This video has been sponored in part by Surfshark. There is only one, fixed constant in life: “Time and tide wait for no man.” These words are as true today as they were
when ole Jeffy Chaucer first uttered them, nearly seven centuries ago. Life is filled with upheaval and uncertainty Life is filled with upheaval and uncertainty
-- and after the year that has been 2020, -- and after the year that has been 2020, this truth couldn’t be any more apparent. But the inherent uncertainty of existence
also contains within itself the only hard truth we can all agree on,
regardless of religion or creed: Death will come for us all one day, just as surely as the turning of the seasons. You, me,
and everyone we know will eventually pass away, and there is no way for
any of us to escape this fate. Human mortality is a solemn, heavy concept. We live our lives in an unending
struggle to understand the nature of our limited time on earth… Right up until the casket drops. So, a bright and colorful adventure game series (which revels in coming-of-age
tropes and swashbuckling derring-do) might seem like an unlikely
place for a thoughtful exploration of these collective fears of mortality. But there’s one legendary game that not
only pulls off this unlikely synthesis-of-opposites, it also manages to smuggle some incredibly
profound and spiritual themes into what is, at heart, a fairytale story aimed primarily
at younger audiences. This is a tale of melancholy, and woe. It is also, far and away, the darkest and most mature Zelda incarnation
to ever grace a Nintendo console: The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask. Both story and gameplay of Majora’s Mask
work hand-in-hand to express an essential and unifying
theme of the human experience: Despite our terrible fate, can we find meaning
in a doomed existence, and summon the strength
needed to persevere? And when everything seems hopeless, and lost… Can we still keep hope alive? Alright, before we go on,
I'd like to express my thanks to Surfshark for sponsoring
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in the description of this video. Thanks a lot again, and now,
I hope you enjoy the rest of the video! The patented ‘Zelda
formula’ is instantly familiar and well-worn for most
players these days. Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time both
set a template that has been massively influential to the action and adventure
games that followed in its footsteps. But trailing after the world-devouring success
of Ocarina of Time in 1998, series directors Eiji Aonuma
and Shigeru Miyamoto resolved to try something entirely
new for the next Zelda game. Originally, Majora’s Mask
wasn’t even supposed to happen: The team had initially planned to create a “master
levels” remix of the Ocarina of Time dungeons, but there was little internal enthusiasm
for the project at Nintendo HQ. So while the rest of the Zelda team was wrapped
up with the early stages of development for the Gamecube entry of Wind Waker, Aonuma and Miyamoto
resolved to create a spinoff to Ocarina of Time, and gave themselves a
one-year deadline to finish the project. Inspired by the German 1998
time-looping thriller Run Lola Run, the team laid down some foundational
principles for a project dubbed ‘Ura Zelda’. * Rewinding time would play a key role,
with the player being made to repeat a relatively short segment over and over
again as part of the core gameplay loop. * In keeping with this more focused approach,
the story, encounters, and dungeons would be designed around smaller
and more self-contained narratives, rather than the sprawling
epic yarns of previous titles. * And in order to meet the tight deadline, they would re-use as many assets
as possible from Ocarina of Time. It’s often said that limitations
breed creativity far better than having unlimited time and resources. That was certainly the
case with Majora’s Mask: Over the course of development, this side project blossomed into a mainline Zelda
title that could stand on its own merits, while simultaneously breaking with nearly
a decade-and-a-half of series conventions. All of the familiar Zelda tropes and
touchstones are gone from Majora’s Mask: You are far from
the land of Hyrule, there is no evil-overlord
Ganon to defeat, no Master Sword to attain,
and Zelda herself only gets a single mention in the opening minutes before
disappearing for the rest of the game. But even more importantly, the role of Link
the protagonist has fundamentally changed. You are no longer a child of divinity,
blessed by the gods with a special destiny. (And even if you are still the Link
of Legend from Ocarina of Time, it’s in many ways rather irrelevant to this tale.) You are no longer occupying the role of the
traditional adventure game savior of prophecy, the Center of the Universe around
which everything (and everyone) revolves. No, in Majora’s Mask
you’re simply one person, in many ways no more special
or important than everyone else, and your main concern is simply to try and find
a way to survive in a weird and unfamiliar place. And just as the story abandons all
of the usual Zelda narrative tropes, And just as the story abandons all
of the usual Zelda narrative tropes, Majora’s Mask similarly puts far less of an
emphasis on the core Zelda gameplay elements. In a sense, the experience of playing Majora’s
Mask is more akin to that of a classic inventory-based adventure from LucasArts or Sierra than a
straightforward 3D action game. But to be sure,
this is still a solid action-adventure Zelda title that controls just as nimbly as Ocarina of Time,
Z-targeting backflips included. There IS still plenty of combat and
dungeon-delving to be had in Majora’s Mask, but it’s also simply less of a priority for
this game than previous titles in the series. Which is an interesting case for the long-term
validity of video game reviews, isn't it: Majora’s Mask was, at the time,
critically far less warmly welcomed than the more traditional Hero’s
Journey structured Ocarina of Time, but in hindsight, it’s the game that
has stood the test of time far better because it built its foundation
around something else than just “for the time” good running, jumping
and dungeon crawling. If you play Majora’s Mask without goggles
of Nostalgia, the parts that have aged the the least well are the ones that rely
on contemporary Zelda gameplay – while the game’s unique and for-a-Zelda
uncharacteristically dark and haunting storyline is what has eventually turned it into a timeless cult-classic. There are fewer main dungeons for instace --
only four, compared to Ocarina of Time’s nine. Instead, the player will adventure through
a whole cornucopia of smaller, self-contained encounters and puzzles scattered across Termina,
most of which are much more condensed than the usual framing device of
“recover a biblical number of mystic artefacts and defeat the evil Uber-Antagonist™.” In order to progress through Majora’s Mask,
you’ll have to do the opposite of what decades of action-adventure
videogames have trained you to expect: Rather than master your combat skills, you’ll need to master your...
social skills. To access the four main temples you’ll need
to finish the game, you first must spend a good deal of time
getting to know the denizens of Clock Town, and the wider world of Termina. You’ll learn people’s schedules during
their final three days through keen observation, follow them around on their day-to-day errands, and complete sometimes-menial
tasks for almost everyone you encounter. The small and seemingly unrelated
acts of kindness you perform gain weight and context
as the story advances. Throughout the game,
the player learns that the only way to “progress” and become the hero of the land is
to perform acts of charity and altruism. It is, on a meta-level, a fascinating commentary
on our common storytelling tropes when it comes to
“saving the world” stories. The world is about to be destroyed
- we are the hero to save everyone. How do we do it? By killing things; by destroying things. That’s how we tell stories,
especially in video games. Majora’s Mask goes a long way
to reduce this notion to absurdity. Each individual act of selflessness
becomes a piece of a larger mosaic -- a big-picture view that becomes clearer
and clearer as you pull back to observe it: The thing that just might save the
world isn’t your skill with a sword, your magical warding shield,
or your enchanted bow and arrows. The thing that will save us all… is something far more intangible
than acts of individual heroism… It's something truly… selfless… In stark contrast to just
about every other Zelda game, the Link of Majora’s Mask
is a near-nameless nobody the Link of Majora’s Mask
is a near-nameless nobody
-- a stranger in a strange land. -- a stranger in a strange land. Following the events
of Ocarina of Time, Link finds himself lost in a
mysterious forest in a faraway land. After an ambush by the Skull Kid and
his mischievous fairies Tatl and Tael, Link loses his magical ocarina and his startled
steed Epona dashes off into the underbrush. And following a dizzying trip down a psychedelic-wormhole... Link awoke from uneasy dreams to find himself
transformed into a... pint-sized Deku Scrub. He soon after that emerges
aboveground in the town of Termina, where an extremely sinister Happy
Mask Salesman makes him a deal: Recover the mystic mask the
Skull Kid stole from the Salesman, along with Link’s ocarina,
and he’ll return everything back to normal. But even as he chases down the
Skull Kid and reclaims his instrument, Link soon discovers that
his quest is only beginning. His foe still has the mask the
Salesman needs – Majora’s Mask, and he’s far too strong for
us to take him on head-first; Link has no chance of
winning in a head-to-head fight. Now, suspended in the skies
above Termina is the moon itself, sporting wild eyes and
a snarling rictus-grin. For 72 hours, this meteor-moon
will inexorably draw closer and closer, until it finally smashes into Clock
Town at the end of the third day -- ironically, just in time for the
town to celebrate the Carnival of Time, the Zelda equivalent of a
pagan-harvest-festival-meets-New-Year’s-Day. But Link discovers the seminal twist that
becomes Termina’s only hope: your Ocarina has the ability to rewind the
clock and start the 3-day-cycle of doom anew, allowing you to buy yourself another 72-hour
period to untangle the threads of this mystery and, potentially... hopefully... avert the apocalypse. The entire game is played
in these three-day chunks, and any quests or dungeons you
fail to complete within the time limit will be reset after the third day. The unrelenting march of time is a constant
companion throughout Majora’s Mask. No matter where you are -- out
in the Termina Fields Overworld, or on the streets of Clock Town -- the
Meteor-Moon will hang ever-present, inching closer with each passing second. But sheltering indoors will not allow you
to escape this existential dread: So many interiors in the game also feature a big
mechanical clock that ticks ceaselessly onward, each shift of the gears marking another
step in the steady procession to oblivion. And when The Day of Judgment arrives, the soundtrack adds truly ominous
stringed instrumentation to the mix, foretelling the grim fate that awaits. If youa re a first-time player, and especially if you’re going through
Majora’s Mask without a walkthrough, you will fail... A lot. Over and over again you’ll rewind time, or be forced to watch the moon
destroy you and everything you cherish. And all you can do is pick yourself up,
dust yourself off, and begin rolling the proverbial
boulder back up the hill again. The time-loop gameplay of
Majora’s Mask both literalizes and systematizes a profound
and essential human experience: Our lifelong struggle
against entropy and death. In every single moment of the game,
the player is engaged in an unrelenting struggle
against their own mortality. And it’s all the more powerful for how this
grim battle is juxtaposed against the bright-and-cheery, cartoony hues of the world of Zelda. Indeed, for all of its Western-inspired
fantasy-fiction aesthetic trappings, the philosophy underpinning
Majora’s Mask is strongly informed by the religious traditions
and mysticism of east asia. For a series that began with some not-so-subtle
invocations of Christian imagery, Majora’s Mask stands out as a game
firmly rooted in the Hindu-Buddhist concepts of Dukkha, reincarnation,
and the Wheel of Time. (And a lil Nietzsche... as a treat) Dukkha is a central tenet of both religions. The term’s nearest english translation is
“suffering” or “sorrow”, especially as it relates to the larger
mythopoetic belief structures of these two faiths. But translating the term so
literally does it a disservice, especially given the unambiguously
negative tone of the word “suffering.” Both of these beliefs teach
that all of existence is bound up in a cycle of struggle,
suffering, and reincarnation. But the nature of this
“suffering” is both a curse… and also the key
to overcoming it. Buddhism and
Hinduism both teach that, first, we must achieve a conscious understanding
of how we construct our individual “selves” as a reflection of and response to earthly
dissatisfactions, or Dukkha. It is only then that we can attain the enlightenment
needed to end the cycle of reincarnation, and ascend to the next stage of existence. In other words: Suffering
is intrinsically linked to the inability to perceive reality outside of yourself. The only way to overcome
the suffering of existence is to shed your egoistic
attachment to your “self.” It’s only after enduring many cycles of
Dukkha and reincarnation that we may finally transcend this mortal coil. It’s only by letting go of
your attachment to your self… that you can free the world from the cycles
of suffering and destruction. The ultimate theme and message that Majora’s
Mask conveys to the player is the value of humanism. Humanism can mean a lot of
different things to different people, but its essence can be boiled down
to a simple statement of principles: Our highest calling in life is to care
for the wellbeing of those around us -- even and ESPECIALLY if there’s no
apparent benefit or reward to be earned from it. It’s a simple but tremendously evocative
message for Majora’s Mask to take up, one that is further driven home by the game’s
expert unification of narrative and gameplay. You cannot win the game by acts of sword and
sorcery alone. You must get to know the inhabitants of Termina; follow them throughout the
mundanities of their day-to-day-routine; and demonstrate kindnesses
small and large to those in need. Empathize. It helps that these characters and their associated
quests are, almost without exception, extremely charming, with weird quirks and
twists that masterfully compel the player forward, even absent the usual “you’re an epic hero
on a quest to save the world” framing: * For instance, you're gonna help
the farmhands Cremia and Romani as they uncover the mystery
of the strange alien abductions plaguing their ranch, and restore the
bustling dairy trade to Termina’s Milk Road * You’ll help the surprisingly mature child
Pamela to break a mummification curse on her scientist father,
with the help of an enchanted music box * You resolve Cuckoo-loving Grog’s one sorrow
by parading his chicks in front of him, making them grow up to have
him to see his babies mature into their prime as big and sturdy
roosters before the world ends. * And in a truly heartwarming quest that is
one of the top fan favorites, you’ll help reunite the
estranged lovers Anju and Kafei, culminating in an
End Times-themed wedding for the ages It is this laser-like focus on people, and
their deeply personal stories and struggles, that allows Majora’s Mask to subvert one of the
most confounding bits of design-dissonance in gaming especially when it comes
to big epic action-adventures and RPG games like The Legend of Zelda: How many times in a game have you
taken up the mantle of Mister or Miz Hero, and readied to embark on an epic quest to
save the world from an encroaching apocalypse… Only to immediately find yourself
waylaid by the village crone, who *really* needs you to kill
the rats in her pantry? Rather than treat these
“sidequests” as a frivolity or a distraction to pad out the game’s runtime, these encounters are far and away the main attraction
and the core of the narrative of Majora’s Mask. Many quests offer rewards that, rather than
enhance your combat prowess, instead open up new areas of the map,
unlock new quests, and generally make it
easier for you to explore and by that learn more about
the land you're bound to save. For example, after rescuing the bovines of
Romani Ranch from their ghostly-alien abductors on Day One, you’ll trigger a followup event
at the ranch on the evening of Day Two. Solve this puzzle,
and you’ll receive Romani’s Mask, which allows you to enter the
grownups-only milk bar in Clock Town. And the regulars at the milk bar
have their own woes to deal with, of course, setting you down another
chain of quests and side-digressions. The characters who inhabit the world
of Termina are more than lifeless NPCs that exist only as set-dressing or to dispense exposition
and keep the plot moving. The people of Termina are every bit as integral
to this world as you are, and they all have their own stories,
dreams, hopes, and fears. The player must learn to see their value as
individuals who have their own distinct place
in the world you’re trying to save, because you cannot complete
your quest without them. That’s a tall order, since there are dozens
and dozens of NPCs to keep track of. Fortunately, you get the handy Bomber’s
Notebook early on in the adventure to keep track of all the different people
you meet, and their various routines. And where other Zelda games place a heavier
emphasis on the player’s personal
arsenal of magical weapons, Majora’s Mask instead replaces
the bulk of your inventory with masks that transform the
player into various forms, granting new skills
that widen your ability to traverse and explore the world of Termina. The gestalt of Majora’s Mask -- the sum-total
of the themes and ideas it expresses -- is clear and direct: The True Victory does
not come from wielding mighty weapons, or from slaying hordes of foes. True Victory lies in letting go of your
self, by walking in someone else’s shoes, and by appreciating that their existence has
an intrinsic value, just like yours. It seems to be something of a
running theme on my channel lately: Majora’s Mask is yet another beloved,
cult-classic piece of gaming history that is becoming more and
more difficult to find and play. To say that preservation and emulation
are not priorities for Nintendo is… probably a bit of an understatement. Which is all the more confounding and frustrating, since Nintendo owns and controls the rights
to a sizeable chunk of retro gaming history, purely on the strength of the
NES-SNES-N64 console trifecta. Currently, the original N64 version
of Majora’s Mask is only available on the Wii and WiiU’s
Virtual Console storefront, which is in the process of being
phased out in favor of the Switch’s eShop. There is also a pretty solid enhanced
port released for the 3DS in 2015, much like the one for Ocarina
of Time released in 2011. However, neither version of Majora’s
Mask is available on the Switch However, neither version of Majora’s
Mask is available on the Switch at the time this
video is being released. There have been long-running
rumors of an “N64 Classics” emulator for the Switch’s online service,
which could potentially include Majora’s Mask, but we’ve seen nothing
in the way of official confirmation. We can only hope that fan
demand will force Nintendo to make more of an effort
to preserve its own history, because the appeal of a title like
Majora’s Mask still shines through brilliantly, even for players who have
been raised on generations of spectacle-driven,
high-octane AAA titles. Because the quiet,
gentle humanism of Majora’s Mask is a perfect antidote for anyone tired of
the latest open-world shoot-em-up slogfest. Ocarina of Time was
a tough act to follow, and Majora’s Mask will
likely always be overshadowed by its staggeringly successful
and influential predecessor. But Majora’s Mask to this day
maintains a dedicated cult fanbase, and is widely regarded
as one of the greatest games ever made. This praise is well-earned,
as it boasts some truly masterful game design, the crown jewel of which is the
three-day eternally recurring cycle whose palpable immediacy strengthens
every other element of the game. This time limitation makes the world
take on an eerie, almost lifelike quality -- as though the player is experiencing a 72-hour
snapshot of a town encased inside a snowglobe, of the final days of a
doomed lost civilization. Majora’s Mask is a textbook case of quality
over quantity. There may be less traditional “action game stuff”
to do compared to other titles in the series, There may be less traditional “action game stuff”
to do compared to other titles in the series, but in hindsight,
this omission makes the game that much stronger but in hindsight,
this omission makes the game that much stronger of a singular
and focused experience. It is a truly classic, timeless experience which every lover of fantasy-adventure
or emotional gaming experiences owes it to themselves to
experience at least once I say. Majora’s Mask is a powerful reminder
that the greatest and most meaningful stories often have very little to do with conquest
and domination in the name of power. The greatest hero tales -- the ones that hold the most important,
long-lasting lessons for us -- are those that remind us how our
fates are bound up in those around us... Even people we might not like,
or find a little weird and off-putting. It’s a theme and message that
couldn’t be more relevant or inspiring, especially as the exceedingly
kafkaesque year of 2020 draws to a close. In a year that has seen untold
suffering and death rage across the globe, now more than ever, we need a
reminder that we’re all in this together. Our only hope for the future is to keep this
flame of kindness burning in the darkness: So, what is this affirming light going to
be? You know,
while I'm currently having your attention, I'd like to make this... a challenge. If you're watching this video at the end of
the year, or if you're watching it at a later point - I'd like you to take this as an incentive
to engage in a kindness big or small, to find something to do that
helps out and supports others without execting a reward
or a benefit in return. And no, I won't preach to reach out to those
that engaged in nothing but hurting and burning bridges
all year round and longer, but there are many out there
that really need it right now. How you achieve that, for now,
I'll leave completely up to you - if you find a charity you
believe in and support it, if you give or help out someone
who's struggling right now or if you just pick up the phone receiver
and call someone close to your heart and tell them something that will make them
smile for a moment; you got this. I’d love to encourage you to put your passion
into... a smol humanism to end the year with. So how am I gonna put my
money where my mouth is? I've decided to end the year with something
I've been wanting to do for ages but always pushed ahead of me because there
was always several things that had "priority" and were
"more important right now" -- you know how that goes. But no more excuses! On the 28th of December (2020 that is), I'm going to host a charity stream collecting for
the preservation and protection of Red Pandas. Red Pandas are categorized as
an endangered species by the IUCN due to hunting,
poaching and drastic loss of habitable area due to deforestation
and habit degradation. Together, we'll collect donations for The
Red Panda Network, a non-profit organization I myself have been
actively supporting for years, which extends community based conservation
programs, creating sustainable living centers,
planting adequate forest areas and monitoring and maintaining designated,
dense and diverse forest areas for the protection of those cute little fellers. And I’d love you all to join me in this! The stream is taking place over on my twitch.
Here's the link.. And you can find the
starting time in different time zones on the screen or in
the description of this video. The game we’re gonna play is Control - and that's a title that I knew I wanted to
play since it was announced, so I shielded myself from all information
and spoilers, which means I’m going to going to go into it
knowing virtually nothing that's gonna happen! Just like last time we did a charity stream,
earlier this year, I’m going to use a part of this sponsorship
income from this video to kickstart the donations at
the beginning of the stream and then I hope we can multiply that amount
together over the course of the stream! So, I hope you will stop by and we can have
a fun and chill hangout together! And... if you should be watching
this video after the stream took place, you’ll find the results of it posted in
a pinned comment on this video! Now before I let you go,
a little plug for my own livelihood: the work on my channel is,
in big part, funded and dependent on the generous donations from my backers
over on Patreon! If you would like to help out and support
my work as well – that could be another way to spare a little
kindness that goes a long way – if it’s an amount that won’t hurt
or stifle you financially. Thank you for considering, thanks to everyone
who supports me there already, and my special thanks this month go out to: LAIRD WACKYLA
CORDELIA CRESCENDO TIGHE MCCANDLESS
MALYM KENNAN WARD
CHUCK TAYLOR NORBERT GERARD MATYNKA
MATT GRETTON RONINKROM AKA DANIEL242172
DR HAYLEY-ISABELLA CAWLEY NEKOT THE BRAVE
HOANG VU WOBBLES AND BEAN THE WONDER DUCKS
LORENZ E. BUBEN MARI
DAVID ZELENAK SWALLOWTAILNIGHTS
ALEX PAPOW CASPAR RAHM
MURA CASARDIS IAN RHODES
RAUL BLANCO GISELLE ALMONTE
LEX RECKLESS ANDREW HINES
PABLO ARCELUS HUNTER CRAWFORD & MARGARETE STRAWN
QUENTIN PROD'HOMME FAULTYGEAR
DANA ROSA CHRIS-CHAN
BILLY LOTT BORIS BÜGLING
CHRISTINE THWAGUM
KEVIN H. YANG CHRISZY
MAURICIO REYNA DAVID SOUTHPAW
TERRI COLLINS SHANNON BLUE
JIN HANSSON FEDERICO ROCHA
CATHERINE ESCOBAR MAX MACULA
REFKINS AGUSTIN ORTEGA
POOKAPRINCESS ISABELLA STONER
SOPHIE POULSEN NINEBALL9606 and
STARINA ABRAHAMSEN Until next year...
ta ta!
There's just this very unique atmosphere in Majora's Mask that I've never experienced in any other game, even Zelda games, the world ending, the moon crashing down, something sad and beautiful about it.
Even to this day im still shocked that not only did zelda tske this direction, or that a game like this happened as early into gaming as it did, but the fact it was NINTENDO of all people that did it.
Even now its extremely rare to see a game convey themes and feelings through the game context of its mechanics. Even if the result ended up being less fun for people.
It may not be one of my favorite games to play, but its my favorite work of art.
I feel this is a classic case of "this is why we can't have nice things", where a lot of people were put off by the time system and the relentless feeling of never being able to help everyone. I do a playthrough every year and always make sure to complete as many tasks as possible + the four giants before I go to the moon. And yet, I love that the game never gives you a complete/perfect/true ending. Suffice to say I really, really, really hope they go in a similar direction with BOTW2.
Next year is the 35th anniversary of Zelda, and I am hoping beyond hope for some sort of Switch HD collection like we got with the N64/Wii Mario games this year for their anniversary. I know there is zero evidence and zero reason to get my hopes up, but that would make me wildly happy.
This game has a solid place in my top 10 games. I have so much nostalgia for it. From watching my older brother play it on N64, to playing it myself a few years later (but never beating it), to finally beating the remaster.
The tone, themes, and mechanics are all so wildly different from the usual Nintendo fare. And it's still insane to me that the team was able to crank out this game so quickly following Ocarina of Time. I know they reused assets, but there are still so many new mechanics introduced with the masks and time looping.
Majora's Mask is steeped in atmosphere and has just enough lore to reel you in and leave you curious. I know these Zelda games are getting older and it's hard to sell people on "outdated" mechanics, but I still always recommend that people at least try this game.
Loved MM as a kid, and I replayed the 3ds version this year. As an adult I could appreciate the tones and story telling through the world. The sense of loss almost every NPC conveyed, really got to me, even more now that I'm older.
I beat this game when it first came out. Then 19 years went by and in that time I totally forgot almost everything about this game minus a few boss fights and minor details. Last year I played it again after watching AVGN do an episode on it and was blown away what they were able to do on the N64. I couldn't believe how good it was, how dark the story turned out and never thought it would stand the test of time. It was almost like playing a brand new N64 themed Zelda after all these years because I had forgotten almost all of it. After that I played the 3ds remake and have mixed feelings as for every good decision made there is an equally bad decision haha.
Still my favorite zelda game, the world is just so weird hub based and I love how they did side quests in this one with the bombers notebook.
I’ll always argue that wind waker is probably the best game in the franchise, but majoras mask was my first and will always be my favorite
I find this game endlessly fascinating but I absolutely hate everything about actually playing it. It might be the most interesting game that I fucking hate with a passion.