#mm3d

[the-carnival-of-time]

[link-is-a-dork]

[roaxes]

WELCOME TO LINKAMANIA BROTHER!

[a-bit-too-much-of-a-zelda-fan]

Majora's Mask 3D: Restored

TL;DR: Majora's Mask 3D made a weird bunch of changes that make it the inferior gameplay experience compared to the N64 version. But now there's Project Restoration, which fixes all of that and more. Try it out! Full story below.

A good while ago, I found Nerrel's video review of MM3D, which asks the question, "Was Majora's Mask 3D a Bad Remake?" In his opinion, yes. The remake fucked up Deku Link's movement and Zora Link's swimming, butchered the boss fights and ice arrows, disabled saving with the Song of Time, weakened the Inverted Song of Time to slowing time to 50% instead of 30% (he forgot to mention this one but it's true), and failed to implement obvious quality of life updates, all the while adding light and color in places that take away from the game's dark atmosphere.

His halfway solution was to make an HD texture pack for the N64 version, which is very, very impressive. He redrew pretty much every texture by hand, but unfortunately couldn't update the models without the game crashing. And at the time of his video, there was already a mod of the game that made a few of those QoL updates. Nerrel admitted that the texture and model work in MM3D is great, and that a mod that fixes all the regressions it made might make it the definitive way to play the game.

At the time, no such mod existed. So I went through the trouble of installing and setting up his texture pack, Majora's Mask HD, on my computer. I played up to the Snowhead Temple before losing steam and getting wrapped up in something else. I was impressed by his hard work, but at the same time, the 20 fps, inconvenience of emulating, lack of motion controls, and awkward juxtaposition of HD textures with N64-quality models made it not quite satisfying to play.

A couple days ago, I finished my most recent playthrough of Ocarina of Time 3D. I was faced with a tough choice. MMHD, or MM3D? That's when I discovered Project Restoration, a fan project to fix the regressions MM3D made while adding QoL features. Link's movement? Fixed. Bosses? Fixed. Songs of Time? Fixed. Transformation masks mapped to the D-Pad? Yes. New button combos with ZL and ZR? Hell yeah. Subsequent cutscenes of playing the Song of Soaring and Elegy of Emptiness? Disabled. Owl statues still saving if you want? You betcha. A whole bunch of other QoL featuers? Oh yeah. I already homebrewed my 3DS, so I downloaded it.

Holy hell, this is great. The lighting and colorfulness is so easy to forgive when you have the best of both worlds. I'm having such a good time right now. And with the way patching games works with Luma, my MM3D cartridge is perfectly safe. If I put it in my other 3DS, the patch isn't there. So yeah, it's been a blast. Playing the way they intended in 2000 with better graphics, controls, and performance. What a time. This is certainly the best way to play Majora's Mask.

[thisbassslaps]

My Favorite Video Games

Here are five of my favorite video games that have been influential forms of entertainment and deserve some commemorative attention.

5. Tony Hawk's Underground - (2003)

Developed by Neversoft

I was a huge fan of the Tony Hawk's series. I picked up every game from THPS1 (1999) to Proving Ground (2007), before they began to use motion control. The gameplay is a lot of fun.... Hitting left-down->bb for a Gamecube 360 flip is very satisfying. I really enjoyed THUG 1 because it was the first game in the series to have a fully developed story. I was a New Jersey skater, looking to make it into skate industry and rip around the world. I remember the dialogue and story very well, and I constantly replayed it on higher difficulties, adding different pros to my "skate video". This is the only Tony Hawk game where I completed all of the gap locations. I also enjoyed re-creating Boarderline Skatepark in the Create-A-Park editor. It was cool to virtually skate my local park. I am disappointed that I deleted the park file from my memory card...

4. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D - (2015)

Developed by Grezzo

The Nintendo 3DS is my favorite console, specifically the New Nintendo 3DS XL. It is comfortable, sleek and has an enjoyable catalog of modern and old games. A Link Between Worlds was my introduction to the Zelda franchise. I eventually got around to Majora's Mask 3D and I instantly fell in love with the art style. The purples and pinks looked great and the level design was stellar. I loved playing MM3D during the Halloween season. For me, it fit the crisp Fall mood in a meaningful way. It's somber, lonely, spooky, uneasy (those creepy mask transfigurations...). I enjoyed running into the scarecrow at the Astral Observatory, as well as exploring the Ikana Graveyard at dusk. In typical Zelda fashion, the music by Koji Kondo is great (I love the Goron Village theme). As a side note, I had a wonderful time playing through Ocarina of Time 3D. That game is fantastic and very memorable... but I think that I enjoy MM a little more because of the spooky aesthetic, the main plot and the finely-tuned side missions.

3. EarthBound - (1994)

Developed by Ape Inc. and HAL Laboratory

Earthbound is another game that I logged a hearty amount of hours into. I was gaining interest in a few classics from the Nintendo eShop (Pokémon Yellow, A Link to the Past, Donkey Kong Country 2, Castlevania 3). Earthbound's cult status and quirky suburban setting greatly captured my attention. During a summer after college, I would enjoy the early mornings with a fresh cup of black coffee and Earthbound. The glitchy, psychedelic, 16-bit battle sequences paired nicely with the caffeine buzz...the catchy musical themes and the computer chip-like sound effects were just as addicting as the La Colombe coffee! I loved the dialogue, story, characters, levels....everything about this game was incredibly charming, witty, challenging and fun. The grinding in this game was enjoyable and the rolling hitpoints mechanic built up a lot of suspense during the more difficult battles. In homage to my favorite TV show, I changed the characters' names to familiar Twin Peaks names (Coop, Laura, Jcoby, Hawk). I was happy to have all of my characters above level 90 and to obtain the 1/128 Sword of Kings for Hawk/Poo. My favorite ending in a video game comes from Earthbound. The final chain of events are psychologically demanding and truly unforgettable.

2. Deadly Premonition: The Director's Cut - (2013)

Developed by ToyBox Inc.

I really, really love this game. Deadly Premonition is about as close as I can get to playing a Twin Peaks video game. The Lynchian mood was noticeable throughout my entire playthrough and the clunky gameplay/poorly rendered graphics/subpar sound mixing makes me love the game even more. In the game, you play as Agent Francis York Morgan, who is attempting to solve the murder of Anna Graham in Greenvale, Washington. Deadly Premonition is a bizarre murder mystery, filled with highly developed townsfolk, quirky city police officers, a breathtaking Pacific Northwest setting, terrifying ghouls and the infamous Raincoat Killer. There were a number of instances where the Twin Peaks influence was delightfully apparent. Some examples include the design of the Greenvale Sheriff's Department, A & G Diner, The Pot Lady, the picture of Velvet Falls in York's hotel room. I enjoyed coming across these easter eggs and loved exploring all areas and aspects of the game. I genuinely enjoyed spending time at the hotel, conversing with Polly (the owner of the Great Deer Yard Hotel) and having a cup of coffee (with milk, no sugar). The deeply thoughtful plot, the memorable soundtrack (that "Whistle Theme" and those screeching saxophones..ahh!!) and the open world exploration provided the perfect atmosphere for me to become captivated by the game. Unfortunately, I did not do all of the side missions, as I opted for the endgame cutscene. Maybe one day I will hook up my PS3 and attempt to complete all of the content that I missed (isn't that right, Zach?).

1. Donkey Kong 64 - (1999)

Developed by Rare

On Christmas of 1999, I received a Nintendo 64 and Donkey Kong 64. The N64 was my first home video game console and I was ecstatic. I hooked it up to my older sister's television, popped in the brand new, yellow cartridge and was immediately in awe of what I was seeing. The D.K. Rap was (and still is) amazing and the title screen had me more than ready to play. I specifically remember being enchanted by the sweeping cinematic for the Jungle Japes level. The game blew my mind. I played it nearly every summer from 3rd grade up until 12th grade and explored every single nook and cranny. I collected and completed everything for a 101% game completion status! Grant Kirkhope's soundtrack is truly the best, the sound effects are extremely nostalgic, the characters' personalities are super expressive, the 3D level design is engrossing and the comedic tone of the game had me entertained for hours and hours. I loved this game so much. As a teenager, I wrote my own version of a DK Rap, which included five different dogs that were a part of my close family. What makes this game so special to me is the fact that I had a few friends and family members who also loved the game. Having a camaraderie that surrounded the game made it more enjoyable for me to beat a boss, complete challenging mini-games, watch cutscenes and stumble upon something hilarious. Donkey Kong 64 is an absolute gem and it will always be favorite.

[littlestarfi]

Finally started messing around with animatics

original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tofy8QGy8H8&t=1076s

[majoraz]

My, you sure have managed to make quite a number of people happy. The masks you have are filled with happiness. This is truly a good happiness.

[midnaslamnent]