Termina: Alternate Universe or Nintendo's Laziness?

Is Termina really an alternate universe? The manual states that it is, but I feel it is not.

Pretty much everybody in Hyrule has an alter ego in Termina. The pond owner and Malon have TWO. This is the detail that bothers me. Why would these two characters have a counterpart for their past and future selves?

This leads me to believe that designing new characters for everyone in MM would take too long, so Nintendo decided to reuse the characters from OoT.

Does anybody have any useful input?

It's probably a bit of both, in all honesty. Reusing the same characters was quick and easy, and the characters' resemblance to their counterparts in Ocarina of Time could then be explained easily by setting Termina in an alternative dimension.

For the last time: They weren't being lazy. They just wanted to get another game out using OoT's engine before the launch of the GameCube and if they made new models, they wouldn't have released it in time.

Do you want MM or not?

The 'Parallel' was used to justify reused character models, considering it serves no purpose otherwise, and isnt mentioned ingame. However, the idea of another dimension seems plausable loosely - the method in which Link entered Termina is justification for a location not based soley on geography. Impart I agree that Nintendo may have been slightly lazy, or simply wanted to justify new setting completely without hangups. I don't blame them for doing so - Termina is so zany, vibrant and different, that something had to justify new setting to that extent.

Majora's Mask was created in a very short space of time, yet is heralded among the best of the franchise. Nintendo weren't lazy overall in any sense.

Actually, I'm pretty sure the General Store owner in MM is the same guy as the Curiosity Shop. Day Job/Night Job kind of thing.

Originally Posted by Double C

Actually, I'm pretty sure the General Store owner in MM is the same guy as the Curiosity Shop. Day Job/Night Job kind of thing.

He really is.

How is it being lazy when we, the fans, are the ones who push to get the games out as soon as possible? I AM certain the decision to use of old characters was made before the development began, however I would hardly say that makes the game not canon or the developers lazy. It was an awesome game, perhaps in part BECAUSE they didn't have to worry about creating a cast of new models and were able to concentrate on the important things.

Are you snapping at me man? If not, that was random...

Nope. Had nothing to do with you Demo.

Your statement is correct though. So is Triforce of the God's explanation.

Simple logic dictates that the less time you spend developing character models, recording voices, etc., the more time you have to spend developing gameplay and levels.

Nintendo says its Parallel, Its Nintendos game, Its one of the few things Nintendo made clear in the series, theres nothing really to deny so I'll never understand why Nintendos word isnt good enough on a game they made....

Eitherway the Character models had updated textures and some had new wireframes and movements, so It wasn't a total rehash, there was a fair bit of work.

For the record, OOT used the Super Mario 64 engine. One cannot condemn MM for using OOT's engine without similarly damning OOT.

Although I don't like criticizing MM, I have to disagree. Using the same graphical engine and recycling characters is completely different.

The 'Parallel' was used to justify reused character models, considering it serves no purpose otherwise, and isnt mentioned ingame.

not entirely, the locations of the 4 temples are similar if not parallel to Hyrule. In Termina, Clock Town was in the middle, so was Hyrule Castle Town.

Though, Death Mountain and the Zora's Domain were adjacent to each other ( the only thing I hated about Oot). Its still similar to almost parallel. Death Mountain=Snowhead, Woodfall= Inside the Deku Tree ( not so parallel), Zora Hall= Zora's Domain, and personally I think the Ikana Canyon= Gerudo Desert

Originally Posted by Demo

Although I don't like criticizing MM, I have to disagree. Using the same graphical engine and recycling characters is completely different.

The N64 was near the end of it's lifespan. Why waste precious time and money developing new character models when there are perfectly good ones already available?

If they had made new character models for each character, MM probably wouldn't have been finished before the 64 faded from the spotlight.

Nintendo just didn't want to waste the time making new characters so to cover it they came up with it being an alternate dimension. That might also explain why the main quest was so short(one of the things i dislike about the game).

Originally Posted by Silver

The N64 was near the end of it's lifespan. Why waste precious time and money developing new character models when there are perfectly good ones already available?

If they had made new character models for each character, MM probably wouldn't have been finished before the 64 faded from the spotlight.

I agree. I just don't understand what the graphical engine has to do with anything. It was an unnecessary comment by you.

^I agree with Silver, on some points. As far as I understand it Majora's Mask was under quite sivior time constraints - Irony, I suppose. I have heard from other fellow players who believe that the carpenters, groaning about their heavy workload may have been an interpritation of the way that the developers were feeling, with impending deadlines. Likely just a case of looking too deeply, I suppose.

As for the Parallel, I agree that it is likely a mechanism to explain the character models. I have seen little actual use, or evidence that points solidly toward the idea of an established parallel, bar the famous coining of the term in the Majora's Mask manual.

Originally Posted by Double C

Actually, I'm pretty sure the General Store owner in MM is the same guy as the Curiosity Shop. Day Job/Night Job kind of thing.

That's not possible. The Trading Post guy has hair, and the Curiosity Shop is bald. That would be kinda weird. lol