The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask/Program Revision Differences

This is a sub-page of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.

To do: Differences between N64 and Gamecube

Surprisingly, and unlike in Ocarina of Time, there are quite significant differences between the different versions. There exist two Japanese versions, the American version and the PAL version.

Differences between the two 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 J v1.0, similar to how talking to Navi in Ocarina of Time zooms up to the face. In J 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 J v1.0, while it stops as it should in J 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 J v1.0. Their order was switched in J v1.1.
• Pirates' Fortress is silent at night in J v1.0. It got its usual music in J v1.1. This however overrides the "enemy near" music that plays in J v1.0 in the egg rooms, but is missing in J 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 J v1.0 you're unable to move the camera using the Z button while standing on these walls. This was changed in J v1.1 because it apparently was quite annoying.
• On the Quest Status subscreen, Gyorg's Remains are totally mispositioned in J v1.0. Their position was corrected in J v1.1.

Differences between the Japanese and American versions

Save file differences

Japanese	American

In the Japanese version of Majora's Mask, there are three save files, unlike in the American version where you are restricted to two. This however comes at a price - saving at Owl Statues is not possible at all in the Japanese version, 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.

Japanese	American

Once you select a file to load, the Japanese version shows a save counter like in Ocarina of Time. 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 to remove the save counter from the American version, and replace it with something more useful - a rupee counter, a Heart Piece counter and a mask counter.

Bean seller route

The Bean Seller route is completely different in the Japanese version of the game.

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 renders the Skullwalltulla enemy completely unused in the American version, since they only occur in these caves.

Final Day

Japanese	American

What is known as the Final Day in the US is actually displayed as Last Day in the Japanese version. It was changed presumably because it doesn't really make sense to have the New Day follow the Last Day, since logically, there can't be any day after the last day.

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 and Visual differences

This page or section needs more images. There's a whole lotta words here, but not enough pictures. Please fix this.

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 version, they are completely silent. This bug has been 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 version. This has the side effect that it becomes 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 version, 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 version 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 version at night, the night ambient sound continues into the Mikau cutscene. This has been fixed in the American version.
• The numbers that appear when you jump on the water as Deku Link are unique in the Japanese version. In the American version it uses the same numbers that are used for diving, and also in OoT. Additionally, Deku Link drops straight into the water when drowning in the Japanese version, i. e. it does not make a splash.
• 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 version, and thus does not fade to black like in the American version.
• In the Japanese version, the shop music is identical to the OoT 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 version.
• The Deku Princess was much more soundful in the Japanese version. 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.
• The Epona cutscene is different in the Japanese version. It starts from a bird's eye view and flies down on Epona. In the American version, it depicts Link running towards the fence Epona's standing behind, which makes more sense.
• Stone Tower has multiple sound quirks which have been fixed:
  • Stone Tower and Stone Tower Temple are silent at night in the Japanese version. 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 version, 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 version. It lost this sound in the American version.
• Sometimes, Zora Link erroneously uses Goron Link's voices in the Japanese version, like when you play the Song of Double Time. All cases were fixed in the American version.

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 version, 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 version, he will automatically tell you about these songs in the Japanese version 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 version, 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 version. 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 version it closes by itself, this has been changed in the American version so you have to close the box using A.

Clock Town chest

Japanese	American

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

Goron Link

Japanese	American

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

Aliens Cutscene

Japanese	American

The cow that is shown in the alien cutscene has a nosering in the Japanese version. It was removed in the American version.

Goht

Japanese	American

Goht does not run over Link when you awaken him in the Japanese version.

Oceanside Spider House

Japanese	American

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

Stone Tower

Japanese	American

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

Japanese	American

The block switches near the entrance to Stone Tower Temple were an addition to the American version. They do not exist in the Japanese version. They were added presumably to allow you to save at the Owl Statue on the opposite side of the level.

Skull Kid

Japanese	American

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

Lighting bug

A bug in the Japanese version caused areas to become pitch black when you played the Inverted Song of Time at night. This was fixed in the American version.

Transformation cutscene

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

Japanese	American

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 version. He continues swimming a bit further in the American version.
• When you release A while near the water surface. Zora Link will actually jump out of the water in the Japanese version. He does not do this in the American version. However, this change unintentionally introduces the Flying Zora glitch, which allows you to swim in the air by swimming to the shoreline and repeatedly pressing A.
• In the Japanese version, you can only use the Magic Barrier while swimming forward. If you're just hovering in water you cannot use the barrier. This has been 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 version 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 release of Majora's Mask, unlike any of the other changes, maybe because it makes the pot game in Great Bay very hard.

Bombchu physics

The Bombchu physics have been changed. In the Japanese version, when you're with your back against a wall, backflip, pull out a bombchu and drop it using your shield, it sticks to the wall behind you. This matches the behavior in Ocarina of Time, but it was changed in the American version so the Bombchu explodes instead. This mainly made life easier for those people who abuse glitches in this game.

Hookshot room

In the Japanese version, you can jump down from the room with the barred window to the room containing the Hookshot chest. Therefore, the chest faced the Pirates' throne. In the American version, this shortcut was removed, and the chest was consequently turned around.

Credits

Japanese	American

The credits have been changed slightly. Most notably, they no longer credit the staff of Ocarina of Time in the American version.

Glitches

There are also various glitches in the game which were fixed in the American version.

• In the Japanese version, you can burrow into the dirt road in Romani Ranch as Deku Link. It's possible the developers intended you to defeat the aliens that way, but it doesn't actually work, so it was ultimately removed in the American version.
• 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.
• In the Japanese version, playing the Honey and Darling's game on the final day as Deku Link, for whatever reason, allows you to use any items on the C buttons as a Deku. This includes Powder Kegs, and also the Fierce Deity Mask. This glitch was fixed in the American version.
• Also in the Honey and Darling's game, on the first day you can launch an infinite number of Bombchus at once in the Japanese version. This will lag the game a lot and can even crash it if you use too many Bombchus. In the American version, you can only launch five Bombchus at the same time.
• When you slowly walk off a sloped ledge, Link will slowly hover downwards the wall while repeatedly making the "grab" noise in the Japanese version.
• The well-known Power Crouch Stab glitch from Ocarina of Time works in the Japanese version. It makes a sword stab 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, there's one important difference: if you have not attacked since you entered the area, the crouch stab will do zero damage. This was probably the reason why the glitch was fixed in the American version.

• In the Swamp Shooting Gallery, if you put on the Goron Mask you can roll straight through the fence and into the scenery. However, you cannot get back unless you jump into the void. An invisible wall was added in the American version to fix this bug.

(Source: darkeye14)

Differences between the American and European versions

Glitches

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

• The introduction of saving at owl statues in the American version had the unintended side effect of introducing the Any Item Epona glitch. By saving at an Owl Statue while riding Epona, you can use many of your items while on Epona, similar to the Swordless Link glitch from Ocarina of Time. This in turn leads to glitches as serious as transforming into Fierce Deity Link outside of boss battles, riding Epona inside temples, houses, and other places where she is not supposed to appear, and others. This glitch was fixed in the European version of the game.
• In the European version of the game you can no longer open the pause menu while controlling Kafei in Sakon's Hideout. This fixes a glitch which, yet again, allows you to turn into Fierce Deity Link.

Text changes

American	European
Mama's House	Ranch House

Apparently, Mama's House was a bit vague and unclear, so it was renamed to Ranch House in the European version.

American	European
Great Bay Temple Beware of Leevers, dangerous deep-sea life-forms!	Great Bay Coast Beware of Leevers, dangerous deep-sea life-forms!

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

American	European
Tsk! Is Brac working t'night? I wonder if that'll get finished.	Heigh-ho, heigh-ho! It looks like another all-nighter. I wonder if that'll get finished.

American	European
Tsk, tsk, Brac... I wonder if this'll make it?	Heigh-ho, heigh-ho! It's gonna be another all-nighter like I figured. I wonder if it'll get finished on time.

American	European
Tsk! I knew it... It's startin' to feel like this job'll be impossible.	Heigh-ho, heigh-ho! I knew it... It's startin' to feel like this job'll be impossible.

No idea why that was changed. It's not like heigh-ho is particularly British either.

American	European
Have you seen an old hag named Koume who looks just like me? She hasn't come back from gathering medicinal herbs...	Have you seen an old hag named Koume who looks just like me? She hasn't come back from Picking mushrooms...

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 version, but with a rather strange capitalization.

American	European
The ocean's temperature has returned to normal. Did you come here to spash around in the sea?	The ocean's temperature has returned to normal. Did you come here to splash around in the sea?

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 release.

Differences between the two 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, every other aspect of the game is unchanged.

European (1.0)	European (1.1)
Vous obtenez un Rubis Rouge Il vaut 20 Rubis! Voilà qui est bien!	Vous obtenez un Rubis Rouge! Il vaut 20 Rubis! Voilà qui est bien!

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

European (1.0)	European (1.1)
Si seulement nous avions un cheval, nous pourions... Oups! Désolée... Pardon.	Si seulement nous avions un cheval, nous pourrions... Oups! Désolée... Pardon.

A spelling mistake was fixed in this message.

European (1.0)	European (1.1)
Si je prends quelques secondes de retard, les conséquences pour la distribution du courrier seront terribles... Dur dur d'être	Si je prends quelques secondes de retard, les conséquences pour la distribution du courrier seront terribles... Dur d'être fonctionnaire.

European (1.0)	European (1.1)
fonctionnaire.

It was a bit awkward having only a single word in the second part of the message. Therefore, the message was changed in 1.1 so it all fits within the four lines.

European (1.0)	European (1.1)
C'est 20 Rubis la partie OK Non merci	C'est 20 Rubis la partie. OK Non merci

Another punctuation mark was added here.

European (1.0)	European (1.1)
Nan,,j'connais pas ce gamin. Et le chef est pas là, alors je peux pas t'aider.	Nan, j'connais pas ce gamin. Et le chef est pas là, alors je peux pas t'aider.

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

European (1.0)	European (1.1)
Quoi? Tu veux une Potion Bleue, n'est-ce pas ?	Quoi? Tu veux une Potion Bleue, n'est-ce pas?

The pointless space before the punctuation mark was removed here.

European (1.0)	European (1.1)
Tu veux peut-être voir l'Ancêtre des Gorons? Malheureusement il n'est pas là aujourd'hui	Tu veux peut-être voir l'Ancêtre des Gorons? Malheureusement, il n'est pas là aujourd'hui

Another punctuation mark was added here.

European (1.0)	European (1.1)
Oh! Un Goron!Tu vis dans les montagnes? Pourquoi elle est avec toi Taya? Hein? Dis? Pourquoi?	Oh! Un Goron! Tu vis dans les montagnes? Pourquoi elle est avec toi Taya? Hein? Dis? Pourquoi?

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

European (1.0)	European (1.1)
Masque de Vérité Portez-le pour comprendre le langage des animaux et des pierres-potins.	Masque de Vérité Portez-le pour comprendre le langage des animaux et des pierre-potins.

Another spelling mistake was fixed here.

European (1.0)	European (1.1)
Votre bouteille a été remplie de Cuvée Romani! uvez-en pour régénérer votre énergie magique.	Votre bouteille a été remplie de Cuvée Romani! Buvez-en pour régénérer votre énergie magique.

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, not the European, N64 version.

N64 American	Gamecube
Tsk! Is Brac working t'night? I wonder if that'll get finished.	Tsk! Another all-nighter t'night? I wonder if we'll finish it...

N64 American	Gamecube
Tsk, tsk, Brac... I wonder if this'll make it?	Tch! Stupid all-nighters... Can we finish this in time?

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

N64 American	Gamecube
You're our bodyguard, Grasshopper, so you all you have to do is practice hard!	You're our bodyguard, Grasshopper, so all you have to do is practice hard!

Just a grammar fix here.

N64 American	Gamecube
We're the Gorman Brothers and this our Horse Training Center!	We're the Gorman Brothers and this is our Horse Training Center!

Another grammar fix.

N64 American	Gamecube
If you win, we'll give you somethin' nice kid.	If you win, we'll give you somethin' nice, kid.

A comma was added here.

N64 American	Gamecube
You feel all warm and fuzzy! inside! Sigh... You could get used to this!	You feel all warm and fuzzy inside! Sigh... You could get used to this!

The erroneous exclamation mark was removed.

N64 American	Gamecube
I'll buy them	I'll buy it

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

N64 American	Gamecube
Proceed to the Dawn of the 2nd Day? Yes No	Proceed to the Dawn of the Second Day? Yes No

The ordinal has been written out in the Gamecube release.