Time After Time - Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask

Few companies have produced as impressive a collection of AAA titles as Nintendo, so it shouldn’t surprise many that the home that Pokémon and Mario built have been hard at work reinventing classic titles for a modern audience. In 2000, Nintendo produced The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask for the Nintendo 64. It was deemed the greatest game of the decade by many within a year’s time; and proved to be a stark departure from the traditional warm-hearted antics of the LoZ franchises’ past with something far more sinister. Receptive to the clarion cries of its impressive fandom, Nintendo has fashioned together a 2015 port of its famed title for the Nintendo 3DS. 

As the story goes, Link happens upon a blighted land that has fallen victim to an antagonist that desires to see it burn. The antagonist, with the power of the Majora’s Mask, has caused the moon to fall upon the city: Link has three days to prevent this, but he is doomed to repeat the three days ad infinitum until he can restore order. Between the game’s twisted, albeit memorable characters, and the very reality that Link is forgotten by all once he returns back in time, the game is remarkably one of the darkest titles produced by Nintendo to reach such stardom.

The 2015 revision of Majora’s Mask brings with it updated visuals and extensive usage of the 3DS various capabilities. When accessing the bow and arrow, for example, the player must motion the 3DS in real life as though they were positioning it to target the object they wish to strike. Of course there exists the option to use the joystick, but the former method comes with more precision, and consequently more ease. If anything, the game seems easier than its N64 predecessor; while some of the changes are minor, one must question whether such revisions are necessary. With more locations to save, and certain plot elements being more accessible, some have criticized Nintendo for trying to fix what isn’t broken. With the title standing tall as one of gaming’s greatest, it isn’t surprising that some might liken this to trying to reinvent the Mona Lisa.

Nonetheless, Majora’s Mask for 3DS is a proper port that is as compelling as it was 15 years ago. Certain changes bring a sense of suspense to seasoned veterans, rekindling the excitement many felt as they raced through the Lost Woods with Link for the first time toward a new land. With clever design changes that are most welcome, the 3DS version of Majora’s Mask accomplishes what the DS remake of Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time could not. The latter, a near 1:1 port of the original Nintendo 64 1998 version, did little to take advantage of the systems mechanics, and thus it felt foreign to play.