The control system is identical to the original. The graphics and sounds in Ocarina of Time were probably the best I'll ever find on the Nintendo 64, but by taking advantage of the Expansion Pak, Nintendo succeeded in setting Majora's Mask apart from its predecessor. Expansive vistas that would have been hidden by blankets of fog and mist in Ocarina of Time now stretch far into the distance. I was taken aback a couple of times when I would stand Link at a particular vantage point and actually be able to see the land extend out in front of me while displaying everything in sight. To aid the visuals, Nintendo tries its hand at special effects like motion-blur and particle effects for the first time, but it was the augmentations to the game's environments that work the best.
Textures are much more varied, and the character models appear smoother and animate more naturally.
Environmental effects like multiple light-sources are employed to drape all of Majora's Mask 's environments in all shades of moody color, casting foreboding shadows on everything in sight. This, along with the addition of a decidedly somber selection of background music, gives the game a darker tone than Ocarina of Time , but it is works to perfection in this alternate universe. Whatever the reason, it is clear that Majora's Mask was not meant to be a simple rehash of Ocarina of Time . The story begins somewhat lightheartedly, with a young Link being ambushed by a malicious mask-wearing Skull Kid in the forest. During the ensuing struggle, he loses his trusted steed, Epona, and is left with no course but to follow the thief into the deep, dark forest.