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THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: MAJORA'S MASK
RELEASED ON - NINTENDO 64 (N64), 2000
BACKROUND INFO
After the completion of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Nintendo's Zelda team split up into two, one of them went to work on The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, and the other went to work on the 64DD (Disk Drive) version of Zelda, which was supposed to be an upgrade to Ocarina of Time. Using the same game engine, and set in the Ocarina of Time world, but just giving you new dungeons and new things to do (Shigeru Myimoto has since reported that the 64DD version of Zelda is actually FINISHED! But, since the 64DD didn't sell well, it will probably never be released).
The new Zelda, which was first intitled "Zelda Gaiden" ("Gaiden" means "side-story" in Japanese), and then renamed The Legend of Zelda: The Mask of Majula, before finally settling on the name, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, was always met with criticism and speculation, for not much was known about the title, and since Shigeru Myimoto wasn't working with the Majora's Mask team as much as he did with them on Ocarina of Time, many people didn't think that Majora's Mask would turn out to be as good as Ocarina of Time. Also, Ocarina of Time blew people away by being the first ever 3D Zelda (And one of the first 3D Action RPG's), and had many cool inivations, such as the Z-Targeting "lock-on" feature, and the auto-jump feature. It also had gorgeous graphics for the time (And still does), and gave Link many new items and weapons never seen before. And that "shock" feeling, from when people first played Ocarina of Time, wouldn't be there with Majora's Mask. Since it used the same controls, items/weapons, and even most of the same people from Ocarina of time, everyone felt that Majora's Mask would just feel like a rehashed version of Ocarina of Time. And would have that "been there, done that" feeling associated with it. It was also touted as a "side-story" and not a true sequel, which just made it sound even worse.
Little did we know that The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask would pack just enough new inovations, items/weapons (Masks), and a good enough storyline and characters, to break that Ocarina of Time mold, and give it's players a satisfying unique Zelda experiance, unlike any other before it.
THE STORY
Several months after rescuing Princess Zelda and saving the land of Hyrule, Link set out on his own personal journery, with his horse Epona. While riding her, a weird masked figure appeared, Skull Kid. He scared Link's horse and took off with her. Link, naturally, followed.
While chasing after Skull Kid, Link suddenly falls from a high ledge, through some sort of portal, and into a room where the Skull Kid awaits. Skull Kid then turns Link into a Deku Scrub, and takes off through a door. Link enters the door, and ends up in a Clock Tower, at the center of a strange world called Termina.
Link meets a strange man there, carrying many masks, who tells him of the mystical mask the Skull Kid took, Majora's Mask, and the power it holds. He also tells him that an evil moon will fall onto the earth in just three days.
The man makes a deal with Link, that if Link will set out on a quest to return Majora's Mask to him, he will change Link back into his original form.
Link agree's, and thus his new adventure begins!
THE OUTCOME
THE JAPENESE VERSION
The Japanese version of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is basically the same as the US version. The US version, however, features a couple enhancements of the Japanese one. The most major change being the quick save feature, which lets you use an Owl Statue to save your game temporarily, so that you can quite the game and come back to it later, without having to do everything over again.
Besides that though, the Japanese version of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is essentially the same as ours, but with (yup, once again!) Japanese text.