PixlBit

Matt R shows off some do-it-yourself Gamefaq'ing.

Everyone's jotted down a video game password or tricky puzzle solution for future reference at some point. For Zelda completionists though, a Post-It note just isn't going to cut it.

I really liked Majora's Mask for tying sidequests and non-playable characters to the 3-day time mechanic, but finding every single one of the game's heart pieces, equipment upgrades, and masks was made more daunting than in any other Zelda; unfortunately, this meant that careful overworld exploration was replaced by sheer dumb luck in being in the right place at the right time. Getting help from Gamefaqs is one way to get around the tedium if you're a lazy cheater; a good compromise is sticking with ye olde handwritten grocery store checklist:

Keeping track of a huge overworld was the main challenge for early Zelda games, but the difficulty shifted in favor of labyrinthine dungeons/temples in the jump to 3D (Wind Waker being an interesting exception). If you like to play these newer Zeldas more than once then I suggest grabbing a pencil and paper; MM has without a doubt some of the most mind-bending temples of all, and the time limit and terrible pause screen maps only magnify the difficulty. Beyond that, having a physical map makes for a great souvenir in a way that no achievement “trophy” or filled inventory could ever duplicate.

Here are what the latter three dungeons look like with step-by-step directions included:

You probably already know that the last temple is a legendarily sick maze, but Snowhead Temple is a doozy too. Walk in to the main “lobby” and there are six different doors in sight! Not a very intuitive design if you ask me.

 

The water temple is back to crush souls and make children cry. At least it's much more refined than the one found in Ocarina of Time.

 

Stone Tower is one of a kind. Making it all the way to the end boss will require flipping this dungeon upside-down multiple times.

 

Well readers, have you ever drawn your own video game guide?