My review after playing for the first time
As the title states, I just finished playing for the first time. I got a Switch 2 back in February with the intention of playing a lot of games I never had before. A lot of those were every Zelda game. The first Zelda game I played was Skyward Sword HD (a friend's recommendation), and then Ocarina of Time (I will link my OoT review at the bottom). I wasn't going to write a Reddit review, but I thought, "Might as well," since I did it for OoT. I'll try my best not to compare OoT and MM the entire time and instead review MM independently as much as I can.
Going into the game, I knew nothing about Majora's Mask except that there's a 3-day cycle and anything I could learn from the Great Bay stage in Smash Bros. (the moon exists and is crashing into the world, and there's a turtle). I also knew that Gyorg was supposed to give me a rough time.
One of my absolute biggest gripes with OoT was Navi annoying the hell out of me. All the "Hey!", "Listen!", and "Watch out!" was so constant that I couldn't stand it (sorry). I immediately noticed in MM that Tatl's dialogue was toned down significantly. To the point where I'm writing this now, and I can't recall if she had much dialogue at all. I also immediately noticed the improvements with the controls. MM felt much better with movement, the camera, and everything else. I know it's partly me being used to modern controls, but OoT did not control well for me, and MM was much improved in that regard. Graphically, I didn't notice too much of a difference. Looking at pictures side by side, I can see there were refined details, but during gameplay I didn't really notice anything that stood out.
Things I liked: The opening of the game/the first 3-day cycle. It successfully established the suspense and stress you'll feel while constantly racing against the clock. I nearly didn't get to the Clock Tower in time because it took me forever to find the boys in the hide-and-seek game. I also got distracted by talking to NPCs and the violent, rabid dog that reminded me of my childhood dog (she wasn't violent or rabid, just a schnauzer). Then I danced with the Scarecrow and burned a lot of time without realizing what I was doing. Despite all that, I was successful in the first cycle, obtained the Ocarina, and was thrown into the world. Immediately, I truly felt like "the master of time," being able to manipulate and control the flow of time, and I enjoyed that feeling because it showed character growth and power progression from OoT. I think the dungeons and puzzles expanded well on what OoT established. I've learned this is a hot take, but the Great Bay Temple was my favorite dungeon in the game. It wasn't confusing and was very clear about how to solve the puzzle. The Zora Mask being my favorite transformation mask probably contributes to Great Bay Temple being my favorite. I heard Gyorg was one of the hardest bosses, but I found that fight to be a lot of fun. The hardest part for me was getting back onto the platform without getting snatched by Gyorg, and I got jump-scared the first few times he rammed his big noggin into the side and knocked me into the water. The same friend recommended that I get Fierce Deity before the final fight. I naturally collected nine masks (not including the transformation masks). I'm not sure how difficult the Majora fight is without Fierce Deity, but it was relatively easy with it. I don't want that to sound like easy = not fun, because I thought the final fight and the four mini-dungeons leading up to Majora were a lot of fun. I thought the dead Zora you save was hilarious because he was unconscious, woke up, shredded the Free Bird guitar solo, then died. And that was it. It made me laugh in the same way King Zora slowly scooting over did in OoT. Just like OoT, the soundtrack was great. There were multiple songs I recognized from other media that I didn't realize were from MM—or Zelda in general.
Things I did not like: The big one: the crying Goron baby. That thing made me mute my Switch so fast, and it took me a little while to figure out how to get him to shut up. I'd also say that section, combined with getting to Snowhead Temple, was where I was stuck the longest. I had discovered the frozen Goron but didn't speak to him in the specific order you're supposed to. The alien invasion mission was frustrating, but that mostly had to do with the controls I was adjusting to. As stated before, they felt much better than OoT, but aiming the bow without Z-targeting was frustrating (not a knock on the game, just me being used to modern controls). On my second attempt, I noticed the dog that barked at the closest alien, so that was helpful for knowing where to prioritize. If I had to complain about one specific thing, it would be fighting Wizzrobe five or six times. It would've been better if the mechanic to defeat him changed each time, but it was essentially the same fight in different arenas. Climbing Stone Tower was tedious for the same reason the Water Temple was in OoT. Constantly pausing and swapping masks, just like swapping the Iron Boots, got annoying. I guess the only real solution would've been adding a fourth equipment slot. The part where I felt the most directionless was getting Beneath the Well started. That was the only part of the main game I Googled for help. Admittedly, I also looked up guides for the masks I was missing so I could earn Fierce Deity, and I honestly don't know how some of you completed all the masks before the internet. Very cool if you're one of those people. I'm mainly referring to the Anju/Kafei quest. I would not have completed that without a guide. The other change I'd make is just a quality-of-life improvement, and Majora's Mask 3D already addressed it: being able to fast-forward to a specific time instead of sitting around waiting for something to happen. Other than that, I don't really have anything major to complain about.
There's not really anything about the game I'd change outside of the few things mentioned above. I enjoyed it from start to finish, and I'd say it lived up to the hype.
I know the question of "Which did you like better?" will come up, but I don't have a definitive answer. I enjoyed the story of OoT more. It's a traditional hero's journey, and that's something I naturally enjoy. I also felt like the stakes in OoT were higher (yes, I know the FREAKING MOON was about to crash into the world). The dungeons in MM were a lot more fun to me, and that's probably because I enjoyed the gimmick of the masks and using each one in different situations.
Narratively, I didn't feel like the story was missing anything. I guess there's a lore explanation I either missed or just don't know for why Zelda isn't featured much in a game with her name on it. I don't know if there's another Zelda game that barely features the title character.
The ending credits were cool because they showed little glimpses of the changes you brought about through the side quests you completed. I'd actually be curious to watch the credits with only the minimum number of side quests completed and masks earned just to see how different they are.
I had a lot of fun with the game. Do I think it's one of the best games ever created? I don't have a personal opinion on that specifically, but I do think it's a really good game.
Overall, I haven't played a lot of video games, but I'm trying to change that now that I have a Switch 2.
If I missed anything, please let me know. I'm also prepared to get yelled at, so feel free.
My OoT review: https://www.reddit.com/r/OcarinaOfTime/s/YSh3Vn62i4