Majora’s curse strikes again...

Majora’s curse…The most irritating string of video game problems I have ever had have surrounded The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask. Therefore, I have given a name to this phenomenon. Majora’s curse. It chill’s my blood. I have spent the last 4 years trying to beat this game, but have always been prevented. Yes, prevented. By…the curse. Allow me to tell the chilling tale. In 2004 I was an avid young gamer who believed himself a prodigy, that no game could best him. I spat at those who called themselves “gamers” yet used cheats and walkthroughs. I have of course changed my view since, but that’s not the subject of this post. I took on every new game as a challenge of my skill, and took on the Zelda games with a special relish that came from knowing that I was playing some of the greatest games ever made. As one website put it, “Every game has a story. Only one game has a legend.” I knew I was joining a great host of other gamers who had loved these games. So I played through The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time with great pleasure. But then I moved to Estonia and I was much more concerned with playing Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic on my X-Box, so Majora got forgotten, and though I had started it I never finished. I never got past the second dungeon.

Then in 2005 I had played a lot of X-Box, and felt nostalgic so I dusted off my N64 and decided to beat Majora’s Mask. The only game I owned that I had never beaten. But of course I had to beat Ocarina of Time again first. Had to play the games in order. So again I enjoyed playing Ocarina of Time. And when I finished I’d had such a good time I was ready to consume Majora’s Mask. Ready to take on the one challenge I’d left unfinished. I played through the first two dungeons, first Woodfall, then Snowhead. Then I started on the third dungeon, Great Bay. But before I had entered the dungeon I took an ill fated trip to Tallinn. When we came back we found that our house had been robbed. As soon as I realized the house had been broken into I ran downstairs where the video games where, pulling my pocket knife out of my pocket as I went and flipping out the blade. But without even going in the room I could see the truth. From the doorway I saw the drawers where I kept my games hanging open, empty. I smashed my fist against the floor, screaming my anger at the world. Now of course anyone who has ever felt real pain knows this was nothing to be half so upset about as I was. No one was hurt. Nothing was taken that couldn’t be replaced or done without. But I was angry. But as time went by I stopped visiting the pawnshops where I hoped to find my things. I accepted that I would never see my things again.

By 2006 I had managed to replace everything that I wanted, and was quite content with some of my new X-Box games. And by now gaming had truly become a much more social event for me. I would play X-Box with my friends. And I was happy. It wasn’t for a while that I remembered Majora’s Mask, replaced so that it could be defeated. So I started to play. No playing Ocarina of Time first this time. I’d started to catch on. Majora’s Mask didn’t want to be defeated. It wouldn’t let me. So I had to strike fast. And I did. I quickly beat the first two dungeons. Then had to go on a trip to Finland…We were robbed again. I know who did it. Once again I was filled with a burning anger. But I gave up my anger more quickly this time. I had nothing I could do. And it was stupid teenagers this time, because the first robbery made me paranoid I had many hiding places, and they got away with very little. They wouldn’t even have gotten my N64 and Majora’s Mask if it wasn’t for the fact that I had neglected to put them away first. But they did get them both. Paranoia pays off, but it didn’t save everything. So for over a year I didn’t have an N64. When I was in America en-route to Canada and back I tried to replace it, but couldn’t find anywhere to buy it. No one sold N64s anymore. But I never gave up.

On this last trip to America I made a great sacrifice. I sold my X-Box. I ended up making zero money off it, but it was worth getting rid of something so time consuming. And what money I did get from it I put to immediate good use. I couldn’t stand not to own a console game system. So in New York I finally hunted down a store where I could buy an N64. I sacrificed my X-Box to resurrect my N64. And on that day the most expensive thing I bought, more expensive than the N64 itself, almost a quarter of the money I spent was buying…Majora’s Mask. I couldn’t let this game stand undefeated. 2008 rolled around, I turned 18. I was too busy playing Perfect Dark, I never got around to playing Majora’s mask…until now. For the last few weeks I’ve been using my spare time to defeat my rival. But I was struck by the course. I beat the first dungeon, Woodfall, easily. Then I went up to Snowhead, and a few nights ago spent an hour going through the dungeon. I was just about to battle the boss and finish the dungeon when…my game froze. That had never happened before. So, frustrated, I turned off the game and went to bed. Then, tonight, I picked up where I left off before my game froze. As my sister cheered me on I finished the dungeon in a dazzling and stylish manner. I’m always a show off when others watch. Then, as I prepared to save this great accomplishment…the joystick on my controller snapped. That had definitely never happen before. When I was in America my only option for buying new controllers was to buy some crappy, “Yobo gameware” imitation N64 controllers, that worked just fine, but just weren’t made by Nintendo. And because they weren’t Nintendo it seems they didn’t have Nintendo quality. My controller broke. So now I sit here, waiting for the super glue to dry, praying that the glue will hold for the seconds it will take me to save.

Majora’s curse…what is it about this game? Almost none of my games have ever given me any problems like this. In fact none of them have avoided me so consistently. How could they? Two thefts, two breakages…4 years. I will beat this game. I don’t know what it is. Why is it that so consistently in this one part of the game the world seems to interfere? Is there something that I shouldn’t see? Is there something in this game, something in this next dungeon...something…I don’t know. What could it be? Now, of course I don’t believe in this type of a curse. Or any curse really. And I won’t say it’s bad luck either. But it’s a huge and irritating set of coincidences. That is, things that coincide in a strange way. But I will beat this game. I will stand victorious over this, my greatest challenge.

I’m sorry if I freaked you out with my nerd talk. If you liked my nerd talk, here’s some more. Littlekuriboh made a new video. You know what I mean. And there’s a super special awesome Zelda reference in this one too! And also, I just tried out the super glued controller and though I wouldn’t trust it for much real play, at least I was able to save. But because I had to save in a rush like that I lost 200 rupees! Dang it! Anyway, once again I have triumphed over Majora’s Curse! And I shall continue to triumph until I realize that playing children’s games is not worth so much of my time! Wait a minute, what did I just say? That could never happen could it? Could it? Anyway, I must be off now. I hope no one steals or breaks my N64. Because that does seem to be the pattern. So now goodnight, sleep tight, and pray the deku scrubs don’t bite!