The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

NINTENDO PLAYERS SAVE THE WORLD IN THE LEGEND OF ZELDA®: MAJORA'S MASKTM The Epic Legend of Zelda® Series Continues with October 26th Release

REDMOND, Wash., October 25, 2000 - The countdown begins ... Oct. 26 is the day that will go down in history as the beginning of the end. Nintendo® 64 owners across the nation face up to their biggest challenge ever. They're trapped in an alternate dimension and have 72 hours to solve the mysteries of a bizarre land before an ominous moon crashes, destroying the world and everything in it. Thus begins the next great adventure in Nintendo's best-selling Legend of Zelda series, The Legend of Zelda®: Majora's MaskTM. This video game features an intense, apocalyptic theme that offers players the ultimate challenge of saving the world.

In this N64® follow-up to the 1998 Interactive Game of the Year*, The Legend of Zelda®: The Ocarina of TimeTM, our hero Link battles valiantly against the forces of time. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask contains innovative gameplay elements from the original N64 game, such as the unique targeting system and first- and third-person play perspectives, along with a number of new features. The mysterious masks play an integral role in the game. By wearing them, Link gains a variety of powers and is able to transform into different characters, thus greatly expanding the gameplay experience.

"Players can only experience the magic and mystery of The Legend of Zelda on N64," says Peter Main, Nintendo's executive vice president, sales and marketing. "The first Zelda game for N64 sold an amazing 7 million units worldwide and we expect this new title to match that tremendous success."

Anticipation for this title has been growing among consumers since Nintendo first announced development of the game. In order to reach these Zelda-loyalists along with the mass-market audience, Nintendo created a unique and extensive marketing campaign that combines traditional media advertising buys in print, television and cinema with an in-depth "experiential" program on the Internet. Consumers were able to actively participate in the campaign and the game's storyline through two mysterious web sites: http://www.z-science.com/ that predicted the end of the world and its counterpart, the pirate news outlet www.radiozelda.com. The online campaign was supported by epic print and broadcast commercials designed to capture the emotion of people wondering if the world can be saved. The entire campaign is tied together with the tagline "The world is waiting on you."

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask requires the Nintendo 64 Expansion PakTM (not included) that brings the mystical game universe to its full graphic and gameplay potential. The extra four megabits of memory provide a stunning, ultra-smooth look and some of the most realistic environments experienced in an N64 title. The Expansion Pak also adds variety and depth to battle scenes while improving special effects in the game.

Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, is the acknowledged worldwide leader in the creation of interactive entertainment. To date, Nintendo has sold more than 1 billion video games worldwide, has created such industry icons as Mario® and Donkey Kong® and launched franchises like The Legend of Zelda and PokémonTM. Nintendo manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular home video game systems, including the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy - the world's best-selling video game system. As a wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in North America.

The independent Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rates The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask "E" for "Everybody." For more information about the ESRB visit http://www.esrb.org/. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is published exclusively by Nintendo of America Inc. and is available for a suggested retail price of $69.95.

For more information about The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask please visit http://www.zelda.com/, or visit the company's web site, www.nintendo.com.

Source:

Press Release

Link’s all-new epic adventure lands him in the mystical world of Termina, where ever-present clocks count down the hours until a menacing moon falls from the sky above. When his horse and Ocarina are stolen by a strange, masked figure, Link embarks on an urgent quest to solve the mystery of the moon, save the world from destruction, and find his way back to the peaceful land of Hyrule!

Link transforms before your eyes – Over 20 magical masks give Link powers and abilities he’s never had before! Watch him transform into a hapless Deku child, a mighty Goron hero and a legendary Zora guitarist.

Race against time – Characters and events flow with the hours of the day. Set your own schedule and even alter time itself in a race to stop the moon and save the world!

Panoramic environments! Powered-up action battles! Fully interactive characters and events! Experience gorgeous rendered landscapes, swarms of attacking enemies and a deep, engrossing world of wonders with the power of the N64 Expansion Pak.

Source:

Back of Box (US–Collecter's Edition)

Three days, 24 masks and only one hero. Help Link save Termina in his most mind-bending adventure ever!

In Link's latest crusade, the Hyrulian Hero struggles against time to unravel the unsettling mystery of Majora's Mask. This mind-bending follow-up to Ocarina of Time sparkles with an artistic flare and presents a premise which shatters the foundation upon which most games are built. Perpetually reliving the same three days and three nights, Link is able to explore his world and relate to other characters like never before. As you struggle to stay afloat against crashing waves of déjà vu, you can't help but smile as the sheer depth of the game's puzzles becomes clear.

The Legend ...

Plot is often an afterthought in video games, but it is the driving force in Majora's Mask. The storyline meanders through the game like a living creature, poking around here and there to reveal greater insight into the land of Termina. Link is a well-armed detective in this mysterious adventure, gaining greater insight into the lives of established characters and meeting fresh faces as well.

At first glance Majora's Mask appears to be uncharacteristically dark and brooding, but in fact it is usually the fear of the unknown which creates this uneasy mood. As Link gains knowledge, the world becomes less intimidating.

The mystery begins a mere three months after Link's triumph over Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time. Now downtrodden, Link guides Epona through a somber fog in search of his faithful fair friend Navi. To Epona's surprise, two mischievous fairies materialize out of the mist and send Link's steed into a panicked retreat.

These two fairies turn out to be siblings, appropriately named Tatl and Tael. As Link falls to the ground and loses consciousness, a disguised Skull Kid emerges from the fog. Both merry and macabre, the masked marauder steals Link's Ocarina and immediately mounts Epona.

Link gives chase of course, completely unaware that he is pursuing not a mere Skull Kid, but one possessed by the mystical power of Majora's Mask. At the conclusion of their flight, Link unwittingly follows the Skull Kid through a powerful portal which leads to parallel universe.

This new land is called Termina, and although it contains many of the same features and inhabitants as Hyrule, it is a unique world which is only familiar to Link in an unsettling sort of way. It doesn't take Link long to learn that he has arrived in Termina at the most inopportune of times. Not only is there a Skull Kid on the loose driven by the dark power of Majora's Mask, but the very moon itself will bully its way through the atmosphere and devastate the land in a mere three days.

Link knows that this is no mere coincidence. Before dawn on the fourth day, Link must somehow solve the mystery of Majora's Mask and save Termina from the lunatic mission of its own moon.

The Countdown ...

The moment Link enters the twisted land of Termina, the game's internal clock begins to tick. Link has a scant three days and nights to solve the mystery of Majora's Mask and halt the descending moon, so every second counts.

The internal clock does not run in real time. One Terminian day is roughly equivalent to 20 minutes of gameplay. The entire three-day cycle, then, can be completed in one hour. Sounds like a pretty short game, right? Wrong.

The soul of Majora's Mask and the thing which makes it such a wonderful game to experience is that throughout the game Link relives the same three days over and over again. Anyone familiar with the movie Groundhog Day will immediately recognize the potential of this premise.

Link's major accomplishments remain intact from one three-day cycle to the next, but his encounters with other characters and certain day-to-day activities are completely wiped clean when a new cycle begins. Because of this, you have to plan your activities wisely to ensure that you're able to accomplish at least one major goal before the end of the cycle.

This format is obviously rooted in fantasy, but surprisingly it makes the game seem incredibly realistic. Since Link is able to relive each day as many times as he desires, over time he acquires the ability to actually experience every moment of every day at each and every map location. Instead of just observing a particular character at a specific moment on a certain day, for example, Link can eventually discover what occurs in that character's life - both night and day - for an entire three-day period. You can begin to get a feel for the depth of Majora's Mask when you consider that Termina is home to dozens of characters which are brought to life in this manner.

How does Link gain the privilege of eternal life? At the stroke of midnight on the eve of the fourth day, a special door opens in center of Clock Town which warps Link to where he began
his adventure. If he doesn't make it to the door in time, the kamikaze moon succeeds in its suicidal plan to destroy the world.

After playing through a few of these three-day cycles, the magnitude of this project hits home and you can't help but appreciate the vision and execution of Shigeru Miyamoto, Eiji Aonuma, Takashi Tezuka and the entire development team.

The Masks ...

Masks play a vital role in Link's Terminian. Early in his quest, Link encounters a traveling salesman from the Happy Mask Shop. It's not immediately clear whether this shady character is
aligned with the forces of good or evil, but he claims to be the rightful owner of Majora's Mask.

It is this traveling salesman who places a three-day time limit on Link's exploits, coincidentally coinciding with the inflexible schedule of the falling moon. The nomadic representative of the Happy Mask Shop gives Link his first mask, the Deku Mask. This is just the first of 24 masks which Link will find during the most dangerous masquerade to ever take place.

When Link dons the Deku Mask, he undergoes a painful transformation and takes the form of a Deku Scrub. While wearing this mask, Link is able to do business with Deku Scrubs who would
normally ignore him in human form. Link gains special abilities while wearing the Deku Mask. He can shoot bubbles from his snout in typical Deku fashion, and float through the air via flower propeller power. Instead of the Ocarina, Deku Link blows an impressive multi-horned instrument to blast out a medley of magical tunes.

When Link wears the Goron Mask, he inhabits the body of a fallen Goron named Darmani. With bushy white sideburns and a rotund belly, Goron Link is one of the most unusual Gorons you'll ever see. While disguised as the rock-munching Darmani, Link is equipped with a powerful punch and the ability to roll up into a speeding spiked wheel. At the Goron race track, Goron Link speeds through the course at a pace that would put any Pod Racer to shame. Goron Link favors the bongos over the Ocarina, and he has to pound out mystical rhythms to accomplish certain tasks.

When Link picks up the Zora Mask and transforms into a Zora, he instantly gains the ability to speed through the water like an over-caffeineated dolphin. He uses detachable arm fins to unleash a devastating double boomerang attack, and is able to stay underwater for as long as he'd like. Most impressive is Zora Link's musical instrument: a radical fishbone guitar which he plays in a hip Zoran band called the Indigo-Go's.

Obviously, many of the puzzles in Majora's Mask require Link to use the primary transformation masks listed above. There are over 20 additional masks, though, which can help him other ways. Some masks allow Link to talk with specific characters, while others give Link special powers like the ability to run more quickly. At times, the possibilities seem endless.

Source:

www.nintendo.com - Nintendo 64

Solve the Mystery of Majora's Mask and Stop the Moon from Crashing into Termina.

Thrown into a parallel world by the mischievous actions of a possessed Skull Kid, Link finds a land in grave danger. The dark power of a relic called Majora's Mask has wreaked havoc on the citizens of Termina, but their most urgent problem is a suicidal moon crashing toward the world. Link has only 72 hours to find a way to stop its descent.

Source:

www.zelda.com

A time of danger

Many hazards await, as the moon begins its plunge to earth. In only three days all this must be overcome to avert the catastrophe...

• Sequel to the smash hit "Ocarina of Time"!
• Behold the huge world in graphical perfection!
• New innovative gameplay: Take time in your hands!

Eine Zeit voller Gefahren

Ein trüber Ozean, verwünschte Wüsten, und ein Mond, der vom Himmel stürzt. In nur drei Tagen muss all dies abgewendet werden...

• Die Fortsetzung des Superhits "Ocarina of Time"!
• Riesige Spielewelten in grafischer Perfektion!
• Innovativer Spielverlauf: Nimm die Zeit in deine Hand!

Une période de troubles

L'océan s'assomvrit, les déserts sont infestés de spectres et la lune tombe du ciel. Vous n'avez que trois jours pour arrêter l'apocalypse...

• La suite du hit "Ocarina of Time"!
• des mondes gigantesques aux graphismes parfaits!
• Un mode de jeu innovant: l'aventure contre la montre!

Een tijd van gevaar

De oceaan wordt troebel, geesten bevolken de woestijnen en de maan stort neer. In slechts drie dagen moet het tij gekeerd worden...

• Opvolger van de superhit "Ocarina of Time"!
• Enorme werelden in grafische perfectie!
• Innovatief concept: alles draait om tijd!

Un peligro inminente

El océano se oscurece, los fantasmas invaden el desierto y la luna cae sobre la tierra... ¡Sólo tienes tres días para evitar la tragedia!

• ¡La continuación del gran éxito "Ocarina of Time"!
• ¡Perfección gráfica a lo largo de mundos inmensos!
• ¡Un concepto de juego innovador: controla tú el tiempo!

Tempo di pericoli

L'oceano è torvo, i deserti sono infestati dai fantasmi e la luna precipita dal cielo... Solo tre giorni per evitare la catastrofe!

• Il seguito del celebre "Ocarina of Time"!
• Mondi giganteschi dalla grafica eccellente!
• Innovativo: prendi il controllo del Tempo!

FOR THIS GAME PAK TO OPERATE, YOU MUST HAVE AN N64 EXPANSION PAK’ (SOLD SEPARATELY) INSTALLED IN YOUR N64.

Source:

Back of N64 Box (EN/German/French/Dutch/Spanish/Italian)

If Ocarina of Time is an epic, then Majora's Mask can only be described as an epic epic. This time Link, the Hyrulian Hero, struggles against time to unravel the unsettling mystery of Majora's Mask.

This mind-bending follow-up to Ocarina of Time sparkles with an artistic flair and presents a premise that shatters the foundation upon which most games are built. Perpetually reliving the same three days and three nights, Link is able to explore his world and relate to other characters like never before. Plot is often an afterthought in video games, but it is the driving force in Majora's Mask. The storyline meanders through the game like a living creature, poking around here and there to reveal greater insight into the land of Termina.

Link is a well-armed detective in this mysterious adventure, gaining greater insight into the lives of established characters and meeting fresh faces as well. At first glance Majora's Mask appears to be uncharacteristically dark and brooding, but in fact it is usually the fear of the unknown which creates this uneasy mood. As Link gains knowledge, the world becomes less intimidating.

The mystery begins a mere three months after Link's triumph over Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time. Now downtrodden, Link guides Epona through a sombre fog in search of his faithful fairy friend Navi. To Epona's surprise, two mischievous fairies materialise out of the mist and send Link's steed into a panicked retreat. These two fairies turn out to be siblings, appropriately named Tatl and Tael. As Link falls to the ground and loses consciousness, a disguised Skull Kid emerges from the fog. Both merry and macabre, the masked marauder steals Link's Ocarina and immediately mounts Epona. Link gives chase of course, completely unaware that he is pursuing not a mere Skull Kid, but one possessed by the mystical power of Majora's Mask. At the conclusion of their flight, Link unwittingly follows the Skull Kid through a powerful portal, which leads to a parallel universe.

This new land is called Termina, and although it contains many of the same features and inhabitants as Hyrule, it is a unique world which is only familiar to Link in an unsettling sort of way. It doesn't take Link long to learn that he has arrived in Termina at the most inopportune of times. Not only is there a Skull Kid on the loose driven by the dark power of Majora's Mask, but the very moon itself will plunge through the atmosphere and devastate the land in a mere three days. Link knows that this is no mere coincidence. Before dawn on the fourth day, Link must somehow solve the mystery of Majora's Mask and save Termina from the lunatic mission of its own moon.

Masks play a vital role in Link's Terminian adventure. Early in his quest, Link encounters a travelling salesman from the Happy Mask Shop. It's not immediately clear whether this shady character is aligned with the forces of good or evil, but he claims to be the rightful owner of Majora's Mask. It is this travelling salesman who places a three-day time limit on Link's exploits, coincidentally coinciding with the inflexible schedule of the falling moon. The nomadic representative of the Happy Mask Shop gives Link his first mask, the Deku Mask. While wearing this mask, Link is able to do business with Deku Scrubs who would normally ignore him in human form.

When Link wears the Goron Mask, he inhabits the body of a fallen Goron named Darmani. Goron Link is one of the most unusual Gorons you'll ever see. While disguised as the rock-munching Darmani, Link is equipped with a powerful punch and the ability to roll up into a speeding spiked wheel. When Link picks up the Zora Mask and transforms into a Zora, he instantly gains the ability to speed through the water like a dolphin. Obviously, many of the puzzles in Majora's Mask require Link to use the primary transformation masks listed above. There are over 20 additional masks, though, which can help him other ways. Some masks allow Link to talk with specific characters, while others give Link special powers like the ability to run more quickly. At times, the possibilities seem endless.

Source:

www.nintendo-europe.com – Nintendo 64 (UK)

It's a race to stop the moon and save the world!

Upon landing in the mystical world of Termina, Link must embark on an urgent quest to solve the mystery of the moon, save the world from destruction, and find his way back to the peaceful land of Hyrule in just three days! Use the Ocarina's power to manipulate time, and plan your schedule as you solve mind-boggling puzzles and dungeons!

Source:

www.nintendo.com - Wii U (US)