At some point in the future, I really ought to write a great deal more about this duology, but having just completed my revisit I wanted to voice my initial thoughts. Whether or not I prefer certain aspects of Ocarina to this game, whether or not I resonated with one half more than the other, or whatever other gripes and nitpicks I have - as a conclusive, consecutive whole piece, that is both halves of this duology combined, I believe the Nintendo 64 Zelda duology very well may be Nintendo's magnum opus.

The Ocarina pairing carry themselves with a certain sophistication and solemness rarely felt in the company's other titles. What I felt these games have to say about the passing of time, of childhood innocence warped and cast aside, the process of growing up and the relationships, expressions and experiences that carry us through to adulthood... that's the sort of magic that this group of creatives was capable of in this era. The sort of knowing adoration poured into this duology, into Mario 64 and into MOTHER2. It's Nintendo at their absolute peak, and I don't want to get into my displeasure with the company as they stand and have stood for years now here... I simply want to commend them and express my gratitude for this two-headed beast, this totemic work of human expression they took the Nintendo 64 to its limits to produce. I'm not the Nintendo fan I was as a kid... far from it. But during those moments in Ocarina and Majora... yeah. I believe.

Had never finished this game as a kid, as the time mechanic and general "weird" vibes of the game held me back from enjoying it as much as OoT. Wanted to give it the fair shake it deserved and went back to play it while following along with a guide. The guide helped me remove any friction i'd definitely still run into if I organically went through this game. What I got was probably the best story a Zelda game has ever told. A story about loss and friendship. Some awesome dungeons, secrets and great characters make this the memorable masterpiece that sits side by side with Ocarina of TIme as two of the best games ever made.

Un juego fantástico, con un concepto muy original tanto a nivel mecánicas como a nivel estético/narrativo, su ciclo de tres días te obliga a organizar lo que vas a hacer desde un principio, poco a poco te vas acostumbrando al ritmo del juego y te deja conocer una variedad de personajes que si bien no son muchísimos, son muy interesantes. Tiene una estética siniestra y al mismo tiempo busca resaltar lo bueno en cada situación, verdaderamente es un juego único pero al mismo tiempo sus cualidades que para mi lo hacen tan especial pueden abrumar a otros jugadores, propiamente dicho la mecánica de los tres días puede ser agobiante para muchos.

Being the follow up to OOT is a terrible burden, but Majora's Mask is successful in making another memorable game that will never be forgotten. However what also won't be forgotten is the horrible Goron controls, confusing requirements to progress, constant backtracking, and the confusing dungeon layouts. I enjoy this game I really do, but it has major faults in its design that make this less enjoyable than OOT. I played the majority of this replay without a guide, but a few times I was forced to look at one after spending an hour or two on certain sections that baffled me, Fierce Deity Link is goated regardless.
In terms of the atmosphere, unique mechanics, and the overall theme this game shines as a phenomenal experience.

Majora’s Mask is a game I’ve loved for years, but my latest playthrough has made me love it even more.
Everything about Majora’s Mask is important to me because it helped me believe in my firm stance that video games are more than just simple forms of entertainment, but beautiful works of art that can really leave the player thinking about the messages and themes that their stories tell. In Majora’s Mask’s case, making the most of the time you have before the inevitable end.

While Xenoblade 1 may still be my favorite game ever for it’s themes that captivated me more, Majora’s Mask is a game that means so much to me on a personal level, and I can’t thank it enough for that.