In its 26 year legacy, The Legend of Zelda has had plenty of standout moments. These games have the power to make players overtly happy, shed a tear or two, or in this case, somewhat scared. Its hard to imagine that occasionally Nintendo developers are capable of filling gamers with dread, especially when you consider how many family friendly titles there have ben available on their consoles over the years. However, every so often a game manages to break through and knock down these assumptions, and leaves fans remembering it mainly for the disturbing aspects above all else. Step forward The Legend of Zelda: Majoras Mask. Thrown into a parallel world by the mischievous Skull Kid, Link discovers Termina, a land filled with danger. Not only is a relic containing dark power causing misery for the Terminas residents, but he soon finds out that the moon is plummeting towards the world, threatening to crush its existence permanently. With only 72 hours to stop the moons descent, Links got his work cut out. Twelve years on and people still remember you for your sinister moon, the creepy Happy Mask Salesman, Links constant torment and a host of nasty enemies. So, let us reflect on the parts that made us shudder.
5. The Music
Music has always played an important part in the Zelda series, with not only link collecting and using a variety of instruments (the Ocarina being the most memorable), but the soundtrack successfully reflects each moment of the series. Weve been treated to the epic sounding Hyrule Field, the soothing Zeldas Lullaby and the adventurous Overworld Theme in past titles. Majoras Masks soundtrack conveyed the creepy, nightmarish feel of the game, with tinkling, low sounding pieces. Get closer to the final hours though, the sixth hour in particular, and the music becomes almost uncomfortable to listen to. http://youtu.be/NlP1t8XX_1Q
4. The Happy Mask Salesman
The Happy Mask Salesman might perpetually appear incredibly happy, but disappoint him and you briefly spot that this isnt the case. This guys angry face is, like the moons expression, rather intense. However, his happy one is not much better either. Whilst you can never actually put a finger on the reasons why you feel unease towards him, there is no denying that this Mask Salesman, innocent or not, is incredibly creepy.
See for yourself...
3. Links Transformations
Whilst this might not be completely terrifying, there is no denying that the cut-scenes in which Link puts on each of his collected masks are at least incredibly creepy. When Link puts on a mask, we hear him scream out in pain, followed by a trippy, nightmarish sequence where he transforms into the character on his mask. There are also a lot of masks, so players will get to see this many times throughout the game. Out of all of these cut scenes, the Zora transformation is by far the most unsettling. http://youtu.be/cGQas1eAXII
2. The Music Box House in Ikana Valley.
Perhaps the creepiest village in the Zelda series to date, Ikana Valley appears to be sparse of life, until you reach a solitary Music Box house. Yes, it looks creepy, but of course you feel compelled to explore inside. Not only does the house look seriously sinister from the outside, but the accompanying disturbing music doesnt do much to quell your growing unease. Unlike the rest of the valley, this house, of course, isnt empty. As Link is getting a look at his surroundings, a ravenous half man, half Gibdo creature suddenly bursts out of a sarcophagus without warning, and starts to attack Link. It turns out that hes a cursed father to a cute little girl who thankfully can be healed. However, that initial sighting still remains one of the most unsettling Zelda moments to date. Not only was he a startling sight, but you pity his situation. Zombies have been startling gamers for years now, and the Zelda games are not devoid of them either. Ocarina of Time and Majoras Mask had the Re-Deads, creatures that omit terrible screams when Link gets into close proximity with them. Gibdos are possibly much scarier, especially in this case. http://youtu.be/uDayJJLoe54
1. The Moon and its Impending Apocalypse
This countdown could not pass without a mention to the games main source of threat-the moon. With only three days to save the world, the pressure is being felt already. However, the moons face reminds us of this fact constantly. As he traverses closer to the earth, his face becomes more and more evil. Team those beady red eyes with a huge, toothed snarl and there you have it, a gigantic, mad, terrifying hunk of rock. As the moon gets closer to the earth, the ground begins to shake. Reach the end of day three and the moon is pretty much at ground level, the ground is tremoring like crazy. Reach the end of day three and fail however, and this is where the tension really picks up for many people. The times counting down fast, and all you can do is hopelessly watch as 10 seconds speeds down to 1, and an animation of the moon destroying the world plays. So combine the moons face with the realisation that the end of the world is nigh, and there you have it, the scariest aspect of Majoras Mask has been created. http://youtu.be/73hH8fx4hEg Cripes. So, what do you think? Did we miss any other creepy moments from Majora's Mask? Use the comments section below to share your own experiences of the classic game...