The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask/Program revision differences

Surprisingly, and unlike in Ocarina of Time, there are quite significant differences between the different versions of Majora's Mask (more specifically, two Japanese versions, the American version, and the PAL version).

Differences between the Japanese versions
The differences between the two Japanese versions are mostly minor and do not affect the game.
 * When speaking to Tatl, the camera zooms up to Link's face in v1.0, similar to how talking to Navi in Ocarina of Time zooms up to the face. In v1.1, it moves in front of Link but stays away from him.
 * When you play the Song of Double Time in Clock Town, the music will continue playing during the night in v1.0, while it stops as it should in v1.1.
 * There are different cutscenes that play when you beat a boss, depending on whether you have beaten the boss before or whether it's your first time. For Goht, the two cutscenes were mixed up in v1.0. Their order was switched in v1.1.
 * Pirates' Fortress is silent at night in v1.0. It got its usual music in v1.1. This however overrides the "enemy near" music that plays in v1.0 in the egg rooms, but is missing in v1.1.
 * In Deku Palace, the camera changes to an overhead view, but when you jump onto one of the walls that encompass the area, the camera moves back to Link. In v1.0 you're unable to move the camera using the Z button while standing on these walls. This bug was fixed in v1.1.
 * On the Quest Status subscreen, Gyorg's Remains are totally mispositioned in v1.0. Their position was corrected in v1.1.

Save File
In the Japanese versions, there are three save files, whereas the American version restricts you to two. This, however, comes at a price: saving at Owl Statues is not possible at all in the Japanese versions, so you were required to use the Song of Time every time you wanted to save the game. Apparently that turned out to be really annoying, so Owl Saves were added to the American version, which necessitated removing the third save slot.

Once you select a file to load, the Japanese versions show a save counter. However, due to the nature of the game, it is impossible to achieve a 000 save (because you have to play the Song of Time at least once when you regain your Ocarina from Skull Kid). This might have been the reason for removing the save counter from the American version, which was replaced by something more useful: counters for rupees, Heart Pieces, and masks.

Bean Seller Route
The Bean Seller route is completely different in the Japanese versions: to begin with, you can't go through the right side of the gardens to get to the Bean Seller. Instead, you have to go through the left side and enter a hole which leads to a quite challenging grotto with Skullwalltullas and tons of Black Boes dropping on you from above. Once you get through that grotto, you arrive at another part of the Deku Gardens.

Once there you have to go through the Gardens to yet another grotto. This one is pretty much the complete opposite of the previous grotto, as it contains a single Deku Baba.

That grotto leads you to this place. You can jump down from here into the grotto where the Bean Seller resides. Of course, if you jump too far you have to do that all over again.

This is quite a challenging route, and it was made significantly easier in the American version by removing all those grottoes. While they're still in the game, you can only reach them using a GameShark. On a related note, the removal of these grottoes reduces the appearance of Skullwalltulas to one – in the American version, this enemy is present only in one of the grottoes in Termina Field.

Day Names
The names of the days on the "Dawn of the ___ Day" screens in the Japanese version are First Day, Next Day, Last Day, and New Day. The names in the international versions are First Day, Second Day, Final Day, and New Day. The clocks in both versions still say 1st and 2nd, however it says Last in the Japanese version and Final in the international versions.

The time display also had a minor change, since the Japanese use the 24-hour system. It still is a 12-hour clock, but instead of 12 o'clock it says 0 o'clock.

Audio Differences
6roKTYSAIZM These are quite minor audio/visual differences which mostly don't affect gameplay and may be very minor.
 * The Happy Mask Salesman does not laugh in the American version when he says "I am counting on you", probably because it was way inappropriate there.
 * When you chase the bombers in the Japanese versions, they are completely silent. This bug was fixed in the American version.
 * In the Skull Kid cutscene where he cries violently, the sound is emitted from Skull Kid himself in the Japanese versions. This has the side effect of becoming quieter when the camera is moving away from Skull Kid. In the American version his cry is a global sound. It makes for a much better effect this way.
 * After playing the Song of Time for the very first time, a flashback is shown which depicts everything that happened before. In the Japanese versions, in the scene where Link falls off the horse it starts playing the prologue music for some reason. It does not do this in the American version.
 * When you collect your fourth Piece of Heart which extends your life meter, the Japanese versions plays a different sound effect. This matches Ocarina of Time which also does this, but was strangely changed in the American version so it always plays the same music.
 * When you heal Mikau in the Japanese versions at night, the night ambient sound continues into the Mikau cutscene. This has been fixed in the American version.
 * In the Sonata of Awakening cutscene, the King and his guards are silent. They were given some noises in the American version.
 * If you play the Song of Double Time, the area is not reloaded in the Japanese versions, and thus does not fade to black like in the American version.
 * In the Japanese versions, the shop music is identical to the Ocarina of Time shop music. In the American version, the intro was cut out, so it sounds like the music is playing all the time, even when you're not in the shop. Also, if you warp while in a shop, the warping music glitches up at the end in the Japanese versions.
 * The Deku Princess had more sounds in the Japanese versions. Many of her sounds were removed in the American version.
 * Darmani also lost a sound in the American version.
 * There are some glitches where the music restarts when going into another area, even if it uses the same music as the previous area. This has been fixed fully in the American version.
 * Stone Tower has multiple sound quirks which have been fixed:
 * Stone Tower and Stone Tower Temple are silent at night in the Japanese versions. They continue playing their music at night in the American version. Oddly, if you use the Song of Soaring to warp to the entrance while in Stone Tower Temple, the music will resume playing in the Japanese version.
 * If you do the previous trick to resume the music and at night, if you're in the Stone Tower while it's inverted and shoot the red switch to turn the Stone Tower to normal orientation, the music will continue playing the "inverted" version, which is a bug. It was fixed in the American version.
 * Certain cutscenes are abridged if you view them a second time in the American version. They are not in the Japanese versions, and always play the long version. This affects most notably the turtle cutscene, and the cutscenes shown after defeating Goht and Twinmold.
 * The mailbox makes a "ka-ching" sound when you talk to it in the Japanese versions. It lost this sound in the American version.
 * Sometimes, Zora Link erroneously uses Goron Link's voices in the Japanese versions, like when you play the Song of Double Time. All cases were fixed in the American version.

Epona Cutscene
The Epona cutscene is completely different in the Japanese versions. It starts from a bird's-eye view way above the ranch and flies down on Epona. In the American version, the cutscene shows Link running towards the fence Epona's standing behind in first-person view, which makes more sense.

Minor Gameplay Differences
The following differences affect gameplay, but are relatively minor and so don't deserve to have their own section.
 * In the Japanese versions, after you dance with the Scarecrow he does not ask you about the Inverted Song of Time and Song of Double Time. He does this in the American version, probably so the existence of these songs is more obvious to the player. Conversely, if you teach the Scarecrow a song in the Japanese versions, he will automatically tell you about these songs without asking, which does not happen in the American version.
 * In the first battle against Skull Kid, when you pull out the Ocarina after stealing it from him, a cutscene starts. In the Japanese versions, Link then removes the Ocarina and you have to use it again. This was changed in the American version.
 * When the message Your notes echoed far, but nothing happened... appears, you can walk around in the Japanese versions. You can't walk around while this message appears in the American version.
 * In the cutscene where the Happy Mask Salesman talks about Majora's Mask, it shows the scene where Skull Kid cries, and a message box appears. In the Japanese versions it closes by itself, but this has been changed in the American version so you have to close the box using A.

Clock Town chest
In East Clock Town, the chest containing a Silver Rupee is closer to the wall in the Japanese versions.

Mask subscreen
The All-Night Mask and Bunny Hood swapped spots, likely to make the Star Fox reference more obvious.

Goron Link
When Goron Link holds an object he just collected over his head, you can only see his face in the Japanese versions. In the American version, you can see his whole body.

Aliens Cutscene
The cow shown in the alien cutscene has a nosering in the Japanese versions. It was removed in the American version.

Goht
Goht's intro has quite a history. In the original Japanese version, Goht ran Link over as he was awakened, whereas in v1.1 he does not. The American version, however, decides to follow the original Japanese release in having Link be run over.

Oceanside Spider House
In one room of the Oceanside Spider House, there are a bunch of breakable barrels in the Japanese versions. These were changed to an ordinary Hookshot target and normal pots in the American version.

Stone Tower
The blocks in front of the entrance to the Stone Tower Temple are arranged differently in the Japanese versions. They assume a V form when no switches are depressed, which was changed in the American version to a straight line.

The block switches near the entrance to Stone Tower Temple were an addition to the American version. They do not exist in the Japanese versions. They were probably just added for convenience purposes.

Skull Kid
Skull Kid's face is completely black in the Japanese versions. Due to racism issues, his face was changed in the American version to use a wood texture.

Transformation Cutscene
When you put on a transformation mask, the cutscene shows Link looking towards the camera to transform. In the Japanese versions, he keeps facing that way when the transformation is complete. This is actually quite annoying, and it was changed in the American version so Link faces the way he did before putting on the transformation mask.

Great Bay Temple wheel puzzle
A puzzle in the Great Bay Temple was changed. It involves using an Ice Arrow to stop the flow of water, thus stopping the wheel allowing you to walk across. In the Japanese versions, the wheel always stops the moment the water flow is stopped, requiring you to time your shot correctly so you can walk across the wheel. In the American version, the wheel always moves to the correct position before stopping, making the puzzle significantly easier.

Poison Water
Woodfall is poisoned when you have not yet defeated Odolwa in the current three day cycle. If you jump into the poison water as Zora Link and die, he starts burning despite being in water. Interestingly, it only happens in this particular area, and not in any other areas containing poison water. This obviously did not make any sense whatsoever, and was fixed in the American version.

Marine Research Lab
In the Japanese version, you cannot climb up to the Marine Research Lab from the water surface because it is too high. Instead, you have to jump up onto the platform using Zora Link. It was changed probably because it was considered too difficult.

Great Bay changes
The Japanese version lacks the Grab command when you push Mikau to the shore, instead Link pushes him automatically when you swim to him. This was considered counter-intuitive, so it was changed in the American version.

Zora Link physics
Zora Link's physics were altered for the American release:
 * When you release the A button while swimming, Zora Link instantly stops swimming in the Japanese versions. He continues swimming a bit further in the American version.
 * When you release A while near the shoreline, Zora Link will actually jump out of the water in the Japanese versions. While he does not do this in the American version, this change unintentionally introduced the Flying Zora glitch, which allows you to swim in the air by swimming to the shoreline and repeatedly pressing A.
 * In the Japanese versions, you can only use the Magic Barrier while swimming forward. If you're just hovering in water, you cannot use the barrier. This was changed in the American version to make the game slightly easier.
 * When you press B to charge your boomerangs, Zora Link will perform a punch first. In the Japanese versions he takes a step forward to do so, while in the American version he doesn't and stays on his spot. Interestingly, this change was reverted for the GameCube rerelease, unlike any of the other changes, maybe because it makes the pot game in Great Bay very hard.

Hookshot Room
The Pirates' Fortress in the Japanese versions had a shortcut you could use to go from the room where you shoot the beehive directly down to the throne room. Therefore, the Hookshot chest faced the throne. This shortcut was removed in the American version, and the treasure chest was turned around since you now enter from the other side.

Ranch Dirt Road
In the Japanese versions, you can burrow into the dirt road at Romani Ranch as Deku Link without releasing the flower helicopters. What this was good for is unclear, but the developers may have intended you to defeat the aliens like this. Since that doesn't actually work - you get hurt - this may have been the reason to remove this from the American version.

Credits
The credits have been changed slightly, omitting the credit for the Ocarina of Time staff in the American version.

Glitches
Several glitches present in the Japanese versions were fixed when the game was released overseas.

Lighting Bug
Playing the Inverted Song of Time at night often caused areas to become incredibly dark. This doesn't happen in the American version.

Eel Bug
In Pinnacle Rock, if an eel eats you and you attempt to use the Magic Barrier to escape, Zora Link drops straight to the ground in a rather awkward stance, where you are frozen for a short while before being able to continue swimming. This bug was fixed in the American version.

Honey and Darling's game bugs
A case of "how did the developers not catch that", when you play Honey and Darling's game on the Final Day as Deku Link, none of the C buttons are disabled, so you can use any item that is there, even the Fierce Deity Mask. The C buttons are disabled properly in the American version.

A second glitch involves the Bombchu game on the First Day. In the Japanese versions, there was no limit on how many Bombchus you could launch at once, leading to lots of lag and occasionally even crashing the game if too many Bombchus are launched. The American version added a limit of five Bombchus.

Grab Bug
Slowly walking off a sloped ledge will cause Link to get "stuck" inside the wall, causing him to slowly move downwards while the "grab" noise repeats continually. This was fixed in the American version for the most part.

Power Crouch Stab
The Japanese versions feature the very same Power Crouch Stab bug that appeared in Ocarina of Time: a sword stab is as strong as the last attack you performed (so if you jump attacked before, a stab will be as strong as a jump attack). However, a difference to Ocarina of Time is that if you haven't attacked since you entered the area and try to stab, the sword will do no damage whatsoever.

The whole glitch was fixed in the American version.

Swamp Shooting Gallery bug


Yet another case of "how did the developers not catch that", the fence at the Swamp Shooting Gallery is so low that you can just roll over it as Goron Link to get into the scenery behind, which isn't supposed to be possible. There's no way to get back up except for jumping into the void. An invisible wall was added in the American version to prevent you from doing this.

Glitches
Again, the development team went out to fix serious bugs for the European release.

Any Item Epona
The addition of Owl Saves to the American version let two bugs slip into the game, both related to saving while on Epona. The more major one happens when you save and reload a file while on the horse; this would not disable the C buttons properly, allowing you to use any item while on Epona, which in turn led to loads of glitches. A less major one allowed you to "transfer" Epona between two save files if you saved at an Owl Statue in both saves, then did the above on one and loaded the other.

In the European version, Epona is not saved and will disappear once the save file is loaded, which fixes all these bugs.

Sakon's Hideout bug
Normally, you can't put anything on a C button if that is occupied by a mask Link is wearing currently. The sole exception occurs while controlling Kafei in Sakon's Hideout, during which you can equip anything over any C button. If you happen to replace a mask Link is wearing with another mask, he will automatically put that mask on once control is transferred back, even in the case of the Fierce Deity Mask. This was fixed in the European versions simply by disabling the pause menu while controlling Kafei.

Text Changes
Apparently, "Mama's House" was a bit vague and unclear, so it was renamed "Ranch House" in the European versions.

A small change. "Great Bay Temple" is inaccurate since it is not actually the temple itself Leevers appear in, so it was fixed.

No idea why these were changed. It's not like "heigh-ho" is particularly British, either.

This appears to be a translation error. In the original Japanese text, Koume went out to pick mushrooms. In the American version, it has been changed so she gathers herbs. This was corrected in the European versions, but with a rather strange capitalization.

Seeing as Majora's Mask contains lots of text, it's unsurprising that some spelling errors like this one slipped through. It was corrected for the European versions.

Differences between the European versions
There are two European versions of the game, 1.0 and 1.1. The only apparent difference seems to be the French text, as every other aspect of the game is unchanged.

As if changes couldn't be any more minor, a punctuation mark was inserted in this message.

A spelling mistake was fixed in this message.

It was a bit awkward having only a single word in the second part of the message. Therefore, the message was changed in v1.1 so it all fits within the four lines.

Another punctuation mark was added here.

The double comma accidentally present in the message due to a typo was fixed in 1.1.

The pointless space before the punctuation mark was removed here.

Another punctuation mark was added here.

This change should be fairly obvious. A missing space was added here.

Another spelling mistake was fixed here.

A character was missing in the second part of the message, it has been added in 1.1.

Differences between N64 and GameCube
Besides the obvious differences relating to the different console, some text changes have been done. Interestingly, the text of the GameCube version is based on the American N64 version.

General Changes

 * Whoever first translated the text obviously had no idea at all that "any more" and "anymore" mean different things, leading to such sentences as "You can't carry anymore!". This error was corrected in the GameCube version for all messages.

Specific Changes
Yup, the carpenter text has been changed again for some reason...except for the Final Day one, which was left unchanged.

Just a grammar fix here.

Another grammar fix.

A comma was added here.

The erroneous exclamation mark was removed.

Used when checking out the Red Potion in the shop. It was obviously rather senseless to refer to a potion as "them".

The ordinal has been written out in the GameCube rerelease.