The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D Reviews
New time management tools and tweaked battles make Majora's Mask 3D a comfortable fit for Nintendo's handheld.
Majora's Mask remains one of the most daring sequels ever. Who would follow up a blockbuster, medium-defining hit by wrapping the familiar in such strange and unearthly trappings these days? Majora's Mask 3D feels at home among today's indie games, but it also serves as a reminder that there used to be room for the offbeat at all levels of the games industry. And with the tweaks and improvements this version enjoys over the original release, it remains quite playable despite its age.
Still, as a new version of a game many never played, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D has plenty of improvements that overall make it a more playable experience. In fact, the live, die, repeat nature of the game seems more at home on a portable device than a console (despite that fact that I would rather play in on my Wii U). Beyond all that, though, there really isn't another game like this Zelda. In a medium where nearly every aspect of other big games are redone over and over, Majora's Mask is still an adventure like no other.
Majora's Mask might be the best Zelda game, but then again, you could say that about almost all of the mainline instalments in the series. This remake changes that title – for the better, from a technical view – but that's likely to mess with fans' nostalgic tendencies and will confuse returning players at points. But, for anyone playing Majora's Mask for the first time, this is an extremely refined reworking of a game which would likely feel archaic and broken if released again in its original state.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D proves that this series can truly transcend time, with the game being just as fun as it was nearly 15 years ago, while also bringing new additions that will make it near impossible to go back to the original.
ABXY Moon (sorry)
Despite suffering from some frustrating camera issues, 'The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D' is the must-own remake Nintendo's fans have been waiting for.
Majora's Mask holds up well, and even if it isn't as near-perfect as Ocarina, the comforting improvements make it more than worth your time.
Unsurprisingly, Nintendo has treated this remaster with as much care as the opus Ocarina of Time 3D, that is to say that we are in the presence of a tremendous success on the form thanks to a graphics that does not distort the original work, but the sublime to take it towards more current standards.
Review in French | Read full review
As much as the first hour or so of the game frustrated me, I really grew to love Majora's Mask 3D. The best way to describe the game is to think of the change between Zelda and Zelda II: both are great games, but both play very differently. Although the transition from Ocarina of Time to Majora\'s Mask isn\'t as drastic, at first it really doesn\'t feel like a traditional Zelda game. Maybe that\'s the charm of it though. It's so outside of the box that you don't expect it to flow together at first, but a couple hours in, you come to the realization that not only is this a great Zelda game, it is easily one of the best. Great dungeons, a deep and intricate story, and excellent side quests due to the 3 Day window make for a Zelda game that every 3DS owner should pick up, whether they played the original or not.
Some aspects of Majora's Mask haven't aged quite that well, and one boss fight has been changed dramatically for the worse, but on the whole, Nintendo has done a stellar job updating the quirkiest and most thematically rich Zelda game for newcomers and old fans alike.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D exists as the definitive version of one of gaming's best titles.
Majora's Mask 3D is all that a remake of the original could ask for. Not only does Nintendo deliver the original's immersive plot, extremely challenging temples, multiple side-quests and the overall gloom and sorrow that surrounds the adventure, it still finds space for improvements, even at a handheld level. Let the inexperienced be warned, though: this will not go easy on the newly-arrived.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Overall, Majora's Mask 3D does a great job of bringing a beloved title back. The action remains solid and players have a bunch of stuff to do, including several well-designed side quests. If you loved the original or happened to miss it and would like to see what all the fuss is about, Majora's Mask 3D is a classic that stands the test of time. It definitely won't be a terrible fate to play it — in fact, I'd say it would be the opposite.
Literally transfigured, Majora's Mask expresses here all the ambitions carried by its resolutely dramatic tone. With a concept based on the sometimes oppressive management of time and an approach favouring ancillary activities, this episode certainly goes round in circles, but is nonetheless visionary.
Review in French | Read full review
Majora's Mask is a rich, complicated game and quite distinct from its predecessor despite appearances. As with Ocarina, the existence of the 3DS remaster only serves to highlight the game design shortcomings of the N64 original, but even if that updated version remains the 'easiest' way to get into the game - especially for newcomers - that doesn't render the original version 'unplayable' or undesirable. The fact is Majora's Mask is still magnificent, delivering the usual Zelda blend of action and adventure through a skewed, surreal lens that feels thrilling to this day and remains unique in the series. With music, visuals and characters that create an incredible mood, Majora's Mask turns watching the end of the world approach into a pleasurable experience.
Majora's Mask 3D is a bit of a contradiction. It is perhaps the most modern Zelda title; but this makes it at times feel nothing like a Zelda game at all. MM3D subverts the franchise's core values (exploration, purity of heart, temperance) in a way that teeters on modernity, reaching toward innovation but not quite breaking free of convention. MM3D both suffers from its allegiance to the Zelda ethos while also etching out a unique position within the franchise's context. Ultimately, although its attempts at innovation have mixed success, the core Zelda gameplay is still fun, endearing, and challenging.
The most daring entry in the franchise is better than ever
Ocarina Of Time might be the undisputed masterpiece, but Majora's Mask has slowly become a deserving cult favourite.
Many people overlooked Majora's Mask originally because it wasn't "Ocarina of Time 2." As its 3DS revival shows, however, Majora's Mask is in many ways superior to its N64 predecessor. Nintendo and Grezzo have made a cult-classic more accessible, refined and enjoyable than ever before, and its return to the spotlight has cemented just how ahead of its time it was. Some of its flaws live on in this 3DS remaster, but ultimately The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D is a game that absolutely deserves your time.