contrast, Breath of the Wild 's Hyrule was designed to allow the player to explore a vast world in any way they liked. Nintendo's senior product marketing manager Bill Trinen described
11175-463: The course of successive games. The transition from a 2D to 3D world occurred with the release of Ocarina of Time , due to the capabilities of the Nintendo 64 , which gave players the opportunity to experience a more realistic game environment. The 3D world was also accompanied by an expanding fictional lore that laid the foundation for other games in the series within an official fictional timeline . The game's dungeons were each unique and connected to
11324-502: The day he first set foot in Termina. Mistakenly believing that Link recovered the mask, the Happy Mask Salesman breaks Link's curse with a song that heals souls called The Song of Healing. He soon discovers that Link failed and flies into a rage. He explains that Skull Kid's mask is Majora's Mask, which contains a powerful evil that can bring about the end of days. After he collects himself, the Happy Mask Salesman dispatches Link to retrieve Majora's Mask. Link embarks on his quest by going to
11473-439: The distant horizon". She also commented on the "range of quiet, clever techniques designed to help players navigate the environment". Andrew Webster of The Verge responded positively to the grandness of the game's massive open world: "The scale could have been daunting, but the joy of discovery and the satisfaction that comes from finding your own way make it inviting instead". Senior editor Caty McCarthy of USgamer ranked
11622-403: The dungeons, which each feature various enemies, items and a boss . The concept of a role-playing game was a new experience for players in the 1980s. The gameplay diverged from the fast-paced games typically found in arcades like Super Mario Bros , by offering players an open world to explore, puzzles to solve and a fantasy story that centres on a protagonist embarking on an adventure to save
11771-663: The engine used in Ocarina of Time and requires the use of the Nintendo 64's 4MB Expansion Pak , making it and Donkey Kong 64 the only two games that require the peripheral. IGN theorized this requirement is due to Majora's Mask ' s origins as a Nintendo 64DD game, which would necessitate an extra 4MB of RAM . The use of the Expansion Pak allows for greater draw distances , more accurate dynamic lighting , more detailed texture mapping and animation , complex framebuffer effects such as motion blur, and more characters displayed on-screen. This expanded draw distance allows
11920-512: The environment. Similar to other games in the series, Link must progress through a variety of dungeons, which include numerous puzzles that the player must solve. Dungeons also contain optional puzzles that award collectible fairies, which grant Link additional abilities when all are gathered. As a direct sequel to Ocarina of Time , the first 3D title in the series, the game retains its predecessor's gameplay systems and control scheme while introducing new elements including character transformations and
12069-474: The events of the previous game. During his search, he is ambushed by a Skull Kid wearing a mysterious mask and his two fairy companions, the siblings Tatl and Tael. They steal both his horse, Epona , and the Ocarina of Time. Link pursues them and falls into a trap; Skull Kid curses Link, transforming him into a Deku Scrub, but inadvertently leaves Tatl behind. With no other choice, Tatl guides Link to Clock Town in hopes of reuniting with Skull Kid and Tael. They meet
12218-483: The first day by playing the Song of Time. Players must use knowledge accumulated from previous cycles to solve puzzles, complete quests, and unlock dungeons related to the main story. Although returning to the first day resets most quests and character interactions, Link retains weapons, equipment, masks, learned songs, and proof of dungeon completion. Link may slow down time by playing the Inverted Song of Time or skip to
12367-410: The foundations for Majora's Mask to become the "most innovative" game in the series on a structural level. She commended the way it shifted the focus away from the "chosen hero" narrative common in the series to the myriad people that Link meets on his adventure, most of whom were given more compelling characterization than in Ocarina of Time . Tomas Franzese of Digital Trends saw Majora's Mask as
12516-521: The game as " The Empire Strikes Back of Nintendo 64", making an analogy to the film's status as a more mature and sophisticated sequel to Star Wars . Edge magazine referred to Majora's Mask as "the oddest, darkest and saddest of all Zelda games". The GamePro reviewer characterized the story as "surreal and spooky, deep, and intriguing" and the game as "living proof that the N64 still has its magic". Johnny Liu of GameRevolution wrote that it "takes
12665-427: The game as "open air": "I look at this game and I see a world that is fully integrated into the exploration and the adventure. It's not just a world that you're passing through. It's sort of a world that you're a part of". The game world benefited from advancements in Nintendo hardware. Earlier games had been restricted by the available technology, creating the need to separate Hyrule into individual connecting areas, but
12814-429: The game environment from 3D polygons and was larger in scale than anything that he had previously worked on. He said that he had approached the game by first focusing on what types of characters he wanted to include, rather than on the story or the game functions. Ocarina of Time was designed with several innovations to help the player navigate the expansive 3D world and interact with the environment. The camera system
12963-412: The game explored the relationship between its environments, the camera's 3D perspective and Link's place in it all to create a realm that felt far more like a real location than the game worlds that had come before it". Destructoid also noted Hyrule's impact in Ocarina of Time , saying "there was nothing else like it before 1998" and continued: "The awesome thing about Hyrule is that I can honestly see
13112-526: The game for modern audiences, Aonuma and the team at Grezzo compiled a list of gameplay moments that stuck out to them as unreasonable for players, colloquially dubbed the "what in the world" list. The game's release coincided with the launch of the New Nintendo 3DS system in North America and Europe. A special edition New Nintendo 3DS XL model was launched alongside the game, with the European release featuring
13261-586: The game is often considered to be the greatest video game due to its technological innovations: "The problems Nintendo solved back then have been influential across gaming genres and, whilst public acknowledgment of this influence is thin on the ground, it's difficult not to view Ocarina of Time as one of the fathers of modern gaming". In the months following the release of Breath of the Wild in 2017, many video game developers were influenced by its open world design. Alx Preston, creator of Hyper Light Drifter , remarked that "the sense of freedom and experimentation
13410-489: The game only sold about half as many copies as its predecessor, it generated a substantial cult following . The game was rereleased as part of The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition for the GameCube in 2003, and for the online services of the Wii , Wii U , and Nintendo Switch . An enhanced remake for the Nintendo 3DS , The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D , was released in 2015. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
13559-433: The game without any help. So we sealed the map, with a message reading 'You should only use the map and strategic tips as a last resort'". Players were required to begin their adventure in the centre of Hyrule and use instinct alone to find an old man inside a cave who gives Link a sword and declares, " It's dangerous to go alone! ". While navigating Hyrule's overworld and its many dangerous enemies, players must eventually find
13708-426: The game world could now be experienced as a seamless environment. The concept of an "open air" environment began during work on The Wind Waker . Aonuma said that he wanted to remove the small connecting areas of The Wind Waker and replace them with open expanses, but the world ended up feeling smaller than he intended. "In Breath of the Wild , the fact that the world is supported by a coherent physics engine has
13857-427: The game world. This was designed to provide the player with a more interactive gameplay that was coined "chemical reaction play". Hyrule in Breath of the Wild was depicted using an art style that was based on the stylised visuals of The Wind Waker but developed into a more realistic, detailed style. The civilization of the Hylians was developed with a focus on their castle in the style of medieval Europe to return to
14006-442: The game's creators called a creative decision made necessary by time constraints. The story takes place months after Ocarina of Time . 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
14155-412: The game's influence on films like Source Code and Edge of Tomorrow . In 2003, Nintendo rereleased Majora's Mask on the GameCube as part of The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition , a special promotional disc which also contained three other The Legend of Zelda games and a twenty-minute demo of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker . This disc came bundled with a GameCube console, as part of
14304-472: The game's mature and melancholy tone, Aonuma felt that players of Ocarina of Time had grown up somewhat and could be motivated by different emotions like sadness and regret. The game's signature sidequest, the Anju and Kafei wedding quest, was intended to highlight the contrast between a joyous occasion and the impending cataclysm. In addition to saving time, the reuse of character models from Ocarina of Time allowed
14453-419: The game's signature three-day cycle, comparing it to the film Groundhog Day . Andrew Reiner of Game Informer called it "one of the most inventive premises in all of gaming", and also stated that "without question, Majora's Mask is the finest adventure the Nintendo 64 has to offer". Fran Mirabella III of IGN appreciated the way the time mechanics interacted with mask-based puzzles. Some critics found that
14602-643: The game's wider legacy. Features based on Majora's Mask have also appeared in the Super Smash Bros. series. A stage based on the Great Bay appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate . Skull Kid appears as a computer-controlled Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and Ultimate , while the Moon appears as an Assist Trophy in Ultimate as well. A Skull Kid-themed mask
14751-469: The game, such as a compass, bows and arrows and a boomerang, and "Hakkai", an early name given to Ganon . This was developed into rough sketches for various items and enemies within the following two weeks. The name for the game had not yet been decided, so the title was simply labelled "Adventure". Long paper was used to create the first land map of Hyrule, which was developed by Tezuka and Miyamoto sitting side by side and drawing together. Miyamoto said that
14900-543: The game?' And that's how we started mapping out the world in Breath of the Wild ". The development team used landmarks in Kyoto as a way of comparing the distance between landmarks in the game world, which helped staff during the development of the game. This measurement of distance allowed Hyrule to be scaled up to an enormous world that appears twelve times the size of its predecessor in Twilight Princess . For Tears of
15049-406: The gameplay still follows a number of adventure game genre tropes (gathering items , exploration of and interaction with one's environment, often including an overworld connecting areas of importance, and puzzle-solving). While the controls are arcade-style (character movement, few action commands) there is an ultimate goal beyond a high score. In most action-adventure games, the player controls
15198-506: The in-game map of A Link to the Past as the best video game map, describing it as "perfect" world design in terms of the way it integrates with the gameplay. IGN ranked Hyrule as the sixth greatest game world, commenting that "few game worlds manage to leave as indelible an impression on the collective gaming subconscious as Zelda has. For that alone it ranks up there as one of the best, most fully realized worlds in all of gaming". In 2021, Evan Narcisse of Kotaku listed Hyrule as one of
15347-407: The launch of the original game, the series has been a commercial and critical success and introduced landmark innovations in world design that have influenced numerous developers in the video game industry. The Legend of Zelda series is set in a fantasy world that first appeared in the original The Legend of Zelda , which was developed and published by Nintendo . The game introduced Hyrule as
15496-500: The least value, while gold and silver rupees have the most. Although the geography of Hyrule varies from game to game, it typically features several recurring geographical landmarks, which appear in different locations relative to each other depending on the game. The Triforce, also called the "Power of the Gods" and the "Golden Triangle", is a triangular sacred relic left behind by the three Golden Goddesses after they created Hyrule. It
15645-403: The looming threat, the various peoples of Termina are preoccupied by their own respective troubles. In the center of Termina, the people of Clock Town endlessly debate evacuating the city or continuing to prepare for the festival, the failure of which would be devastating to the economy. Majora's Mask begins several months after Ocarina of Time . Link seeks his fairy, Navi , who departed after
15794-408: The main environment for successive games in the series. Inspired by dungeon crawlers , Miyamoto and Tezuka developed a high fantasy world in the form of a 2D map filled with monsters , puzzles and dungeons. Hyrule transitioned to a 3D environment with the development of Ocarina of Time . For Breath of the Wild , released in 2017, Nintendo developed Hyrule into a seamless open world . Since
15943-490: The mask's influence, Skull Kid forced the moon on a collision course with Termina. Across numerous time loops , Link liberates the Giants and summons them on the eve of the Carnival. They manage to halt the moon's descent but Majora's Mask comes alive and possesses the moon itself, abandoning Skull Kid. Link confronts Majora's Mask inside the moon and defeats it. Link, the fairies, and the Giants all make amends with Skull Kid, while
16092-443: The name "Hyrule" seemed like the perfect choice during a discussion to find a name for a high-fantasy region. In Japan, The Legend of Zelda game was released as The Hyrule Fantasy , which was almost chosen as the name for the entire franchise, but was dropped after the first game. Miyamoto said this could have been due to the name being too similar to Final Fantasy , which was released soon afterwards. The original Hyrule map
16241-422: The new concept". During the testing phase, players complained about getting lost inside the game's dungeons, but rather than making the game more simplistic, Miyamoto decided to make it more challenging by removing Link's sword at the beginning of the game and forcing players to locate it. He wanted to encourage players to communicate with each other while solving the game's puzzles. Hyrule continued to evolve over
16390-474: The next morning or evening using the Song of Double Time. Owl statues scattered across major areas of the world allow players to temporarily save their progress after activation and also provide warp points to quickly navigate the world using the Song of Soaring. During the three-day cycle, Link tracks characters' fixed schedules using the Bombers' Notebook. The notebook lists twenty characters in need of aid, such as
16539-489: The player has enough ammunition and recovery items to " survive " the horror setting. This is a thematic genre with diverse gameplay, so not all survival horror games share all the features. The Resident Evil franchise popularized this subgenre. Action-adventure games are faster-paced than pure adventure games, and include physical as well as conceptual challenges where the story is enacted rather than narrated. While motion-based, often reflexive, actions are required,
16688-465: The player progresses through the game, 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. Characteristic of the Zelda series, completion of the game involves successfully navigating through several dungeons that contain complex puzzles and enemies. Majora's Mask requires the Expansion Pak add-on for
16837-607: The player to explore. Miyamoto and Tezuka started working on The Legend of Zelda during the development of Super Mario Bros . Initially, the game did not feature an overworld. In Hyrule Historia , Miyamoto said that Nintendo aimed to develop a launch title for the Famicom Disk System . An early game was initially designed to make use of the Disk System's ability to rewrite data, allowing players to create dungeons and explore other players' creations. He explained: "We made
16986-404: The player to see much farther and eliminates the need for the fog effect and "cardboard panorama" seen in Ocarina of Time , which were used to obscure distant areas. IGN considered the texture design to be one of the best created for the Nintendo 64, saying that although some textures have a low resolution, they are "colorful and diverse", which gives each area "its own unique look". The music
17135-463: The regions that Tael mentioned: Woodfall, Snowhead, the Great Bay, and Ikana Canyon. Link learns that the four locations are afflicted by Majora's magic. In Woodfall, the swamp is poisoned and the Deku princess is kidnapped. Snowhead's stuck in an eternal winter, driving the Gorons to starvation. Great Bay's waters have been contaminated, turning its creatures into monsters. Ikana's inhabitants are terrorized by
17284-520: The remake. The remake, titled The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D , was released worldwide in February 2015. Like Ocarina of Time 3D before it, the remake features improved character models and stereoscopic 3D graphics, along with altered boss battles, an additional fishing minigame, and compatibility with the New Nintendo 3DS , particularly its second analog stick used for camera control. To update
17433-401: The richest sci-fi and fantasy worlds in video games. Since the release of the original The Legend of Zelda game , critics have commented on the influence and legacy of The Legend of Zelda universe on the gaming industry. Ozzie Mejia of Shacknews highlighted the importance of the original The Legend of Zelda : "Before the open worlds of a World of Warcraft , a Grand Theft Auto , or
17582-619: The roots of the series, while the ancient technological features of the Sheikah were inspired by the Jōmon period of Japanese history. Fujibayashi stated that the layout of Hyrule in Breath of the Wild was inspired in part by his hometown of Kyoto: "I took a map of Kyoto and overlaid it on the game world, and I tried to imagine going to places that I know in Kyoto. I'd think 'It takes this much time to get from point A to point B, so how does that translate to
17731-483: The rupee. Most games in The Legend of Zelda series follow a similar storyline, which involves the protagonist Link battling monsters to save Princess Zelda and defeat a villain, which is often the series' main antagonist, Ganon . Nintendo developed the series' lore into a timeline that spans thousands of years across its history. Hyrule was created as the original setting for The Legend of Zelda and has remained
17880-429: The sands or move in staggering hops". The original game was a phenomenal commercial success for Nintendo, selling over 6.5 million copies, and has been described by many critics as one of the greatest video games of all time. USGamer ' s Nadia Oxford commented on the significance of Ocarina of Time and considered it to be "a genius work of game design". She said that "it brought the traditionally top-down series into
18029-550: The secrets of the map with little help. In addition to its underworld, the Hyrule map consists of a large overworld created out of a grid structure that is much larger than can be displayed on a single screen. It is 16 blocks wide and eight blocks high and comprises 128 areas. Miyamoto said that maps for the game were included in North America: "The maps included various hints, but to be honest, I thought it would be more enjoyable to play
18178-513: The sense that you are really there". Hyrule and its characters in Ocarina of Time were depicted in an art style that drifted towards Western fantasy, although Miyamoto said there was no intentional replication of cultural elements from one specific country. Hyrule's fantasy characters were partially inspired by the American television series Twin Peaks . In an interview, Takashi Tezuka said he had used
18327-421: The series as inspiration when creating Link's Awakening : "After that, in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask , all kinds of suspicious characters appeared". Many assets and character models in the game were later reused for Majora's Mask , both for stylistic purposes and to save development time. Producer Eiji Aonuma approached Breath of the Wild by breaking
18476-413: The series' primary setting and series protagonist Link , a Hylian boy or young man who is the player character . The storyline of each game varies, but follows a common overarching plot that involves Link travelling through Hyrule to rescue Princess Zelda and save the world from evil, which is typically the series' main villain, Ganon . A recurring plot element in the games is Ganon's attempts to obtain
18625-399: The series, such as Hyrule Castle, the Lost Woods, Kakariko Village, Death Mountain and Lake Hylia. Hyrule was formed by three goddesses: Din, Farore, and Nayru. It is established in Ocarina of Time that Din created the physical geography of the realm, Nayru created the physical laws to govern it, and Farore created the races to uphold the law and the flora and fauna that inhabit
18774-438: The series. Since the release of the original game, the series has featured several races. Alongside the Hylian race, which established the land of Hyrule, there are various other prominent races, such as the Gorons, Gerudo, Rito and Zora. The appearance of some creatures varies across different titles of the series: In their January 2010 issue, Nintendo Power listed Hyrule as one of the greatest Nintendo locations, citing
18923-426: The settlements in Breath of the Wild and chose Tarrey Town as the favourite location, because players must build it from the ground up, making it one of the longest side quests in the game. Kate Gray, writing for The Guardian , was impressed by the beauty and large scale of the game world, noting that "the greens of the open plains contrast with the dark black of Death Mountain, which is streaked with orange lava on
19072-574: The shift in music to a shift in the game's atmosphere, saying that the quickened tempo of the Clock Town music on the second day conveys a sense of time passing quickly. The two-disc soundtrack was released in Japan on June 23, 2000, and features 112 tracks from the game. In Japan, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask sold 601,542 copies by the end of 2000. In the United States, it was the fourth best-selling game of 2000 at 1,206,489 copies. In Europe, it
19221-470: The team to recontextualize them in the more sombre setting. Majora's Mask first appeared in the media in May 1999, when Famitsu reported that a long-planned Zelda expansion for the 64DD was in development. It had a playable demo at the Nintendo Space World exhibition on August 27, 1999. The Space World demo included many elements from the final game, including the large clock that dominates
19370-522: The template for the way Tears of the Kingdom later retrofitted new mechanics onto the world of Breath of the Wild . Marty Sliva of The Escapist placed it in conversation with Zelda II: The Adventure of Link in the way it challenged series conventions. Retrospective analyses of the game recognize its mature themes and complex time loop gameplay. Yahtzee Croshaw of The Escapist opined that its progress-resetting mechanics defied prevailing game design trends that prioritized player empowerment and
19519-430: The term "action-adventure" may be '"An action/adventure game is a game that has enough action in it not to be called an adventure game, but not enough action to be called an action game." In some cases an action game with puzzles will be classified as an action-adventure game, but if these puzzles are quite simple they might be classified as an action game. Others see action games as a pure genre, while an action-adventure
19668-423: The three virtues it represents, the pieces will split into its three components, leaving the finder with the one that represents the characteristic they value most. The Master Sword, also known as "The Blade of Evil's Bane", the "Sword of Resurrection", or the "sword that seals the darkness" is a divine , magic sword and Link's signature weapon. It is one of the few weapons capable of harming Ganon and acts as
19817-448: The time restrictions made it one of the most challenging games in the series. The Famitsu reviewer suggested that the three-day cycle increased replay value. On the other hand, Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot felt that the cyclic structure put too much focus on minigames and sidequests. Multiple outlets took note of its darker tone and story compared to other games in The Legend of Zelda series. Matt Casamassina of IGN described
19966-432: The vast number of areas to explore, as well as referencing players' first experiences with the Lost Woods and Death Mountain as highlights of the players' adventures. Steve Watts of GameSpot praised the original game world, commenting that although it is minimalist, it, "conveys the feeling of going on a grand adventure through the wilderness, and the lack of hand-holding that would come to define later Zelda games makes
20115-407: The void. Skyward Sword expanded on this history by detailing the rise of Demon King Demise and his dark forces, who attempt to take the Triforce and destroy the world. The goddess Hylia stays to protect the Triforce and leads an army of free people into battle to weaken Demise and seal him away from the world. The realm was eventually named Hyrule after its dominant race, the Hylians, who established
20264-569: The world feel that much more expansive and mysterious". Yannick LeJacq for Kotaku commented that "Hyrule is one of the most iconic settings in the history of video games. The Legend of Zelda players have been poring over it in one way or another for almost 30 years now". Polygon 's Jeremy Parish remarked on the impact that Hyrule and its centrepiece Hyrule Field had on gamers in Ocarina of Time . He commented: "Open game worlds existed before Ocarina of Time . And in truth, Ocarina ' s rendition of Hyrule isn't even really all that open. But
20413-434: The world's mechanics, such as the ability to climb and explore between areas. The development team began Breath of the Wild by working on a 2D prototype of Hyrule to test interactions between objects. This was developed into a complex physics and chemistry engine that would present a higher level of realism. The chemistry engine allowed for elements, such as fire, water and electricity to interact with each other and objects in
20562-481: The world. After the goddesses completed their tasks, they departed for the heavens, leaving behind three golden triangles containing their power to govern all things; this relic became known as the Triforce . The creation myth was elaborated upon in Echoes of Wisdom , with the goddesses creating the world to be a prison for a primordial chaos entity named Null that had previously consumed anything that tried to form within
20711-517: Was designed to encourage exploration and discovery, requiring up to several hours to navigate. The map is nonlinear , so players are free to choose from several unmarked paths, with just a few areas being inaccessible at the start. Miyamoto was influenced by The Black Onyx and Ultima , two games that centre around fantasy dungeon crawling . The Zelda world was defined by its mazes, hidden rooms and treasures. The game's nine dungeons were designed to be difficult to locate, forcing players to uncover
20860-414: Was designed to integrate with the 3D world of Hyrule, giving the player a sense of perspective and tracking the movements of Link. The game's Z-targeting system was created to provide the player with a simple way to lock on and interact with objects, characters and enemies in the game world. The game also made use of context sensitive controls by using the A button for a range of interactions, such as mounting
21009-466: Was designing a repeatable "cops-and-robbers" game that would allow players to have a different experience each time they played it. Together, they adapted Koizumi's game into the three-day system to "make the game data more compact while still providing deep gameplay". Early in development, this system originally rewound a week, but it was shorted as seven days was deemed too burdensome for players to remember and too complex to create in one year. Aonuma cited
21158-434: Was developed by a team led by Eiji Aonuma , Yoshiaki Koizumi , and Shigeru Miyamoto , with Miyamoto primarily in a supervisory role. It was initially conceived as a remixed "Ura" edition of Ocarina of Time for the disc-based 64DD peripheral for Nintendo 64. Aonuma, who had been in charge of dungeons for Ocarina of Time , was unenthused about simply redesigning them for Ura Zelda so Miyamoto challenged his team to create
21307-565: Was honored with the "Console Action / Adventure " and " Game Design " awards; it also received nominations for "Console Game of the Year" and " Game of the Year ". Majora's Mask makes consistent appearances on lists of the best games in the Zelda series, as well as the greatest games of all time. It has also placed highly in fan-voted polls. Critics have compared it favorably to its closest contemporary, Ocarina of Time . Writing for Polygon , Danielle Riendeau observed that Ocarina of Time provided
21456-402: Was inspired by other video games. The game's director Hidemaro Fujibayashi named Minecraft and Terraria as his inspirations for "the sense of adventure, exploration and how it inspired curiosity". Aonuma also mentioned several other games that he had played, including The Witcher , Far Cry and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim . He also cited Skyward Sword as the basis for many of
21605-443: Was not intentional and that he chose the word because it seemed cute and sounded like "rubies". Rupees resemble hexagonal crystals or gems and come in various colors that determine their value. In the manual for the original game, the currency was called rubies, but this was changed to rupees in later games. Subsequent games introduced more colors and sizes for rupees, each denoting a specific value. Generally, green rupees have
21754-502: Was restricted by the hardware to descend from particular points. He explained that the team had wanted to create the ability to "traverse a world that's not only horizontally connected in a single world, but vertically connected as well", noting the sense of freedom the player experiences by diving into that. The Kingdom of Hyrule , a medieval -based fantasy land, is the main setting of the series, which first appeared in The Legend of Zelda . Many of its areas have appeared throughout
21903-443: Was the eighth highest-grossing game of 2000. Overall, 3.36 million copies were sold worldwide for Nintendo 64. Like its predecessor, Majora's Mask was lauded critically. The game holds a score of 95/100 on review aggregator Metacritic , indicating "universal acclaim", based on 27 reviews. Many reviews compared it favorably with Ocarina of Time , which is often cited as one of the greatest video games of all time. Critics from
22052-421: Was the moment when the concept of massive, interconnected worlds began to really crystalize". Keza MacDonald of The Guardian also commented on the influence of Ocarina of Time , noting that it was one of the first real 3D adventures and that it "remains eminently playable today because so many of the things it invented became standard for any 3D game that came after it". Tom Power of Gamesradar opined that
22201-467: Was written by longtime series composer Koji Kondo with contributions from Toru Minegishi . The soundtrack largely consists of reworked music from Ocarina of Time , complemented with other traditional Zelda music such as the "Overworld Theme" and new material. Kondo described the music as having "an exotic Chinese opera sound". As the three-day cycle progresses, the theme song of Clock Town changes between three variations, one for each day. IGN related
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