There are few series in gaming that command as much respect as The Legend of Zelda. Link has been saving Zelda from the evil Ganon longer than a lot of players have been alive, and with each entry comes a new and exciting way to tell that tale.
Though some would argue that these games are at their best when they deviate from the traditional formula of “hero saves princess.” And there is no game in the long-running franchise that changes up what we think The Legend of Zelda is better than Majora’s Mask.
No one knew what to expect from a direct follow-up to the revered Ocarina of Time, but it would have been impossible to guess just how off the beaten path Nintendo would go. Majora’s Mask is, by far, the strangest entry of the series, as it follows a plot that sees Link trying to save Clock Town from a seriously disturbing looking moon from crashing into it.
But what made it such a special game to many fans were the characters that inhabited the doomed town. For some players, it would be the first time a game forced them to care about NPCs. The citizens of Clock Town all had their own issues and problems that Link could help them solve. Majora’s Mask was ground breaking in the way it made us want to help those around us. And it is this facet that has given the title a large cult following, helping it find popularity that it didn’t when it was first released.
But there are so many other features and so many different things that many players may have been unaware you can do. Here are 25 things Zelda fans didn’t know they could do in the marvelous Majora’s Mask.
25 Getting The Bunny Hood Early
The Bunny Hood gives Link enhanced speed and is, without a doubt, one of the most useful items to find in Majora’s Mask. If you were to follow the game chronologically, the Bunny Hood could be found midway through in Romani Ranch. But you could go there earlier than that.
A boulder is blocking your way in, but it’s gone by the third day.
Going there that late would mean you couldn’t do the main side quest with Romani, but you would still be able to acquire this mask. Getting it early makes the rest of the game much easier.
24 Endless Amounts Of Money From Treasure Chests
Many players may have been turned off by the three-day time period you need to repeat in the game, but it did offer some helpful perks. Playing the Song of Time to start over meant losing your rupees unless you stored them in the town’s bank.
This also meant that every chest with rupees in it would be refilled, making for easy money.
There are several hidden in Clock Town, but two can earn you 400 rupees within minutes. One is behind the Clock Town shooting gallery and one is behind a bombable wall on the way to the Observatory.
23 Approaching The Clock Town Dog In Different Forms
The first living creature you see once you step out of the Clock Town tower to begin your journey is an adorable little dog. Unfortunately, this dog absolutely despises Deku Scrubs and will attack Link in that form.
The dog actually reacts differently to Link depending on which form he is in. As a human, the dog will act normally. As a Zora, it will follow him around. And as a Goron, it will flee in fright. That last one is quite satisfying, seeing as how you can’t hit back as the Deku.
22 Blowing Up The Thief Sakon
Even with an imp trying to crash the moon into the helpless town below, this guy is still the biggest jerk in the entire game. He hides out in Ikana Canyon but visits Clock Town to steal from the locals.
One such local is the helpless old lady from the bomb shop, who gets attacked by Sakon at midnight on the first day. Link can stop him from making off with her bomb bags with an easy slice of the sword. But if you shoot him with an arrow instead, he blows up. I’d say it’s worth it.
21 Blast Mask Invulnerability
If you choose to stop Sakon without blowing him up, the old lady will reward Link with the Blast Mask. This handy item essentially gives Link an endless supply of bombs, but it comes at a terrible price.
You’re basically attaching an explosive to Link’s face, so he’ll take damage every time you use it.
Unless, of course, you put up your shield before detonating it. Then you get a pain-free, infinite explosive experience. I’m not sure how putting up your shield protects Link’s face, but I’m also not one to question miracles.
20 Perform For Money
While traversing the Termina overworld, you may have stumbled upon a wall with musical notes on them. Playing said notes correctly will cause the wall to spit some rupees out at you.
It’s an easy way to make some extra money, but the notes that appear seem to be completely randomized. The notes can be found just outside the entrance to the game’s second major area, Snowhead. The more notes there are, and the more complicated the order, the more rupees you’ll receive.
19 Use The Song Of Healing To Repair Broken Signs
The Song of Healing, which Link learns from the incredibly unnerving Happy Mask Salesman, is the most beneficial song you learn in the game. It leads to Link earning all of his transformative masks and is suitably melancholic to boot.
The somber notes and the way that it pairs with the untimely demise of each character Link uses it for has made it one of the most beloved tracks in Zelda history. But it does have other uses. If you ever accidentally cut a sign in half before reading it, simply play the song and watch as it heals itself.
18 Use The Song Of Healing To Get Fairies From Gossip Stones
One of the recurring helpful features in the Zelda series are gossip stones, rocks with the Sheikah insignia on them that can tell Link secrets about the world. In both Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask, wearing the Mask of Truth is how Link can receive hints. But Majora’s Mask includes another useful feature.
If you play the Song of Healing by a gossip stone, it will give you a healing fairy.
These stones can be found in many sections of the game. So, if you ever find yourself low on health, make sure to visit one.
17 An Endless Supply Of Fairies
Unlike most Zelda games, Majora’s Mask features save points. These come in the form of owl statues courtesy of Kaepora Gaebora. Players can also use them to warp to different locations. But these statues offer an exploitable secret as well.
Near each one, you can usually find some pots to break or grass to cut that will give you some items, one of which is a fairy. All you have to do is grab the fairy, exit the location, and come back to claim another. Repeat to your heart’s content.
16 Use Epona’s Song To Get Free Milk
This tip is actually one that is carried over from Ocarina of Time. If you ever find yourself with an empty bottle near some cows at Romani Ranch or in a hidden location, there’s an easy way to get free milk.
If Link has already been reunited with Epona, just play Epona’s Song to the cows and they’ll gift him with milk.
The milk the cows give you will restore five hearts, which isn’t as much as red potion or a fairy, but each bottle contains two servings.
15 You Can Create Your Own Songs With Different Tunes
There’s no written rule that states you have to play one of the game’s songs when you pull out your instrument. Creating your own songs with your own notes can provide fun little moments in between the doom and gloom of the game’s plot.
But you can also change the tune of each note by holding the directional stick in different directions.
And as each of Link’s four forms uses a different instrument, you can create a variety of songs. Link’s Zora form offers a special treat, as he’ll change his pose along with each tune change.
14 You Can Earn More Money From The Guay Outside Clock Town
Guays are annoying minor bird enemies seen in several Legend of Zelda games. They are easily disposed of, but there’s one in Majora’s Mask that can actually help you out. You can find it outside Clock Town’s Western entrance after waiting a few seconds for it to fly by.
As a Zora, play the New Wave Bossa Nova and the guay will begin to drop rupees.
You can chase after it on Epona or as a Goron, picking up the green and blue rupees it drops. Once it completes a circle around town, it will give you a red one.
13 Cheat At The Lottery
As you can see, Majora’s Mask features a ton of exploitable ways to make lots of money. In Western Clock Town, you can find the Lottery Shop. There is a different set of winning numbers for each day, but they never change.
All you have to do is pick random numbers on each day and come back at night to see the winning ones. Memorize or write down the winning numbers and then play the Song of Time to return to the first day. You’ll now have a guaranteed fifty rupees for each of the three days.
12 Easy Ways To Avoid The Takkuri Bird
At the entrance to Milk Road is one of the most annoying enemies in the game. The giant Takkuri bird will steal items like your shield or bottles and take them to its owner. You would then have to buy those items back at the Curiosity Shop in Western Clock Town.
As annoying as the bird is, it does seem to have some honor. It won’t attack you if you have your back turned, making it easily avoidable. It also won’t attack if you’re wearing the Stone Mask, which makes you invisible to most enemies. Speaking of which…
11 Use The Stone Mask To Easily Get Through The Gerudo Fortress
The Gerudo Fortress can be found in the Great Bay and tasks Link with sneaking stealthily around an army of dangerous pirates. You can shoot them with arrows from afar, but if they see you, you’re thrown out and have to start all over.
The Stone Mask will make this area much easier.
It can be found towards the entrance of Ikana Canyon, the section after Great Bay. But you can reach that area with Epona before ever going to the Gerudo Fortress. The Stone Mask makes Link invisible to the pirates, which makes sneaking around the fortress a cakewalk.
10 You Can Hurt The Gerudos With The Deku’s Bubbles
Stone Mask or not, there’s no way to avoid the Gerudo minibosses found in the fortress. These fights are similar to the ones found in Ocarina of Time and provide fun sword-to-sword fights.
If you’re used to their attack patterns, you can get through these fights easily. But for those looking for an extra challenge, you can fight them as Link’s different forms. The pirates can be hurt by normal attacks from the Goron or Zora forms. But for an extra, EXTRA challenge, you can take them on as a Deku, where they can only be hurt by his bubbles.
9 Having Some Fun With Gibdos And ReDeads
ReDeads and Gibdos (essentially zombies and mummies) are some of the creepiest enemies that can be found in The Legend of Zelda. But Majora’s Mask gave players the opportunity to have some fun with them.
If you shoot a Gibdo with a fire arrow, its bandages will burn away revealing it to be a ReDead. But if you wear the Captain’s Hat, the Gibdo Mask, or the Garo Mask around any ReDeads, they will begin to dance instead of freezing Link in fear and attacking. This gives you the chance to get rid of them easily and quickly.
8 Curing Yourself Of The Blue Bubble’s Curse
Another one of the creepiest enemies found in the Zelda series are Bubbles, which is an uncharacteristically adorable name. These winged skulls can come in different colors, with flight patterns and abilities varying. In Majora’s Mask, Blue Bubbles are found outside and around Ikana Canyon.
If a Blue Bubble touches Link, it won’t hurt. But it will curse him so he can’t pull out his sword to attack.
You could wait for the curse to wear off. Or you could pull out your Ocarina, play the Song of Storms, and cure yourself instantly.
7 Earning Easy Money From Blue Bubbles
Blue Bubbles can be pretty annoying, but they aren’t exactly the toughest enemy. You can dispose of them easily before they touch you. And even if you do get cursed and can’t use your sword, you can always use a different weapon to get rid of them.
If you have obtained the light arrows from the Stone Tower, you may want to go Blue Bubble Hunting. Not only will hitting them with one end them in one hit, but they’ll also leave fifty rupees behind.
6 An Easier Way To Find Mushrooms
The witch in the Southern Swamp will only begin selling blue potions (which refill health and magic) once you bring her a mushroom from the maze-like Lost Woods. And you can only find these mushrooms using the Mask of Scents.
But there’s an easier place to get these mushrooms in Clock Town.
You can find one inside the Clock Town Inn’s toilet (gross) and in the room where Gorman and the other travelling troupe members are staying before the town’s carnival. There’s a pair of underwear on one of the beds, inside which you can find another mushroom (also gross).
