As a veteran gamer who’s witnessed the evolution of gaming since the N64 era, I can’t help but feel a twinge of nostalgia upon learning about the abandoned Voice Recognition Unit (VRU) support for The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask.
Imagine, if you will, the potential immersion of waking sleeping Deku Scrubs with a simple “Hey!” or commanding Link to take a photo by saying “Say cheese.” It would have been a unique feature that could have added an extra layer of interactivity to an already exceptional game.
However, looking back, I can see why Nintendo ultimately decided against it. The VRU was primarily marketed with Hey You, Pikachu!, and its audience was predominantly younger players. Majora’s Mask, on the other hand, has always appealed to a more mature crowd. Implementing a feature that would have catered to such a narrow crossover audience might not have been worth the trouble.
In 2015, when the game was re-released on Nintendo 3DS, there was still no voice command functionality, even though the system had a built-in microphone. It seems that this feature was never really a priority for Nintendo.
At the end of the day, I’d like to think that the VRU support didn’t impact the game’s success because Majora’s Mask is simply that good. But on a lighter note, it’s hard not to wonder what Link would have said if he could talk – perhaps something as profound as “Epona, let us ride!” or as mundane as “I need a new sword.” Ah, the joys of what-ifs!
Back in the autumn of 2000, “The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask” was launched on N64 in North America. Simultaneously, “Hey You, Pikachu!” became accessible on the console, accompanied by a unique accessory called the Voice Recognition Unit. Regrettably, Nintendo didn’t provide much backing for this peripheral during its market tenure, as it was compatible only with “Hey You, Pikachu!” and another unpublished game from Japan. It appears that plans existed for at least one more game to utilize it, and that game would have been “Majora’s Mask”.
25 years after its debut, a hidden Virtual Reality Unit (VRU) support feature in “The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask” was recently uncovered by YouTuber Skawo. Despite Nintendo choosing to eliminate this feature for unknown reasons, it appears that the VRU support may not have advanced much as it only worked with the Japanese VRU and recognized only Japanese voice lines. Interestingly, these VRU files are present in all versions of the game.
As per Skawo’s explanation, the Virtual Realty User (VRU) interface would have enabled players to swap certain button actions for voice commands. For instance, saying “say cheese” would trigger the Pictograph Box to capture an image, while saying “milk” would make cows produce milk. Additionally, the VRU could be utilized to rouse sleeping Deku Scrubs. There were indeed other applications, but it appears that this functionality was not critically missed in the final product.
It’s unclear why Nintendo opted out of including VRU support for “Majora’s Mask,” but it may have been due to the game’s audience being distinct from that of “Hey You, Pikachu!”. The latter was primarily designed for younger audiences, whereas Zelda games typically cater to an older demographic. Given that a feature appealing to such a narrow crossover audience might not have been beneficial, it was likely deemed unnecessary. Interestingly, when “Majora’s Mask” was re-released in 2015 for the Nintendo 3DS, which has a built-in microphone, voice commands were still not implemented, suggesting that this feature was never considered crucial or worth preserving.
In retrospect, the absence of Virtual Reality Unit (VRU) compatibility didn’t significantly affect the acclaimed success of “The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask”. Even after a quarter-century since its launch, this N64 game continues to be hailed as one of the best in its console class and among the top Zelda series titles. Adding VRU support could have been an appealing feature for those who owned the peripheral, but considering the potential effort involved, it may not have been worthwhile. Nevertheless, it’s intriguing to imagine what a different experience we might have had!
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2024-12-30 01:10