The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D

Genre: Action-RPG

Players: 1

.

Review:

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask is an Action-RPG first released on Nintendo 64 in 2000, created as a direct sequel to 1998’s The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. However, where Ocarina of Time earned universal praise as one of the greatest games of all time, Majora’s Mask was somewhat more divisive. It was noticeably darker in tone, featured some odd and off-putting characters (I’m lookin’ at you, Tingle), and had an unorthodox three day in-game time limit with a Groundhog Day-style time loop. In addition to this, the game required the use of the Nintendo 64 Expansion Pack, one of only a small handful of games to do so.

In the time since its original release, Majora’s Mask has become a favorite among many fans of the Zelda series, and it is specifically the unique and divisive qualities of the game that made it so beloved. Its time loop structure is still seen by many as revolutionary in a way that few games have been able to copy. Its new mask abilities offer not just added moves to the player’s tool set, but completely change the hero’s move set and their ability to interact with the environment. And its darker tone lent the game a menace that made for higher stakes that were difficult to ignore – not only is a massive moon constantly bearing down on you to remind you of the impending apocalypse drawing nearer, but the moon bears a freakish glaring face as well.

I’ve personally never been quite as enamored with Majora’s Mask as I was with its predecessor – perhaps this is due to my personal distaste for time limits, or perhaps the more offbeat nature of the game simply didn’t appeal to me as much as it does others. However, I respect its incredible creativity, its unique nature, and its willingness to buck series trends and provide something truly different that still fits within the Zelda formula.

When Nintendo released a Nintendo 3DS remake of Ocarina of Time in 2011, a remake that many (myself included) feel to be the best version of that game, many wondered if that game’s sequel would receive a similar remake. It took a bit of a wait, but in 2015, we finally saw the release of Majora’s Mask 3D, and I think it’s safe to say that it was worth the wait.

The first and most obvious change this game has received in its transition to the Nintendo 3DS is to the graphics – the original game’s 20-30FPS framerates have been upgraded to a steady 30FPS, the textures have been greatly improved, and many characters and environments have more detailed 3D models now too. The result is a game that looks immensely better. The soundtrack has been remastered as well, though the difference doesn’t seem too noticeable there.

It’s not just the changes to the visuals that really make this a huge leap beyond the original game, though. There have also been multiple changes made to the gameplay, both to take advantage of the Nintendo 3DS’s capabilities, as well as to add some nice quality-of-life changes.

First, there are changes to controls. Players using a Circle Pad Pro or a New Nintendo 3DS will be able to make full use of the second analog input to control the camera, something that feels so natural that it’s a wonder it wasn’t there to begin with. Players can also hold down a button to use gyroscopic motion control, something that’s particularly useful when you’re trying to make subtle adjustments when aiming ranged weapons. And players can access their inventory and reassign items to different buttons (or even on-screen buttons) on the fly using the touchscreen, with a special touchscreen button dedicated to the frequently-used ocarina.

The game also makes it easier to save by adding more save statues throughout the game. The original game’s time-skipping song now lets players choose how much time to skip, and players using the ocarina to travel back in time now have a reminder of what items they’ll lose if they do so. The Bomber’s Notebook is now obtainable earlier, and has greater functionality. There’s even an entirely new optional side-quest involving assisting one character recovering from a hangover.

Some of the other changes present in this game get more mixed results. Many of the boss fights have been changed to add more structure or even additional phases, but this can make for slower and more tedious pacing (the fight against the Twinmold boss seems to be particularly frustrating for many players in this remake). The Deku Link transformation makes it much easier to use his bubble attack, but movement when skipping over water is slower and less fluid. Zora Link’s standard method of swimming has been changed to be slower and more manageable, with the faster swimming of the original game now requiring magic to use. There are numerous other smaller changes throughout the game, but you get the point – the changes in this remake are not always clearly an improvement.

While it is certainly far from a flawless remake, the overwhelming majority of the changes to The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D are positive, make the game more accessible, make it look better, play better, and overall make this the best version of a truly unique and beloved entry in the Zelda franchise. If you are a Zelda fan, you should consider this a must-have game, possibly even if you own the original release. And if you’re a Nintendo 3DS owner who enjoyed Ocarina of Time 3D and are craving more, this game is a no-brainer.

tl;dr – The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D is a remake of the Nintendo 64 Action-RPG that improves the visuals and adds numerous quality-of-life improvements. While not all of the changes here are unequivocally positive, for the most part they make for a huge improvement, making this the best version of a much-beloved and truly unique entry in the Zelda franchise.

Grade: A

^{You can support eShopperReviews on Patreon! Please click HERE to become a Sponsor!}

^{This month’s sponsors are Ben, Andy Miller, Exlene, Homer Simpin, Johannes, Talissa, Eli Goodman, Gabriel Coronado-Medina, Ilya Zverev, Kristoffer Wulff, and Seth Christenfeld. Thank you for helping to keep the reviews coming!}