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Majora's Mask 3DS announced!

Mistle

Member
Everyone who wants them to change the save system/three-day system clearly has no clue as to what makes Majora's Mask so great.

The save system is SUPPOSED to weigh down on you and make you unhappy and uncomfortable and always worry you in the back of your mind. You know why? Because it's supposed to affect you psychologically, just like the GODDAMN FALLING MOON. It's tying the gameplay into the story and into the overall theme, and it does it on a fundamental level because you CAN'T forget about the situation of the game. The Inverted Song of Time, the Owl Statues, and the Song of Double Time all work to let you control the flow of time so that it feels like you can fight back against the Skull Kid and the Moon, and that you're not actually as helpless as that masked bastard would have you believe. He might be able to bend reality, but you're able to put strategy and forethought into each of your 3-day trips. And that's how you beat him. By using your brain. Because he literally cannot.

Do you see all of the parallels and foils that are happening there? Altering the save system/three-day system would fundamentally ruin those elements.

The owl system lets you save and quit your game whenever you want. If you can't take 30 seconds to go talk to a damn statue then go play something that doesn't tax you so much, because you're not ready for such a glorious journey.
Thank you. Please Nintendo don't appease the whiners.

Although I disagree that it's annoying, per se. It's just meant to feel tense.
 

Soodanim

Member
The extra item equip slots in Ocarina were nice (Ocarina given its own button and an extra item slot was added, so you effectively have 2 more slots). That will be even better in Majora.

But I'm not that excited by this, because it's on a console that isn't comfortably over long periods of time. I'm definitely going to have to get some sort of grip extender, which GAF has recommended to me before. Either that or swap my XL for a 2DS.

The NG+ Fierce Deity mask would be worth the asking price alone, though.
 

Tookay

Member
But you can always make the time go at normal rate, plus they could add some extra songs for more time control, like half speed, quarter speed, procceed 6 hours...

What he's saying is that part of the game design/difficulty lies in time management and planning, and the stress accompanying it. Being able to slow down time further reduces that tension.

For example, the Kafei sidequest and the Romani Ranch sidequests are all about near-misses and properly-timed connections. The sense of satisfaction for properly nailing those sequences is partially derived from the way the time system currently works.
 

General Zechs

Neo Member
arnold-schwarzenegger-screaming-kindergarten-cop_480_poster.jpg


WHY NOT WII U

DAMN U NINTENDO!
 
Why is the image quality so bad? Was the OOT port that bad looking too?

The limitation is in the 3DS hardware. You won't find many 3DS games that 'wow' even compared to PS2 games. For a 3DS game, however, it's not too bad, even if it's just an updated port... keeping in mind it's still essentially an open world style game.
 

jaosobno

Member
Song is even better in context. It's fucking terrifying.

... and the best song in the series.

I totally believe you. I get goosebumps just listening to it.

Could someone explain one thing to me (without spoiling the game if possible), is there some kind of timer in game? Like, you have to finish the game before time runs out?
 

Mistle

Member
What he's saying is that part of the game design/difficulty lies in time management and planning, and the stress accompanying it. Being able to slow down time further reduces that.

For example, the Kafei sidequest and the Romani Ranch sidequests are all about near-misses and properly-timed connections. The sense of satisfaction for properly nailing those sequences is partially derived from the way the time system currently works.
Yep, the feeling of finally nailing those was so rewarding. Perfectly timed.

If there's an "easy mode" of some sort, I really think people are going to have a much lesser experience with the game.
 

Asbear

Banned
I hope they did change the jumping animations for Link though. He has the same model as in OoT3D, although maybe he has the belt like in MM64. The jumping animations in OoT3D suuuucked.
 
All they really need to do is have someone tell you about the Song of Time varianrs as part of the story. "You remembered the Song of Time! Also, get this, play it backwards and time slows down, making this game a piece of cake!"
 

Glasshole

Banned
YYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!!!!!

YYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSS-
*dead*
 

Meesh

Member
The only thing that irks me about this is the box art, the dark/gritty look and feel is missing...it really set the tone for the story. They really should have used it in game as well. The new art looks more light hearted and whimsical, which isn't bad per say it just doesn't relate the doom and mischievousness of the original. Other than that I couldn't be happier.
 

Neiteio

Member
Three-day system isn't even challenging.

1) Start new cycle and slow down time

2) Work your way to next dungeon entrance

3) Activate owl statue warp point

4) Reset cycle and slow down time

5) Warp to dungeon entrance

6) More than two hours to complete the dungeon

And if that isn't enough to complete the dungeon, it's probably enough to reach the dungeon item, which you'll take with you when you time-travel, allowing you to bypass the first half of the dungeon on your next attempt.
 

Rich!

Member
All they really need to do is have someone tell you about the Song of Time varianrs as part of the story. "You remembered the Song of Time! Also, get this, play it backwards and time slows down, making this game a piece of cake!"

Well, the scarecrow in the trading post and the observatory explains all that. Problem is, many players ignore him and then moan about the time limit. Sigh.

What they need to do is have the scarecrow appear and automatically talk to you as soon as you enter the observatory (which is required at the start of the game to get the moons tear). He will explain the inverted song of time and song of double time. Done.
 

Anth0ny

Member
Three-day system isn't even challenging.

1) Start new cycle and slow down time

2) Work your way to next dungeon entrance

3) Activate owl statue warp point

4) Reset cycle and slow down time

5) Warp to dungeon entrance

6) More than two hours to complete the dungeon

And if that isn't enough to complete the dungeon, it's probably enough to reach the dungeon item, which you'll take with you when you time-travel, allowing you to bypass the first half of the dungeon on your next attempt.

It blows my mind that so many people have trouble with this, honestly.
 

Frodo

Member
Three-day system isn't even challenging.

1) Start new cycle and slow down time

2) Work your way to next dungeon entrance

3) Activate owl statue warp point

4) Reset cycle and slow down time

5) More than two hours to complete the dungeon

And if that isn't enough to complete the dungeon, it's probably enough to reach the dungeon item, which you'll take with you when you time-travel, allowing you to bypass the first half of the dungeon on your next attempt.

SO. MUCH. THIS.

If I remember well, the areas before the dungeons themselves worked as mini-dungeons. But after you reach the owl statue in front of the temple you just activate it and re-set the days. There is more than enough time to complete the dungeons that way, and you still have that tension on the back of you mind that the time is running up, that makes the game feel so great.
 
J

Jotamide

Unconfirmed Member
Everyone who wants them to change the save system/three-day system clearly has no clue as to what makes Majora's Mask so great.

The save system is SUPPOSED to weigh down on you and make you unhappy and uncomfortable and always worry you in the back of your mind. You know why? Because it's supposed to affect you psychologically, just like the GODDAMN FALLING MOON. It's tying the gameplay into the story and into the overall theme, and it does it on a fundamental level because you CAN'T forget about the situation of the game. The Inverted Song of Time, the Owl Statues, and the Song of Double Time all work to let you control the flow of time so that it feels like you can fight back against the Skull Kid and the Moon, and that you're not actually as helpless as that masked bastard would have you believe. He might be able to bend reality, but you're able to put strategy and forethought into each of your 3-day trips. And that's how you beat him. By using your brain. Because he literally cannot.

Do you see all of the parallels and foils that are happening there? Altering the save system/three-day system would fundamentally ruin those elements.

The owl system lets you save and quit your game whenever you want. If you can't take 30 seconds to go talk to a damn statue then go play something that doesn't tax you so much, because you're not ready for such a glorious journey.
I never knew why people were so upset about the save system. But you make a great point. For every dungeon, battles were do or die. They should not change that.
 
Can't wait to revisit this. New moon looks awesome, I just hope they don't change the save system.


People crying about this being on 3DS instead of Wii U are annoying as fuck.
 

Frodo

Member
I'll buy it again just because I love the way the game starts.

It really makes you feel just as lost as Link is.
 

ramparter

Banned
Yessssss

Saved for a repost/quote for whenever someone moans about the save system. Just deal with it, seriously.

This doesn't validate the suspend points not actually work as save points. Also the reason I believe the game should go slower when on inverted time, isn't so it becomes easier but rather give player the time to enjoy the beatiful world.

I don't remember a lot of MM's overworld because I never spent a lot of time just exploring.
 

Majukun

Member
I totally believe you. I get goosebumps just listening to it.

Could someone explain one thing to me (without spoiling the game if possible), is there some kind of timer in game? Like, you have to finish the game before time runs out?

yes and no.
there is a timer of 3 (in game) days,after those the moon falls and it's game over
but you can use the three versions of the song of time (normal,reversed and double) to either reset the timer going back to the dawn of the first day,make the timer go slower or faster

much of the game is spent managed time,since every character in the game has his/her own schedule that wil be repeating every time,and to resolve many of their problems you have to do thing in a certain order and do something for/with them at a specific point in the timeline,that's where the "bomber's notebook" comes into place,it will help you take note of that.
 
Everyone who wants them to change the save system/three-day system clearly has no clue as to what makes Majora's Mask so great.

The save system is SUPPOSED to weigh down on you and make you unhappy and uncomfortable and always worry you in the back of your mind. You know why? Because it's supposed to affect you psychologically, just like the GODDAMN FALLING MOON. It's tying the gameplay into the story and into the overall theme, and it does it on a fundamental level because you CAN'T forget about the situation of the game. The Inverted Song of Time, the Owl Statues, and the Song of Double Time all work to let you control the flow of time so that it feels like you can fight back against the Skull Kid and the Moon, and that you're not actually as helpless as that masked bastard would have you believe. He might be able to bend reality, but you're able to put strategy and forethought into each of your 3-day trips. And that's how you beat him. By using your brain. Because he literally cannot.

Do you see all of the parallels and foils that are happening there? Altering the save system/three-day system would fundamentally ruin those elements.

The owl system lets you save and quit your game whenever you want. If you can't take 30 seconds to go talk to a damn statue then go play something that doesn't tax you so much, because you're not ready for such a glorious journey.
It's not "fun", but it's indeed key to the experience. Not just that, but it's one of the best examples of video games as a medium having something to offer in terms of storytelling. Majora's Mask is an experience you cannot replicate in a painting, book, song, comic, or movie. Majora's Mask is what it is because you feel experience its pressure and loss, which tie in directly to the central themes and vignettes scattered throughout. While I definitely understand that the oppressive atmosphere and design choices may stand in the way of traditional fun, I'd say the enjoyment from Majora's Mask comes from reflecting back on it.
 

Rich!

Member
This doesn't validate the suspend points not actually work as save points. Also the reason I believe the game should go slower when on inverted time, isn't so it becomes easier but rather give player the time to enjoy the beatiful world.

I don't remember a lot of MM's overworld because I never spent a lot of time just exploring.

Thats because they are not save points and were never referred to as such by the game or manual.

They are suspend points. And you have three hours each cycle to explore the world. Seriously, you should never run out of time unless you are either terrible at the game, leave your 3DS running without pausing by accident or purposefully let the cycle end.
 
I've been waiting for years to replay this, constantly putting off digging out the N64 or GameCube collector's edition in the hopes that this would get the 3D treatment, so happy to see it finally appear.
 

jaosobno

Member
yes and no.
there is a timer of 3 (in game) days,after those the moon falls and it's game over
but you can use the three version of the song of time (normal,reversed and double) to either reset the timer going back to the dawn of the first day,make the timer go slower or faster

much of the game is spent managed time,since every character in the game has his/her own schedule that wil be repeating every time,and to resolve many of their problems you have to do thing in a certain order and do something for/with them at a specific point in the timeline,that's where the "bomber's notebook" comes into place,it will help you take note of that.

Got it, thx!
 

CassSept

Member
Cot damn, I just watched the trailer for that. It's so... weird and unsettling. Very different from the trailers Nintendo made the past few years.

I wanted to replay all 3D Zeldas in buildup to Zelda U so this is perfect, in addition to finally being able to play Majora's Mask at a decent framerate.
 

Rich!

Member
It's just the border that they used in the Japanese direct.

Yeah, I guessed that. But it still fuels my unfounded speculation that it will be enhanced if played on a New 3DS, probably at 60fps.

nintendo pls, I get my PAL N3DS in two weeks and I want you to make the most of the extra hardware goodness
 

KooopaKid

Banned
So we're already at the point where we complain about small changes? That was fast.

Anyway, I don't think changing the saving system will affect anything. The impending doom will still be there.
 

Rich!

Member
Cot damn, I just watched the trailer for that. It's so... weird and unsettling. Very different from the trailers Nintendo made the past few years.

Its brilliant. Immediately lets the viewer know how Majoras Mask is unique.

Also, the postman's inclusion is significant. The first shot of him is him happy, running around clock town doing his work.

The next shot of him later in the trailer is him cowering in his room before the moon destroys the world.
 

Rich!

Member
So we're already at the point where we complain about small changes? That was fast.

Anyway, I don't think changing the saving system will affect anything. The impending doom will still be there.

...changing the save system would completely change the feel of the game, as well as remove a huge part of that impending doom.

It wouldnt be a "small change". It would be a significant change, and for the worse.
 

Majukun

Member
i really hope this remake is a success and we get majora's 2 on wii U...the time system opens up so many gameplay and story options that are really not possible normally
 

Rocky

Banned
Three-day system isn't even challenging.

1) Start new cycle and slow down time

2) Work your way to next dungeon entrance

3) Activate owl statue warp point

4) Reset cycle and slow down time

5) Warp to dungeon entrance

6) More than two hours to complete the dungeon

And if that isn't enough to complete the dungeon, it's probably enough to reach the dungeon item, which you'll take with you when you time-travel, allowing you to bypass the first half of the dungeon on your next attempt.

7) Repeat things you already did each time you reset the 3 day cycle.

That was my problem with the game, it became really confusing.
 

Mistle

Member
Yeah, I guessed that. But it still fuels my unfounded speculation that it will be enhanced if played on a New 3DS, probably at 60fps.

nintendo pls, I get my PAL N3DS in two weeks and I want you to make the most of the extra hardware goodness
Yeah, this may sound selfish but I was kind of hoping it'd be New 3DS exclusive, with extra power in every area >_>
 

Majukun

Member
7) Repeat things you already did each time you reset the 3 day cycle.

That was my problem with the game, it became really confusing.
you are confused way too easily

the saving system is perfect as it is...hell,they already made the game easier back then when they ported majora to the west..we already had the streamlined ,easier version of the saving system
 

Rich!

Member
Yeah, this may sound selfish but I was kind of hoping it'd be New 3DS exclusive, with extra power in every area >_>

Same lol. But yeah, no reason why it wont be N3DS enhanced considering it will likely coincide with the hardware launch.
 

ramparter

Banned
Three-day system isn't even challenging.

1) Start new cycle and slow down time

2) Work your way to next dungeon entrance

3) Activate owl statue warp point

4) Reset cycle and slow down time

5) Warp to dungeon entrance

6) More than two hours to complete the dungeon

And if that isn't enough to complete the dungeon, it's probably enough to reach the dungeon item, which you'll take with you when you time-travel, allowing you to bypass the first half of the dungeon on your next attempt.
That was always my strategy, it worked perfect and it actually felt really nice, it was like saying "Fuck you, I can control time and do whatever I want" so yeah it was on of strongest points of the game. My only issue is the suspend thing. Puts too much pressure on me. And let's be realistic, most people don't want the pressure.

Do we want this to be a game only old fans enjoy or do we want more people to enjoy and apreciate it? We need to expand Majora's Mask fanbase so future Zelda titles can implement many mechanics that this game introduced but we never saw again.
 

nightmare-slain

Gold Member
Never played a Zelda game until I bought my 3DS XL. Played Ocarina of Time and A Link Between Worlds. ALBW was a fun game but found Ocarina frustrating. Can't get excited for Majora's Mask at all. It sounds like it'd be more frustrating that Ocarina.
 

CassSept

Member
Its brilliant. Immediately lets the viewer know how Majoras Mask is unique.

Also, the postman's inclusion is significant. The first shot of him is him happy, running around clock town doing his work.

The next shot of him later in the trailer is him cowering in his room before the moon destroys the world.

Yeah I know, I love it. It's very unique and something that Nintendo had rarely done the past few years as I've said, if at all. Their recent trailers were more straightforward game trailers, this brings me back to when they were doing more hype-inducing trailers, like the legendary E3 2005 TP trailer. Still the best trailer Nintendo has ever made.
 
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