Re: Stone Tower of Babel: Why Termina was Doomed
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Originally Posted by Hugh
Hylian Dan, I recently unearthed this quote from you in another topic in the theorising section. It is quite an old topic now, but do you still mean what you posted here? I dont want to be pushy at all, so I didnt send a Private Message, and you may have already added this information to the starting posts of this thread, or perhaps somewhere within this topic. If you have already done so, please point this out to me.
Its just that you said that you 'might be able to effectively prove' the theory. If there is any information that could make this theory more concrete (and it is brilliant already), it would be a joy to see it.
Could you still be working on this 'related Majora's Mask' theory?
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I'll post some PMs I wrote back then about this. I was meaning to clean this up and write a shiny new article tying everything together, but I didn't get around to it, although there's still hope for it. This info doesn't genuinely prove the Stone Tower of Babel theory, but it shows I think a convincing perspective on why Nintendo would have slipped this stuff into the game.
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Originally Posted by Me
I think I've finally solved the story of Majora's Mask. Until now I've been having trouble figuring out how exactly all the stuff about Stone Tower and the blasphmey fits into the rest of the story. I've mentioned how the game is ridiculously cohesive, all tied together by a central theme. But then there's all the stuff about the rebellion against the goddesses, which made logical sense, and seemed to somehow fit in thematically, but I couldn't nail exactly what the connection was. Now I think I've got it.
The conflicts in the game all seem to stem from things like stubbornness, fear, regret, confusion, and uncertainty. Skull Kid felt neglected by his friends and he let that fear consume him, but the Giants always thought of him as a friend. After Kafei vanishes, Anju begins to fear that he left because of her. That fear threatens to consume her, but when she sees the Pendant her faith in Kafei is restored and she abandons her fear and waits for him. Kafei hides himself because he is afraid to return without the mask. Cremia is troubled by Anju's marriage. Guru-Guru is plagued by guilt. The Deku Princess disappears mysteriously, and the Deku King blames the monkey. Gorman feels inferior to his brothers, but they care deeply for him. etc. (By the way, isn't it fitting how the game is presented as a mystery?)
Then there is the fallen kingdom of Ikana. After Link defeats the king's lackeys, they bicker amongst themselves until the king silences them.
"Our castle being ruined and our kingdom left in this state... Isn't it petty, little battles like this that have caused it?
Believing in your friends and embracing that belief by forgiving failure... these feelings have vanished from our hearts."
And so the reason the game contains the backstory about the rejection of the goddesses is to make this simple, overarching statement: Termina is a world without faith.
Because of this, Majora was able to enter Termina. Majora uses fear, confusion, and self-hatred to trap its victim, overwhelming him with these feelings and masking them from others until the victim loses all hope.
Link gains the Fierce Deity Mask after gaining the support of all the people of Termina. Before the power of such friendship, Majora is nothing. Without that power, Majora is possibly the most intimidating and overwhelming foe in the series.
The kids of the moon world all ask piercing questions. These questions are related to the uncertainty that all people face, and they have the potential to be deeply troubling.
And then there is the Happy Mask Salesman, whose faith and reassurance communicate some of the morals of the story.
"Surely you will be fine. Believe in your strengths... believe..."
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This occurred to me after I sent you that last message, and I went and checked it. In Ocarina of Time, when you meet the Happy Mask Salesman, he basically summarizes the concept of Majora's Mask and finishes his speech by saying
"Just have faith..."
That's where Majora's Mask came from! Nintendo started making the game wanting to flesh out concepts from Ocarina of Time, particularly NPC interaction. They decided to heavily incorporate masks into the gameplay. The salesman would therefore be incredibly significant to the new game, so they reviewed his character to decide what to do with him. And there they found a message that they built an entire game around.
Now I can understand why Majora's Mask was able to be so much better than other Zeldas that came before and after it. The game was specifically designed to be a test of faith. That's what it is at its core. When the game begins, the Happy Mask Salesman reassures that you are perfectly suited to face whatever challenges lie ahead, just as long as you believe in your strengths. And then you are thrust into a strange, unfamiliar world that can so easily overwhelm you if you just let it.
I checked a few old MM articles in Nintendo Power to see if this seemed to be the intent of the developers. Apparently Mr. Miyamoto came up with the concept of the story, which was then fleshed out by others. This makes sense, because MM's storytelling isn't focused on plot, it's focused on the emotion and concept of facing a dark, mysterious cave, which is the origin of the Zelda series after all.
Here's part of an interview:
NP: This game seems to be darker and scarier than previous Zelda games. Is that intentional?
Mr. Miyamoto: Our primary goal is to present something that is very mysterious, rather than scary.
NP: Is there anything you weren't able to accomplish in Ocarina of Time that you have included in Majora's Mask?
Mr. Miyamoto: Yes. In fact, that is why we've decided to base the game on three-day intervals. This allows gamers to see characters as they go through their daily routines in more detail. Depending on which time of day you visit a particular character, he or she will be doing different things and that may reveal essential clues to the mystery that is at the heart of the game. To conquer the game and solve the mystery, players must learn all about the many characters and discover new masks.
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Nintendo Power mentioned that Mr. Miyamoto came up with the basic idea for MM's story, which was then fleshed out by others. Recently Mr. Miyamoto has been saying in Twilight Princess-related interviews how he doesn't get into story-writing, but this actually makes sense. Other Zelda stories like TWW and TP are plot based, but MM's story is really an emotion-based scenario rather than a plot. It all comes down to the experience of standing before a dark cave and deciding what to do, which is the origin of the Zelda series. MM is all about the unknown.
The heart of the game that Mr. Miyamoto was referring to is faith. I started a new file so I could see everything in the game from this perspective, and there is absolutely no doubt that faith is indeed the heart of the game. There's continuously been one thing after another that I've noticed takes on a deeper meaning now. The strongest example is Link's transformation from human to Deku Scrub and back again. In the first cutscene, Link is overwhelmed with fear and he runs away in terror as his enemies grow increasingly powerful, finally swallowing him. In the second cutscene, Link stands facing the former object of his fear, and waves to it as it shrinks into nothingness.
Even the gameplay is designed to be a great test of faith, whether it's the task of flying across the chasm as a Deku Scrub in the tutorial or proceeding ahead in the final level when the sky is at your feet. When the game begins, the Happy Mask Salesman reassures you that you are perfectly suited to face whatever challenges lie ahead, just as long as you believe in your strengths. And then you are thrust into a strange, unfamiliar world that can so easily overwhelm you if you just let it.
If you panic everytime you are presented with the unfamiliar and intimidating, you will have a hard time getting through the game, and you might give up. But if you don't let your obstacles faze you as you make sense of them, one step at a time, you should realize that you never have anything to worry about. The first time you step into the central room of Snowhead and the first time you enter the Stone Tower are examples of this. But the player must come to understand this through experience, which is why Mr. Miyamoto said players must be able to solve the mystery at the heart of the game.
The design of the final battle is also based on this philosophy. The atmosphere is otherworldly, unlike anything you've encountered before, and yet strangely familiar. To gain victory, you are meant to cling to that sense of familiarity and come to understand it instead of letting fear of the unknown overpower you. Tatl's hints are written from this perspective. Instead of saying "Majora's Mask: This enemy's weakness is its backside" she urges you to remember your battles and what you did when faced with similar scenarios. Majora's Mask can be seen as a variation of a snapping turtle, which should lead to the realization that the strange patterns on the floor are variations of Deku Flowers. Remember how Mr. Miyamoto said the game is intended to be mysterious, rather than scary? If you get through all the challenges in the game, including the moon dungeons, the game concludes that you have already passed the test of faith and gives you the Fierce Deity Mask to represent that.
As I was replaying the first three days, there were a few neat little details I noticed. One thing that I'm sure we take for granted now is the anticipation of meeting the astronomer. You learn about this guy who lives outside town who will supposedly hold some of the answers you need, and this builds suspense. After exploring the town to track down the Bombers, you go through the tunnel to the observatory, which foreshadows the dungeon structure in this game. The tutorials take place during the exploration of new areas, and the dungeons test what you have learned. The tunnel is a very simple test of your ability to use the Deku form.
At one point you turn a corner and must walk down a short corridor towards the image of Majora's Mask, which is on a balloon. Seeing that image as you turn the corner could startle you momentarily, but you must walk towards the face of fear, unintimidated. I think this is ideally meant to foreshadow the experience of walking into the inverted Stone Tower and seeing the face of Majora's Mask again. If you notice the face, the revelation and its dark implications should be startling, and this time there are chasms on both sides of you.
Going back to the tunnel, eventually you reach the amazing end of it, possibly foreshadowing reaching the light at the end of the tunnel of the Ikana well. The game expects that you are excited about meeting the astronomer, and the room is nicely designed to take advantage of this. You walk up a winding staircase and then see him standing across the room on a pedestal, which you circle around until finally you arrive behind him and speak with him. I thought this was a really neat effect that is now universally taken for granted.
Another thing. In that interview I quoted above, Mr. Miyamoto and others emphasized how they made Majora's Mask to achieve the sort of NPC interaction that wasn't possible in Ocarina of Time. Now I'm realizing that they actually tried to make MM in OoT, with the two trading sequences. The design of those quests is very remniscent of the design of MM, but much more simple and straightforward and much less effective. You are told as you begin the mask quest to just have faith. You go to people whom you've met and realize that something has been troubling them, so you give them the mask and they become happy. The trading sequence also involves solving people's troubles and learning about the relationships between side characters. A few of the tasks are timed to add pressure.
However, these two side quests didn't quite achieve the concept Nintendo had in mind for them, and so Majora's Mask was made.
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More evidence:
When you meet Kaepora Gaebora in Snowhead, he tests your faith as he leads you to the Lone Peak Shrine. His feathers float in the abyss and you have to believe that it'll be okay to jump.
The key to winning the dog racing minigame is to look for the dogs that believe in themselves.
Also regarding the foreshadowing with the balloon that I mentioned, that sort of thing is way too subtle to expect it to be noticed and appreciated. I only caught onto it because of how many times I've gone into the Stone Tower to examine that statue. The visual effect feels very similar. I think the intention behind this was to give the player a very uncanny sense of familiarity if he notices Majora's face in the Stone Tower.
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I forgot to point out one of the most dramatic examples: waiting for Kafei. Kafei runs from the canyon towards Clock Town, then you warp back there and head to Anju's room. Anju waits calmly without any doubts, but nothing happens. The last few hours tick by, and you start to wonder if everything is okay. Should you leave the inn and try to look for him? Should you play the Song of Time? Just as time is about to run out, you hear the inn door open and footsteps running towards the room, and Kafei finally returns.
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This one's a bit of a tangent, but might still be interesting:
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Here's a random thing I've been thinking about. What if the Happy Mask Salesman and the owl in MM are the same being? I doubt this was the actual intent of Nintendo, but since MM's story can take on a life of its own, it's fun to consider this sort of thing.
There is a strong mystical quality to the Happy Mask Salesman: he vanishes into air at the end of the game, and at the start he appears out of nowhere and claims to have been following Link. Now, Link is able to change his form and disguise himself as other beings by wearing special masks. Certainly, it's possible that the Mask Salesman has the same ability, and perhaps he used it to watch over Link.
Both the salesman and the owl clearly seem to know more than what they choose to speak of. The owl understands the fate of Termina and the salesman just happens to have somewhere he needs to go in three days. Both of those characters also know that faith is the main thing Link needs to succeed in his quest, and both try to teach that lesson to Link.
Early on in the game Link is close to giving in to despair, which is why Majora's Mask has enough power over him to curse him. The Mask Salesman plays the Song of Healing for Link, and given what we know about that song it must not have simply dissipated the curse, it must have strengthened Link's soul, helping him find the faith he needed to save Termina.
But it is not enough to simply heal Link and then tell him to believe in himself. Termina needs a person with a tremendous amount of faith in order for it to be saved and redeemed. Link needs to learn the lesson about faith through his own experience, and that's where the owl comes in.
The owl appears to test the strength of Link's faith, and to guide him through the test. He knows the boy will need unwavering faith to face the horrors and trials ahead. Therefore he tries to feed Link's doubts, trivializing the situation in the swamp by saying it is destined to fade anyway and Link would be better off returning to town. But Link saves the swamp and the owl knows of this, regardless of whether the three day cycle was reset, proving that the owl has some mystical qualities.
In the mountains, the owl is more open about what qualities Link needs to develop, but he still forces Link to overcome his doubts on his own. If you answer "No" when he asks you to follow him and then speak with him again, he cautions Link that surely he will fall into oblivion if he proceeds, and again he urges Link to return to town. If Link chooses to proceed, the owl puts him through an extremely dramatic test of faith as Link crosses the void to the Lone Peak Shrine. When you look back over the abyss that you just walked across, you realize just how much you can accomplish, and suddenly the moon is a little less intimidating.
I just replayed that part of the game a few days ago, and I thought it was incredibly eloquent and beautiful, without being at all forced. Majora's Mask really is an artistic masterpiece.
At the end of the game, when Link has proven that he has learned his lesson, the Happy Mask Salesman gives him some additional advice: "Whenever there is a meeting, a parting is sure to follow. However, that parting need not last forever. Whether a parting be forever or merely for a short time... that is up to you."
The salesman knew that Link had been despairing about finding his beloved friend. He intervened to teach Link to understand the power of faith, and then he reminded the boy to not give up his personal journey in search of his friend.
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11-18-2007, 10:52 AM
