New features of The Legend pf Zelda Majora's Mask 3D

Link's return in Majora's Mask on the Nintendo 3DS - New Features

22/2/2015

Majora's Mask 3DS - A delightful new edition to the portable gaming world

It has been fifteen years since my first experience of dealing with that pesky Skull Kid in The Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask. Today I am as happy as ever with my experience of playing Majora's Mask on my Nintendo 3DS. I am still captivated by the strangeness that unfolds right from the beginning of the game when meeting Skull Kid for the first time. Now, I don't want to recycle the storyline from start to finish but instead I want to talk about some of my favourite differences between the Nintendo 64 classic and today's re-hashing of Majora's Mask.

During the initial scenes of Majora's Mask it's immensely clear that I was playing an aesthetically stunning game. The textures are rounder and smooth to the point of absolute perfection along with a richly satisfying colour saturation. I was recently playing Ocarina of Time on my Nintendo 3DS and found the colour palette quite dull in comparison to Majora's Mask. I didn't expect anything less as I've always found Majora's Mask to look much nicer than Ocarina of Time. There's just something about that deep, dark purple that really draws me in.

Graphics on the Nintendo 3DS

Graphics on the Nintendo 64

I've been playing Majora's Mask on the old 3DS so I haven't felt the benefit of the new C-stick control system. The camera panning feels a little clunky on my current 3DS but this is supposed to improve to become more fluid on the new Nintendo 3DS. Additionally, I've never been a fan of the 3D capability on the Nintendo 3DS so I've mostly been playing with the 3D off. The enhanced hardware of the new 3DS allows for a smoother stereoscopic 3D feel. Personally I feel this will enhance an already beautiful looking game. If any of you guys have played Majora's Mask on the new Nintendo 3DS then let me know how it plays. Are there any Majora's Mask secrets that I'm missing out on?

The Bombers Notebook has been vastly improved in the revamped Majora's Mask. My sources tell me that this has been a welcome feature amongst the gaming community. Win! The Bombers Notebook becomes available much earlier in the game which appeals to me a lot more as the story adopted a more seamless approach. If you are new to Majora's Mask then I feel the Bombers Notebook will be a key asset in helping you to make sense of the world. Achievements, event logs, character notes and more are stored here and with the time travel element to Majora's Mask seeming confusing at times, the Bomber's Notebook helped me to keep everything in focus. Termina feels like a friendlier place thanks to the Bombers Notebook.

The Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask 3D on the Nintendo 3DS

There are many subtle differences in The Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask 3D and I want to know what some of your favourite are? Are there any differences that you do not like? Drop me a comment below or join me on Facebook. Overall, it's a solid remake that ensures the magic of Termina can live on even longer. Order your copy from one of my trusted affiliates here.

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Juicy Game Reviews

14 Comments

Lu link

22/2/2015 07:43:20

I never got into this game, but I always did admire the artwork and like you said, the color palette used throughout. The game just seemed to me to be a total departure from the type of Zelda game I was accustomed to so it slightly put me off. Maybe one day I'll get this version of the game and give it a chance. Nice writeup!

Juicy Game Reviews

22/2/2015 07:58:01

Thanks for the comment Lu. I certainly feel that the story is very strange and does not feel as solid compared to OOT. Graphically and mechanically I think it feels a lot sounder than OOT though.
The colour purple draws me in lol

Martijn

22/2/2015 08:00:18

majoras mask on the new nintendo 3ds plays the best ever! The 3d is so good the new stick is also awesome! I recommend buying the new 3ds

22/2/2015 08:05:37

Do you have the new 3DS XL? Is it worth the upgrade?

22/2/2015 08:09:28

I have the old nintendo 3ds xl and the new 3ds xl and I only in play in 3d now and before i hated the 3d effect and now i am loving the 3d! the stick will be more useful in the future even more with more games to come! If you have the money for it I recommend the upgrade if you want experience the 3d effect as it supposed to be

22/2/2015 08:14:12

By the way i would love a christmas card or any card from you hihix

22/2/2015 08:14:53

Christmas card coming your way (at Christmas lol)

22/2/2015 08:27:56

i cant wait haha thanks😃

Ben S

23/2/2015 07:28:22

Hi Gemma. It is BenRai. Since this is a special game to me I thought i'd post a comment on your blog instead of on Youtube. I agree about the purple, it really draws me in too.

I always thought Majora's Mask was an odd game for Nintendo, very bizarre and somewhat dark. I got it in 2000 and loved it, but always felt I had to say Oot was my favourite of the two. However as time has passed, I will say MM is my ultimate favourite Zelda.

This is how I look at the 2 N64 Zeldas. Oot is more of an epic adventure, while MM is a bizarre sidequest. However Majora's Mask is a lot deeper and even more so than any of the other Zeldas - Windwaker, Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword.

I loved how Clocktown had "real lives" in motion, and how you could interrupt and intervene with them and set a chain of events in action which carries on through out the 3 day system. No other Zelda has really had such depth and allowed me to connect and explore NPCs like MM has. I was hoping Skyward Sword's Skyloft would be like Clock Town - but it was a bit static and no one really had lives or errands you could get involved with.

A lot of people are put off and scared by the 3 day cycle, but there really is no need to be. For starters it is possible to slow time down right away and basically give yourself what is the equivalent of 3 days extra, making about 6. That is more than enough time to complete a temple - the only real reason to stress out over the time really.

To add to that I enjoyed the 3 day cycle because I enjoyed creating efficient day cycle routes to take. How can I make the most of my time in this 3 day cycle? I often begin with doing as many sidequests in clocktown before venturing off to the Southern Swamp to begin the first temple. To me allocating time as well as possible is a exciting aspect and it is a shame others see the time "limit" as a threat more than look at it from the angle of it just being another means of essentially creating a best route through the game.

I think if I had the opportunity to show people the "route" and way I control the time in the first few cycles the time aspect that worries people would lull away. Saying that, even though the time limit is no real threat to me now I have my pattern of playing the game down, I still enjoy the aspect I do literally have ticking bomb - or moon, waiting to go off right above my head.

I started to play my friend's copy on the 3ds and I saw a few changes. The bomber notebook as you say is a lot better now - not explored it fully but I was seeing things it never used to record being added to the notebook. So very useful.

I also got to the first boss in Southern Swamp who has been made harder to kill, which surprised me since other aspects have been added to the game to make it a bit easier, like the extra save statues. Instead of being able to kill the first boss within 7 seconds, it actually was a battle and took me over a minute or two at least.

Another good addition is when you play the song of double time you can select exactly which hour on which day you wish to jump too. Very useful for quests where you need to wait for a few in game hours to pass before you can continue on with the next part of a quest.

I could go on about MM forever, but I hope the new Zelda on Wii U gives us a rich landscape with "real lives" like the people in Termina and Clock town which we can get involved with.

26/2/2015 12:37:53

Hi Ben

What an answer!! Ten Christmas cards await you. Yes MM seems very moody at times. I definitely prefer OOT. There seems to be more magic within OOT!! I'll never forget my first experience of playing it.

Thanks Ben
Gemma

Ben

1/3/2015 09:00:50

Aww lol. I will try to comment on the blog more often in the future

4/3/2015 03:54:54

Aww please do. Thanks

Luna link

3/3/2015 09:38:48

Hey Juicy, I've Never played this game because im not a huge fan of link, however it looks amazing with the colors. This was an entertaining review, keep up the awesome work ^-^