The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D

After the successful re-release of Ocarina of Time on the 3DS in 2011, Nintendo has decided to do the same with the other N64 Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask. This isn’t a simple graphical update, as The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D has received many significant changes to its gameplay mechanics to adhere to casual gamers. While it lacks the same magnitude of content found in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Majora’s Mask 3D is a delightful adventure that anyone with a 3DS shouldn’t miss.

Taking place after the events of Ocarina of Time, the Link has wandered into a country called Termina. This strange land host a strange cast of characters and supernatural events. The largest being the moon, which is falling and will hit the land of Termina in 72 hours unless Link finds Skull Kid and retreives an item of terrible power called Majora’s Mask. In order to succeed, Link must liberate four spirits from four temples scattered throughout the world. These spirits can save the world from the moon, but a magical clouding in Termina has imprisoned them, but with his mystic ocarina Link can travel back in time to live them over and over again.

The graphical update is immediately apparent, with the 3DS delivering magnificent visuals. Unlike the N64 version of Majora’s Mask, Termina Field is no longer barren, but instead filled with lush vegetation. The character and enemy animations are more fluid, with the blocky textures that once saturated the previous version of Majora’s Mask now gone. Nintendo went a step further to revise the original soundtrack with a more modern style.

The most significant changes come in how the player manages quests. Instead of having to write notes or navigate through internet forums to keep track of the many quests in Termina, Link’s Bomber’s Notebook tracks everything. This notebook automatically adds new entries when Link encounters specific NPCs and track each quest line’s progress. Failures and successes are tracked to keep the game friendly to new players.

Changes that were present in Ocarina of Time 3D have also been integrated into Majora’s Mask 3D. Switching out items using the touch screen and pulling up ocarina melodies have been added to the mix. Others including warping to specific hour of the current day using the Song of Double Time and firing bubbles in first-person greatly enhance the experience.

The save system has changed to accommodate casual gamers. In the original Majora’s Mask for the N64 players were limited to temporary save points using owl statues. Once loaded the original save was erased, and the only way to permanently save was to warp to the beginning of the three-day cycle using the Song of Time. While this added a lot of tension in the original game this new system allows players to enjoy Majora’s Mask in bursts instead of long sessions.

With four dungeons and a staggering amount of side-quests, expect to spent a while in Termina, especially if you’re seeking to unlock everything. The clever use of masks to transform grants Link a multitude of abilities, each with requires clever use in order to solve the various puzzles throughout the game. Expect a challenge here, the bosses in Majora’s Mask outclass the adversaries from Ocarina of Time and have been revised for the remake. Instead of following a predictable pattern the bosses tend to break their cycle and act with original actions, forcing the player to respond accordingly.

Majora’s Mask runs fine on older 3DS models, but if given the choice, play on the New 3DS. The tiny C-stick allows you to change the camera at will and helps greatly during boss encounters. Playing on the older models will require the player to lock Link in place before the camera can be moved using the circle pad or gyroscope. This becomes equally annoying during boss fights or shooting while riding Epona.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D is an amazing game that proves that Hyrule, Ganon, Zelda, or the Triforce are not necessary for a great Zelda game. Termina feels alive with its many inhabitants, each with unique stories and tie into the overall story wonderfully. The visuals are gorgeous and the game has aged well to deliver a different experience than what you had with Ocarina of Time while still feeling like a Zelda game. While the game does lack extra features found in Ocarina of Time, such as The Master Quest or Boss Rush, it’s clear that Nintendo put a lot of thought in developing this update to Majora’s Mask. It’s a worthwhile experience for Zelda and adventure fans alike.

Adam Siddiqui, NoobFeed
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