The World is like a ride in an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it you think it's real, because that's how powerful our minds are. And the ride goes up and down and round and round, and it has thrills and chills and is very brightly colored, and it's very loud. And it's fun, for a while.

Some people have been on the ride for a long time, and they've begun to question, 'Is this real, or is this just a ride?', and other people have remembered, and they've come back to us and they say 'Hey, don't worry. Don't be afraid, ever, because this is just a ride.' and we KILL THOSE PEOPLE.

"Shut him up! We have alot invested in this ride! SHUT HIM UP! Look at my furrows of worry. Look at my big bank account, and my family. This has to be real."

It's just a ride.

But we always kill those good guys who try and tell us that. You ever noticed that? And let the demons run amok. But it doesn't matter, because ... It's just a ride.

And we can change it anytime we want. It's only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings of money. A choice, right now, between fear and love. The eyes of fear wants you to put bigger locks on your door, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love, instead see all of us as one.

Here's what we can do to change the world right now, to a better ride:

Take all that money we spent on weapons and defense each year and instead spend it feeding, clothing, and educating the poor of the world, which it would many times over, not one human being excluded, and WE CAN EXPLORE SPACE, TOGETHER, BOTH INNER AND OUTER, forever ... in peace.

-- Bill Hicks (1961 - 1994)

WATCH MY FUCKING VIDEO, IF YOU'RE FEELING DOWN, HOPELESS OR ANY OTHER USELESS FEELING! REMEMBER THAT ONLY YOU CAN MAKE A CHANGE!

Yeah, this is an odd idea I've been thinking about whilst playing Majora's Mask. It is a "Depressing Happy" game. Why is it both? Well think about it.

You are flung into a world that has been devastated by an angry Imp. The four corners of Termina have been wrecked. The forest is corrupted and poisoned. The mountains have been blanketed in eternal winter. The sea is dark and turbulent. The canyons are filled with the dead. And the imp, Skull Kid, is going to crush the world in three days.

And thats not all. The game gives every character a personality and a reason for you to save the world. Take probably the most famous example- Anju and Kafei. They promised each other that they would wed on the day of the Carnival of Time. Which is the day Skull Kid will crush the world with the moon. Not only that but the Skull Kid has turned Kafei into a child, and as such Kafei is in hiding. This is the largest side-quest I have ever played, culminating in you reuniting the couple... 5 minutes before the moon lands.

The main troubles, however, are these- the Deku Princess has been kidnapped and the Deku royalty have imprisoned a forest monkey. The Gorons have been blanketed with ice and their hero dead. The one of the Zora's, Lulu, has gave birth to several Zora eggs but they have been stolen by the Gerudo Pirates, and as stated the once great kingdom of Ikana has been plagued with the Dead.

And of course there are the Masks. One of the main features of Majora's Mask is the ability to transform into 3 creatures- A Deku, a Goron, and a Zora. These masks are not simply found and full of magic- they contain the souls of members of that race, more specifically, Darunia Hero fo the Gorons, Mikau Guitarist of the Zora's and an unkown Deku, who is assumed to be the buttlers son. Now in the case of these three it is the only truly depressing part of the game, as you cannot bring them back to life simply impersonate them.

Now comes to the part that makes me love Majora's Mask. The NPC's and the Bomber's Notebook. At the start of the game, you join a group of children known as the Bombers. They are not the type of childhood gang you see today, spray painting walls and loitering. No, these children have one goal- help people. To this effect, you get their notebook. In this notebook are 20 blank slots you fill these with people who need help, and when you successfully help them you place a happiness sticker.

Here is where the game becomes truly depressing happy for me. Of course the first stage of this is depressing, a particularly poignant example is of the Romani Ranch. In this ranch are the two sisters Cremia (Eldest) and Romani (The youngest and named after the ranch). Romani needs you to protect the farm from "them" and if you fail she and the cows are stolen. She then appears on the 3rd day seemingly lobotomized. The other sister needs you to help her deliver milk to Clock Town and stopping it from being destroyed by the rival ranch.
Of course you can only do this after destroying the massive boulder blocking the ranch.

Another sad thing with them is on the 3rd day, assuming you saved them in their respective trials, Romani is over the moon (heh) at being accepted as an adult by her older sister. Of course this is only because Cremia is all to aware of the impending doom Termina faces. As you leave, Romani gives you a cheery "See you tomorow", while Cremia seems to be more aware of your status as hero saying "See you... tomorrow... okay?"

A lot of depressing things come on the Final Day. The Swordsman who was briming with confidence, claiming to be able to "Cut the moon in half" is found cowering in the back of his dojo, crying with fear. The postman who just wants to be loyal and stay on schedule needs permission to flee the city. The farm hand who wants to see his chicks grow into roosters.

There are too many to list. In a normal situation this would be an astoundingly sad game. But damnit, you are Link. And you