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[timferius]

It's not that it's an unreasonable amount of time, some people just get anxious with any time limit. I can understand it.
Also, all this reminds me, I have a 25 dollars Chapters gift card, I should pick up the Hyrule Historia...

[Frumple]

It's not a time limit >.<

2 and a half hours is more than enough to complete a dungeon.

I had to specifically hack out (well, freeze with a memory editor, whatever) the day progression in ADOM in order to enjoy playing the bloody thing with anything approaching seriousness. My enjoyment of DCSS like, quadruples, when I just point Cheat Engine or whatev' at it and give myself infinite food. Done a lot of things like that, over the years. S'the presence of the ruddy thing more than its actual gameplay-level interference. As tim notes, more or less.

Though I'm not entirely sure anxiety is the word, per se. S'just... a constraint, when I'm probably playing the game to be free. Admittedly, there's other constraints as well, but there's just something about clock-like behavior -- time limits, food clocks... limits on number of actions -- that rub me the wrong way. It's not as bad with more focused things (puzzle games, particular levels or sections of levels... that sort of thing), but an omnipresent, always pressuring, limit in something I'm expected to be playing for quite a while, especially something that is ostensibly expansive or relatively freeform... no. Just, no. I do not like it, Sam I am. I will not eat your green eggs and ham. Usually, anyway. Occasionally, it can be stomached, but it's never been appreciated, never improved the experience for me.

And so I've never been able to get into Majora's Mask. Some day in the future, I'll hit it while I'm in the right mood, and be able to experience a good game. That day is yet to come

[Darkmere]

The constraint factor is what kills things for me. I'll go further and say there was one time limited game that didn't bother me.... but that was Star Control II where I finished before the death march began just by playing the game. I lost Fallout 1 because of the time limit before I was halfway through the game because I was busy playing instead of watching a clock and got sidetracked, so that feeling stuck with me.

I guess it feels like parental controls, in a way. Someone beyond my control is telling me NOT to spend time exploring the world at my own pace. I find most of the web-based "X turns a day" games frustrating for the same reason. All said I'd much prefer a sensible quest-based system like Fallout: New Vegas (where the world advances via quest points in such a way that it feels like things happen beyond me, yet is still tied to how fast I want to progress) or Mass Effect 3 (where if you choose to ignore objectives there are consequences, rewarding completionism).

I don't mind games that put me on rails as much (God of War, Devil May Cry 3) if they don't pretend about it. MM felt like rails through a sandbox, and the train would come in while I was busy playing.

[chaoticag]

I don't mind the time frame of the game. Doesn't even feel right calling it a time limit unless we're talking about the intro sequence, which is kinda crappy. But for the most part, despite playing Ocarina first, I do miss Majoras Mask more. It had a lot about it that I felt was good, like a unified theme and tone, the sidequest and schedule tracking, the ability to play as three other races, and well, the epilogue. Meanwhile, Ocarina was okay, but it kinda feels a bit off when I remember it. It had some good boss fights, and the two world theme, but it doesn't have that sense of urgency really. Ganondorf has kinda won and you're knocking him off his throne, not really preventing anything. Other plot elements seem kinda minimal as far as my hazy memory goes. You kinda go around helping people I guess? And you finish temples but not sure if that does much other than a macguffin hunt when you're adult link. In contrast, there's a huge effect when you beat a boss on the surrounding area, where you return spring to the mountains and detoxify the waters of that forest swamp thing. So yeah, mostly Majoras Mask was a better feel for me I guess? As for people feeling extreme anxiety over the time frame, I think the most you can look forward to is an LP of it maybe? It's kinda a shame that that makes you feel that way though, it's not as bad a time limit as dead rising's I feel, since you effectively do cheat yourself infinite time... but that's how I've seen it.

[PanH]

I played one after the other (OOT then MM) and I prefer OOT. There's probably no 'reason' for that, but after playing OOT, MM felt the same game.

[Rabek Jeris]

My personal opinion?

Ocarina of time was more fun to play, but the story and setting were comparatively (note: comparatively) bland.

Majora's Mask had a far more interesting setting, characters, and general themes, but the gameplay mechanic of three days really frustrated me more than anything else.

So:

OoT for gameplay
MM for story and thematic quality

Though neither were bad or even mediocre in either category.

[Akura]

This thread made me pick up Majora's Mask again.

Majora's Mask has lot of subtle things in it, I've noticed.

Spoiler: For example (click to show/hide)

If you listen to what Japas, the Zora band's bassist is playing, it's the dungeon theme from the original LoZ. Also, those little cow statues scattered around? Roll into a wall and look, their heads bobble.

So:

OoT for gameplay
MM for story and thematic quality

Interestingly, Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages had the same relationship. Seasons was more action oriented, and had a larger world map as well, while Ages focused more on the story and puzzles.

[Putnam]

Spoiler: More zora music stuff (click to show/hide)

The drummer is playing the cave music from A Link to the Past and the pianist is playing the game over theme from the original, as well

[Jelle]

Ah nostalgia!

I really liked both games and have fond memories of both of them. If I had to pick one I'd say Ocarina of time though.
While the whole time management bit of Majora's mask was a fun gameplay tidbit, it didn't really contribute that much to the story itself unlike the major time jump in Ocarina did. There's just something about exploring a world in need of saving, then seeing it fall in ruin as you're suddenly absent for a full 7 years, that just makes you so involved with the story. Ganondorf was also way more fleshed out as a villain then mask boy ever was (I don't even remember his name), despite being the stereotypical princess kidnapping bay guy. Majora scores more points underlying message though. The whole growing up theme and feverishly trying to rewind time was sublime. Still, Ocarina's setting and story felt more epic overall, while Majora's gameplay was more refined.

[Antioch]

I played Ocarina of Time of release and I think I have finished the game around 15 times, in my opinion it probably is the best game ever released. I only played Majora's mask ~4 years after release and I only finished it once, yet in some ways it might be the best SEQUEL that has been ever made, because it dares to be so different in key aspects yet delivers so well.

I always thought the 3 day timer would put me off. But once I played the game I was never bothered by it all, and it does add really interesting elements to the game.