Where Navi was helpful to the point of being annoying in Ocarina, TatlвЂ™s resemblance to her predecessor ends in that theyвЂ™re fairies. The clearest tell of MajoraвЂ™s MaskвЂ™s expectations is Tatl, NaviвЂ™s antithesis. MajoraвЂ™s Mask seldom shows OcarinaвЂ™s generosity or restraint, and itвЂ™s all the better for it. The opening hour is on the easier side so players have a chance to ease into MMвЂ™s oddities, but the gameвЂ™s first major dungeon has more in common with the Spirit Temple than it does the Deku Tree. LinkвЂ™s time in Termina is considerably more difficult than it was in Hyrule, but not randomly so. Beyond reusing OoTвЂ™s assets, the difficulty in MajoraвЂ™s Mask logically builds from where Ocarina of Time left off. ItвЂ™s as significant as it is strange that MajoraвЂ™s Mask is as conscious of its status as a sequel to Ocarina of Time as it ultimately is. Similarly with LinkвЂ™s Awakening, a game that makes use of A Link to the PastвЂ™s imagery for thematic purposes but is otherwise a completely standalone adventure. The Adventure of Link focuses on the aftermath of defeating Ganon, but having played the original isnвЂ™t necessary for enjoying the sequel. In spite of The Legend of ZeldaвЂ™s long history of direct narrative sequels (some semblance of a canonical timeline has existed since Zelda II,) each entry generally stands alone. ItвЂ™s by no means unusual for a sequel to expect some familiarity on the audienceвЂ™s part, but Nintendo games tend to make it a point that anyone can jump in fresh with any entry. Even though the three-day schedule alone makes MajoraвЂ™s Mask wholly unique as a Zelda game, whatвЂ™s perhaps more novel is that it expects you to have played & beaten Ocarina of Time beforehandвЂ“ a fact reflected in the difficulty curve. For Gaiden, this meant embracing difficulty wholesale. Philosophically, both games are rooted in the same want to accomplish what Ocarina couldnвЂ™t. Both titles were in development simultaneously, originally for the Nintendo 64вЂ™s Disk Drive add-on, with Gaiden specifically stemming from Eiji AonumaвЂ™s disinterest in remixing Ocarina of TimeвЂ™s dungeon design for Ura Zelda.

Doubly so as NintendoвЂ™s intent was always to expand on Ocarina of Time through the Nintendo 64DD.Д¬ontrary to popular belief, MajoraвЂ™s Mask did not begin life as Master Quest (then Ura Zelda) but as Zelda Gaiden. The first game of its kind, OcarinaвЂ™s low level of challenge was as necessary as it is reasonable. Kaepora Gaebora guides Link up to ZoraвЂ™s Domain, the first three dungeons have no small keys between them, and the nonlinearity of the Temples keeps the difficulty curve mostly static during OoTвЂ™s back half. The first 3D Zelda takes its time easing players into an entirely new game world for the era. Ocarina of TimeвЂ™s lower difficulty curve is rooted in the storyвЂ™s pacing. Z-Targeting was outright designed to make combat easier, a means of keeping enemies from ganging up on Link. Ocarina of Time was arguably even the easiest Zelda game at the time of its release.

Neither title is a walk in the park, but theyвЂ™re hardly the hardest games in their franchise.

Understandably, NintendoвЂ™s ambition in transitioning the medium from 2D to 3D came with restraint towards difficultyвЂ“ a necessity as games like Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time introduced audiences to 3D game worlds that had depth beyond their three-dimensions. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is not a particularly challenging game, but it also couldnвЂ™t afford to be.

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