Summary
Majora’s Maskwas completed by a small team inside Nintendo that was led by Eiji Aounuma, beginning development in January 1999 and serving as a direct sequel toOcarina of Time. We’re taking a look at all nine dungeons, seeing just how all of them challenge the player in unique ways.
Some of them focus heavily on puzzles, like the Stone Tower Temple, while the spider houses and the Well will task the player with a collection quest. Whetherit’s a puzzle-heavydungeon or one that makes hearty use of the mask system, it’s a game that seeks new ways to challenge the player.
10Beneath The Well
A Creepy Labyrinth That Contains The Mirror Shield
The Well is located in Ikana Canyon, next to the Spirit House. In order to fully explore the Well, players must acquire the Gibdo Mask, given to them after they lift the curse from the Ikana River. The Gibdo that resides inside the well has many requests for Link.
After collecting items like Deku Nuts, magic beans, and even a Big Poe, the player will be able to clear the maze and find the Mirror Shield. It’s a short excursion, but one that has some creepy atmosphere and one of the coolest items in the game with the Mirror Shield.
9Swamp Spider House
Defeat 30 Gold Skultullas To Remove A Curse
Though it takes some time to get all one needs to fully complete it, the Swamp Spider House is a great little adventure. After gaining entry by burning down the spider web with some fire, the player will meet a man who was cursed into a Skultulla due to his greed.
By defeating 30 Gold Skultullas and lifting the curse, the man will be freed and give Link the Mask of Truth, which will allow the player to talk to the Gossip Stones.The creepy undertonesof the Spider Swamp House are perfectly in line with the sinister vibe of Majora’s Mask.
8Oceanside Spider House
An Abandoned House With 30 Gold Skultullas
This abandoned house located on the Great Bay Coast is filled with 30 Skultullas and a dark curse, one that can be lifted by defeating all the arachnids. Requiring the Hookshot to reach the deepest parts, the Oceanside Spider House is filled with a creepy atmosphere.
Speaking to numerous Stalchildren, the player will be able to discover that they were under orders to find the secrets surrounding the house and a man who wants to protect himself from the imminent crash of the moon. It’s a curious place where mysteriouspictures of Skull Kid also reside, an altogether bizarre dungeon.
7Inside The Moon
The Final Battle With The Titular Majora’s Mask
The inside of the Moon is the location for Link’s final battle with the eponymous Majora’s Mask. After freeing the Four Giants, Link and his fairy companion Tatl will be able to see the worst of both the Moon and Majora’s Mask. Discardingthe Skull Kid as a pawn, Majora’s Mask takes on multiple phases, each one more horrific than the last.
It makes good on the mask system where all the major transformations come into play. Link can find and talk to multiple Moon Children, each of whom wears the familiar faces of slain bosses that will take him to an approximation of the corresponding dungeon. This part is optional but well worth doing for the challenge.
6Pirates' Fortress
A Trek Through A Pirate Fortress Maze
Accessible only with the Zora Mask, players must swim underwater in order to reach the inner workings of the Pirate Fortress. Once inside, the player can use the Stone Mask in order to avoid detection by the Gerudo Pirates. However, this won’t work in certain areas of the dungeon.
The Fortress also contains the Hookshot, a classicZeldaitem that becomes crucial to reaching new areas. By collecting Zora eggs that the pirates have stolen, Link can have them hatched at the Marine Research Lab in order to learn the New Wave Bossa Nova song.
5Woodfall Temple
Link’s First Test That Makes Heavy Use Of The Deku Mask
Making heavy use of the Deku Mask, the Woodfall Temple is found in the Southern Swamp. This eerie swamp bog is dripping with atmosphere, which extends into the temple itself. Enemies are sparse, as it’s built mostly on traversal and puzzle solving.
Once the player acquires the Hero’s Bow by defeating a somewhat tough mini-boss in the form of a Dinolfos, they’ll encounterthe boss of the temple. Odolwa is a lumbering swordsman who is slightly less challenging, but still fun to slice down.
4Ancient Castle Of Ikana
This castle is located in Ikana Canyon, where there are two possible entrances. Either by the Mirror Shield, which is obtained at the Bottom of the Well, or by entering a small alcove in the courtyard. Once inside, the player must solve a series of light-based puzzles with the use of the Mirror Shield.
Deeper inside the castle, players will encountera cursed Stalfos kingnamed Igos du Ikana who once ruled Ikana and sends his lackeys, a Wizzrobe, and a pair of Stalfos, into battle against the player. Thisfrightening boss, once defeated, teaches the player the tune known as the Elegy of Emptiness.
An Arctic Temple Protected By A Sleeping Goron
The Snowhead region ofMajora’s Maskis filled with many places to visit, such as Mountain Village where Link can get Don Gero’s Mask to talk to frogs. By using the Lens of Truth found in the Lone Peak Shrine, Link can spot a pesky Goron that is blocking the entrance to the Snowhead Temple.
By playing the Goron Lullaby, players can put him to sleep. Once inside, Link can use the Goron Mask to break down the barriers on the floors in order to reach the boss. Defeating him will break the curse on Snowhead and free the second of the Four Giants.
2Great Bay Temple
An Underwater Maze That Uses The Zora Mask To Great Effect
This temple sits in one of the most interesting areas ofMajora’s Mask, the aptly named Great Bay Region. In this seaside home of the Zora, thereare numerous things to do. The music feels like a move right out ofPokemon Red’sLavender Town, where a strange soundtrack sets an alarming tone for a seemingly innocent place.
Getting into the temple is fairly simple, playing a tune on the ocarina that will summon a giant turtle to help them reach it. Inside, Link makes great use of the Zora Mask to change the flow of a water system in order to reach the boss—a huge fish named Gyorg.
1Stone Tower Temple
A Challenging Gauntlet That Uses All Transformations
The final main dungeon of the game before Link enters the Moon to fight Majora’s Mask, Stone Tower Temple is one of the most challenging and difficult dungeons in the entire series. It uses all of Link’s transformation masks to great effect, with the Goron, Zora and Deku Mask all playing prominent roles.
It takes all of what the player has learned with Link through the entire adventure and puts it to the test, leading to a boss battle against a huge desert worm known as Twinmold. Conquering Stone Tower Temple means freeing the last of the Four Giants, but it also means braving one of the toughest challengesMajora’s Maskhas on offer.
