Gaming Majora's Mask: Annoying game design?

ipumuk

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So after I failed to complete the temple of swamps for a second time within the 3 days time limit I am tired of trying it again. The game forces me to replay the same rooms of the dungeon for a third time. I really do not enjoy that. And the prospect that I have to replay future dungeons over and over again to finish them really makes me want to quit the game.

I mean I am used to be stuck at a puzzle for hours but usually there is no penalty for being slow. You just take the time you need and proceed at your own pace.

Don't you find that annoying too? Or do you enjoy that part of the game design?
 

sarkwalvein

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So after I failed to complete the temple of swamps for a second time within the 3 days time limit I am tired of trying it again. The game forces me to replay the same rooms of the dungeon for a third time. I really do not enjoy that. And the prospect that I have to replay future dungeons over and over again to finish them really makes me want to quit the game.

I mean I am used to be stuck at a puzzle for hours but usually there is no penalty for being slow. You just take the time you need and proceed at your own pace.

Don't you find that annoying too? Or do you enjoy that part of the game design?

I know many people that hated this aspect of the game in the N64 era, but I personally didn't play the game until now on the 3DS.
Now that I have played the game on the 3DS I am sure I also don't like this 3 days hurry up your ass feature.
The game has reportedly been made easier in the 3DS release they say, but I still find this mechanic frustrating... or boring perhaps.
 
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Anfroid

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Play the song of time in reverse to slow down time. Im pretty sure you have to do that in the snowhead temple to actually beat it.

*Double Ninja'd*
 

thegreatentropy

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Also, you can play until you get the bow, then go to the snowfield area, progress there until you get the fire arrows, then go back to the swamp, as using the fire arrows make the puzzles a little easier.
 

Arras

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Really though the Song of Half Time should be more than enough to get you through the dungeon. I left for the swamp and did everything up to finishing the dungeon (deku quest thingy, the boat trip and everything, even spent a while in the spider house) in one cycle that way. IIRC I ended not even that far into the third day.
 

ShadowOne333

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Just play the inverted Song of Time.
That should give you more than enough time to do anything in the Swamp.

If you STILL don't have enough time to complete it...
Then it is your fault, not Nintendo's.
 
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Arecaidian Fox

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Having played the original, I would say that the 3DS version is certainly...Well, I don't want to say "easier", but it's certainly less of a headache than it used to be. As for the bit with the dungeons and having to replay them if you run out of time, that's part of what made MM so intense, and forced you to really think about what the hell you were doing and how to manage your time (and memorize the Inverted Song of Time, lol). Yes, it's frustrating to have to start a dungeon over, but I'd personally rather have a Zelda game that makes me think about what I'm doing versus being able to just steamroll through while only half paying attention.
 

Sheimi

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Seriously, if you are struggling with the first dungeon, you might as well just give up or give the game away. XD
You will get owned without mercy at Great Bay and Stone Temple with time-consuming puzzles.
Great Bay isn't that hard for first time users. Just follow something in the temple. (A vague response for first time players). Stone Tower has to be my favorite for puzzles.
 

ShadowOne333

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Great Bay isn't that hard for first time users. Just follow something in the temple. (A vague response for first time players). Stone Tower has to be my favorite for puzzles.

I agree, I never had such a hard time with both last temples, I was able to complete them just fine on my first playthrough without the Inverted Song of Time, I just can't seem to understand what's so bothering about those for some people.
 

sarkwalvein

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I agree, I never had such a hard time with both last temples, I was able to complete them just fine on my first playthrough without the Inverted Song of Time, I just can't seem to understand what's so bothering about those for some people.

I don't think it is a problem of it being difficult to pull off, but more of a problem of it not being fun instead.
I would like to wander away on my own, adventure through the lands and enjoy the landscapes without the moon ruining my relaxing adventuring.
What I mean is I play Zelda in kind of two modes:
  1. A free wandering, relaxing, exploration mode.
  2. A serious, solve puzzles and move forward, kill the enemy mode.
If you just want to move forward, beat the game, or try your skills, you can do that with MM.
But if you just want to relax and enjoy the environment (classic zelda, it is about exploration and adventure isn't it?) it seems you can't do that in this game. And I miss that.
 
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nastys

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  1. Learn how to enter the temple
  2. Go back to the first day
  3. Play the inverse Song of Time
  4. Play the Song of Soaring and go to the temple
  5. Go to the Boss room
  6. If you're out of time, just get on the platform that looks like the Majora's Mask at the start of the temple to go straight to the Boss room
 

sarkwalvein

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sounds like a whiny noob. need advice? ask for it

  1. Learn how to enter the temple
  2. Go back to the first day
  3. Play the inverse song of time
  4. Enter the boss room
  5. If you're out of time, just get on the platform that looks like the Majora's Mask at the start of the temple to go straight to the boss room
Perhaps that would help the OP with the swamp temple, but I think you are missing the point.
The question raised about the game design is not about it making the game not possible to beat (or even easy to beat), but about those mechanics taking the fun away from the game.
 

Bimmel

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So after I failed to complete the temple of swamps for a second time within the 3 days time limit I am tired of trying it again. The game forces me to replay the same rooms of the dungeon for a third time. I really do not enjoy that. And the prospect that I have to replay future dungeons over and over again to finish them really makes me want to quit the game.

I mean I am used to be stuck at a puzzle for hours but usually there is no penalty for being slow. You just take the time you need and proceed at your own pace.

Don't you find that annoying too? Or do you enjoy that part of the game design?
No need to make it that complicated - there is an even easier way.

1. Play the song of inverted time as soon as you start
2. Go the temple as usual, but save at the owl statue

Everytime you fail - just load that save. You can even make the things in the temple you know for sure and save again on the statue.

And as someone already mentioned, the swamp temple is by far the easiest temple in the game. Should be no reason to give up though. Its really worth it.
 

yusuo

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I really dislike majora's mask, one of the worst games in the series personally, but even I managed to complete it on the N64 multiple times and even again recently on an emulator. If you can't even do the first temple then you sir, have no hope
 

tbb043

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I agree about the timed aspect sometimes being annoying (probably why I never bothered to finish the game on N64), but you really shouldn't have a problem getting through the first dungeon without running out of time, so long as you start it early in a three day cycle, and use the inverted song of time, anyway.
 

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