So, I really loved Ocarina of Time.  So much so that I have completed it over 6 times in a 2 week setting back in '98.  And then I played more of it later on.  And then maybe some more and more and more.
 
Now, after receiving my issue of Nintendo Power in early 2000 I believe, there was an article of a NEW Zelda (then titled 'Zelda Gaiden').  It looked bizarre.  Really bizarre.  A clock on the screen?  Transform into a Deku Scrub, Zora, and Goron?  Funky-looking Amazonian boss?  I was not sure if my body was ready.  Then it came out.
 
I hated it.  I hated being timed.  I wanted to explore this bizarro world with all the time in the world.  I hated playing as a Deku Scrub right at the beginning of the game.  As you can tell, I did not get far into the game.  I did not learn about how to slow down time or transform back into young Link.  I quickly dismissed it without another thought. 
 
So now, 10 years later, I found myself reminiscing of my old school days when Majora's Mask came out.  One friend in particular enjoyed the hell out of it and I could not comprehend why.  He told me of how unique and totally crazy it was.  I, again, back then just dismissed it.  Now I want to give this a chance .  I want to finish this damn game!
 
Downloading the game from the Wii's Virtual Console catalog, this time my body is ready.  I started it up and 10 minutes in... I love it.  I fully understand what is happening and why these things are happening.  As I play more and more, the setting and characters really draw me in.  The 3 day cycle and going back in time to a fresh beginning is enticing.  Knowing where to go and what to do reminded me of the film 'Groundhog Day' -- and I freakin' love Bill “Ground Hog Day, Ghost Bustin' Ass" Murray.
 
So, for anybody who hated Majora's Mask back then, please try it again once more.  You may find yourself with a new favorite.

I too gave it a skip for some reason, but loved it when I picked it up 1 year after it's launch.
It is the mature Zelda everyone wants so badly today

Just an update-  I have finished the game... kinda.
 
The game decided to freeze up on me AFTER finishing the Water Temple.  This caused me to have to collect the 7 eggs again, get 2 masks that I have lost, and again finish the Water Temple.  Fuck that.
 
So I decided to download a 100% save since I could not find one that was after the Water Temple.  Anyways, ignoring the freeze, the game was pretty good.  It's just that it really bummed me out of how it just froze like that when it's reported that the VC version is free of any bugs.
 
Majora's Mask.  The game that I have never "finished".

I've never understood the hate for this game, I love it!

Don't feel bad! I am still ignoring Majora's Mask. ^^

Well, I still think Majora's Mask sucks.

Majora's Mask is easily the best in the franchise and, probably, one of my favourite games of all time.

Majora's Mask is worth ignoring.

Best gave ever made in my opinion. Have fun.

If nothing else it was pretty ballsy for Nintendo to release such a wildly different game like 2 years after they made one of the greatest games of all time.

OoT will always be the iconic Zelda game.  However, Majora's Mask will always be my favorite. 
 
I got every damn mask for this game.  Do you know how complicated that damn Keaton mask is?  or the Goron challenge for the fierce diety's mask?! 
 
My poor eleven year old thumbs were worn then collecting all those goodies.

" Don't feel bad! I am still ignoring Majora's Mask. ^^ "

" Best gave ever made in my opinion. Have fun. "

" @Jeust said:

" Don't feel bad! I am still ignoring Majora's Mask. ^^ "

Go play it! Or we are friends no more!  I love Majora's Mask, might be my favorite Zelda even alongside OoT. Its so...strange, yet so familiar. "

" @Jeust:  You do realize its on the N64 right?  You could find the collectors disc thingie, has Zelda 1,2, OoT and Majora on it! "

I've never hated it and I did really love the idea of time, however I definitely don't love it. Some aspects of the game are really cool (such as how dark it is) but I never found myself wanting to explore the world like I did in other Zelda's. Also I found some of the temple and area design to be pretty bad. It is a great game, just not likely to return to it.

You ignored it because it is, by far, the most ignorable main-series title in the Zelda Franchise. I still ignore it, in hopes that it will magically become better when I go through my N64 collection again.

I've yet to play the game^^

I'm not a huge 3D Zelda fan but, but I just love how divisive this game is amongst Zelda fans. It makes me want to give it a shot.

My favourite Zelda title, and has been for so many years. The most original, most mature title to date in this series.

" My favourite Zelda title, and has been for so many years. The most original, most mature title to date in this series. "

Wait till you go for the Sun Mask, possibly one of the best stories Zelda has ever told.

It's the only Zelda game I've ever enjoyed.  
 
I still didn't finish it because fuck the water temple but I still I think it's the best Zelda game. And yes, I've played most of the series for some reason. I kept buying the games in hope that I'd somehow magically learn to enjoy the games. I finally gave up after Wind Waker came out and was the worst one yet. 

Cuz u wuz scurred of dat moon! 
 
I freakin' love Majora's Mask and it was a truly bold move for a game in such an established franchise. 
The thing is I can never pinpoint my fav Zelda game, cause it's utterly dependent of the mood I'm in, but suffice to say it alway waivers between MM, WW, LTTP and OoT.

So I wasn't really in forum communities when this game came out so I don't get why it gets so much hate. Can anyone explain?

True story about Majora's Mask.
 
I was in high school when the game came out. I had a friend who I was super competitive with. He was taking some class on graphic development/building websites while I took study hall. In his class the final was just building a site on good ole geocities. About half way through the semester I checked out his site and he built a Majora's Mask site and it was awful. So I spent a weekend building my own site called, "Majoras Mask Zone". I wrote my own walkthrough, item guide, EVERYTHING. For my mask guide, I went as far as to borrow my parents video camera, record my TV screen, import the video onto my computer and manually capture images of each mask. In two weeks I surpassed the amount of hits his had. At the time, if you googled "Majora's Mask", my site came up 2nd right below the official Nintendo website. All the fan sites linked to my page. I was king of the f'ing WORLD.
 
Cool story bro.

I ignored it because I really hate the 3D zelda games.

Amazing title, and a surprisingly dark for a Nintendo developed game.  Just exploring the world on the final day, and seeing all of the NPC's reactions towards the coming doom of Termina can get emotional.
 
Best way to play it right now, outside of getting the N64 version, is via the VC.  The Collector's Disk version is bugged to high hell, and has rough framerate issues that kill the experience. 

majoras mask had big shoes to fill due to ocarina of time
 
i mean, i still dont understand the negatviity towards the game, yes ocarina was amazing, correction IS STILL amazing
 
but majoras mask is a more refined version of ocarina of time i would say, more sidequests for one, and different gameplay mechanics with the masks and even the 3 day limit which gave it urgency
 
i liked it

Couldn't get into it when it came out, gave it a real shot later on and thought it was OK. I still like OoT more, but I can definitely see why people liked it so much. It's for sure the most unique Zelda, I just think that I go to that series for a more guided experience and the main appeal of Majora was the crazy openness.

So wait. People (including me) enjoyed Majora's Mask because it was dark, fun, original, and deep, while other people didn't like it because they... didn't like it when it came out and have decided to ignore it. That doesn't really bother me, but it does seem like a silly, perhaps even really stupid thing to do. I'm trying to find arguments on this thread that indicate the actual reasons people don't like this game, and I'm not seeing them.

" So wait. People (including me) enjoyed Majora's Mask because it was dark, fun, original, and deep, while other people didn't like it because they... didn't like it when it came out and have decided to ignore it. That doesn't really bother me, but it does seem like a silly, perhaps even really stupid thing to do. I'm trying to find arguments on this thread that indicate the actual reasons people don't like this game, and I'm not seeing them. "

Lots of reasons for liking the game, and none for disliking it. It's kind of off-putting. =/

I for one loved the game since its release. The 3 Day system put me off at the beginning, but then I realized that I could learn how everything would play out with enough time. Then the idea that I could shape the way the world played out by finishing dungeons or finding items was amazing to me.

Ocarina is still my favorite, but Majora holds a very special place in my heart for how much more it made me think to play it.

" Cuz u wuz scurred of dat moon!  "

I knew that was my personal choice for the title, but I was surprised and overjoyed to see Majora's Mask win GameFaqs' Game of the Decade competition, especially given that, like Mass Effect 2 came out in January, Majora's Mask came out way back in 2000, so I assumed it would be ignored and forgotten. 
 
I've never enjoyed a game as much as I enjoyed Majora's Mask, and it's nice to see it get some kudos.

I never ignored it and even think that it is my favorite Zelda game. Some of the sidequests are downright remarkable and you get to explore ever inch of the dark world.