Okay, so I just beat Majora's Mask again, this time without obtaining any optional masks (which most of them are) or helping anyone from the Bomber's Notebook.
I had heard some speculation about little additions to the ending depending on certain masks you obtain during the game, but specific data were nowhere to be found. So I just beat the game with only the Gibdo Mask, Garo's Mask, Captain's Hat and Giant Mask (the only non-character masks you need to beat the game), and to my surprise there are 9 mask-related mini segments of the ending (that you either get to see or don't depending on whether you obtained the mask or not).
During the staff credits it will then just shows a black background with the mask in question rotating in the bottom right corner - urging you to return to those sidequests to actually watch all those extra scenes.
I list for you all masks which affect the ending (in order of appearance, of course), and what part of the ending you miss out on if you don't have the mask in question:
1) Postman's Hat : The postman runs across Termina Field back to town
2) Kamaro's Mask : The Rosa sisters perform the dance at the Carnival (in the Milk Bar)
3) Great Fairy Mask : You see the 5 Great Fairies hover in line and cast their colorful magic things
4) Romani's Mask : You see Romani shooting 3 ghost-shaped balloons in a row with her bow
5) Blast Mask : You see the bomb shop owner and his mom side to side in front of the shop
6) Bunny Hood : You see Grog in the Cucco shack surrounded by all of his (grown-up) cuccos
7) Circus Leader's Mask : You see Gorman being his drunk self in the Milk Bar, looking around at the other people
8] Bremen Mask : You see the guy with his (Song of Storms themed) music box in the Milk Bar (a lot of characters are also in this sequence)
After this you see the scene where Pamela runs towards her father and he picks her up (close to their house). This scene you will get no matter what, although if there WAS a way to beat the game without the Gibdo Mask, I’m pretty sure this would be optional too (since then her dad would still be a half-Gibdo). At any rate, you get this scene before the Anju & Kafei’s Wedding (or just see the Couple’s Mask if you didn’t complete the sidequest).
9) Couple's Mask : You see Anju's wedding in Termina Field, with all her friends and relatives present
I should also point out that all these scenes occur right after each other, some flowing over into others, so for example with regard to the sequence in the Milk Bar you will of course see several more characters than just the ones immediately pertaining to certain masks, but if you don't have one of these masks the entire sequence is not shown. Makes getting everything all the more rewarding!
So yeah, I was oddly pleased about finding all of this out. I'm a perfectionist so usually by the time I beat the final boss I'll have obtained almost everything in the game, so I would never have ended up seeing this "minimal" ending. Interesting stuff!
Since I'm replaying MM I've decided to do it (almost) twice so I can create a file where I don't get these 9 Masks, to be able to save it on my GC memory card, so I can go see the minimal ending on the GC Collector's Edition. That way I can free up that save file on my N64 to replay the game without having to worry about it freezing.
This time I'll be getting
everything except these 9 Masks, and I thought I should write about the implications of not having access to these, as some sidequests depend on them. Here's the list:
1) Postman's Hat : Not having the Postman deliver the letter to Madame Aroma means he can't flee, so no Postman's Hat, meaning one less Heart Piece.
2) Kamaro's Mask : Not teaching the Rosa sisters the dance to perform at the Carnival means one less Heart Piece.
3) Great Fairy Mask : Not talking to ANY Great Fairy (after getting Magic Power) means not getting any of the 4 upgrades. Major bummer!
4) Romani's Mask : You could do the carriage sidequests, but you'd have to let the Gorman Brothers win, by letting them destroy the milk bottles so Cremia can't deliver to the Milk Bar. No Romani's Mask means you don't get to go into the Milk Bar - although you can STILL do the sidequest with the letter to Madame Aroma (you can deliver it yourself during the day, when you aren't required to show the mask to get in).
5) Blast Mask : Not saving the Old Lady from the Bomb Shop means no handy
Blast Mask, which also prevents you from buying the
All-Night Mask, UNLESS you use a Fire Arrow to hit Sakon (you basically blow him up alongside the Bomb Bag). You won't get the Blast Mask from the Old Lady, but you will get a different comment from her, and since the bomb bag got blown up, the Curiosity Shop guy will have no choice but sell the All-Night Mask on the Final Night.
6) Bunny Hood : You don't get to receive the Bremen Mask anyway, but obviously no Bunny Hood means walking slowly everywhere... at least you can be a Goron on the road, but in smaller places and dungeons you'll just be slow.
7) Circus Leader's Mask : No downside to not getting this mask - it's only purpose is to make the 3 Gorman Brothers ball their eyes out. At least this mask has some merit since without it, you're missing a big part of the ending!
8] Bremen Mask : I love listening to Guru Guru, but you don't get to do that. Sadly that also means no Bunny Hood, since that is its main point.
9) Couple's Mask : Though it's the most satisfying sidequest, it's also the longest and most complicated one, and you only miss one Heart Piece by not getting it (Mayor Dotour's meeting). But ending-wise you obviously miss Anju & Kafei's wedding... (though you don't actually SEE Kafei.)
So it's 9 masks you're not getting (10 if you count the Fierce Deity Mask), and with those, 3 heart pieces. You actually ARE able to get all 4 heart pieces on the moon, since you can do al 4 minidungeons (you need 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 10 masks do get into all of them. You have to ask the kids to go back (or just go into the blue light at the start), because you won't have any extra masks to give them at the end).
