The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask released for the Nintendo 64 in 2000, and next week, it will re-release on 3DS. Despite launching only a few years after Ocarina of Time and sharing many of its gameplay mechanics, Majora’s Mask’s three-day repeating cycle created one of the biggest steps away from the traditional Zelda structure that the series has ever seen.
For this reason, many found the game difficult to approach or finish. The upcoming re-release affords the perfect excuse to revisit the game if it didn’t grab you in 2000, play it again after all these years, or play it for the first time. Regardless of which player you are, these tips will make getting back into the game (or into it for the first time) a breeze.
Always deposit before restarting the cycle
Every time you restart the three-day cycle, you lose your inventory. You keep your masks and items, but any bows, bombs, deku sticks or nuts, bottled items, or rupees you collected will disappear when you start over. There’s no way to save your items, but there is a way to keep your money, and that’s to deposit it in the bank.
The bank’s vault will always retain your finances, and you should take full advantage. In the 3DS remake, the bank is relocated right next to Clock Town’s warp point, which makes it very easy to warp to clock town, deposit your money, and restart the cycle. Depositing enough money will get you a bigger wallet and eventually a heart piece.
Grab a quick 100 rupees every day
Speaking of rupees, there is a quick and easy chest with 100 rupees in it that resets every cycle. It’s a good idea to make it your first stop before heading out into Termina every time you reset. It’s in east Clock Town, and you get to it by jumping over the guarded exit heading out into the canyon and using the targets above Honey & Darling’s Shop as platforms to jump your way to the top of the Town Shooting Gallery. All you have to do is follow the bend and you will find the chest.
Start over instead of trying to cram it all in
There are clear moments in Majora’s Mask’s progression where you realize you have the item, mask, or song you need in order to bypass a great deal of work. Once you learn the Goron Lullaby, for example, you can jump right into the Snowhead Temple without having to deal with the frozen Goron grandpa or his crying child. Once you hit these acquisitions, don’t be afraid to go ahead and reset to give yourself a whole bunch of extra time. There’s rarely a need to cram everything into the three days allotted.
Play the song of time backwards
Another good tip for saving time is to play the Song of Time backwards. If you’re heading to a dungeon, looking to do some general exploring, or do a task that doesn’t necessarily happen at a specific moment in the timeline, play the Song of Time backwards to give yourself a whole bunch of extra time.
For more tips head to page two. To see the Majora's Mask remake in action, watch original director Eiji Aonuma play 15 minutes of the the game here, and watch us play the opening hour here.