Initial fan reactions to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time are highly positive, with the Switch 2 remake capturing the spirit of the original classic and begging the question if other games in the series will receive similar treatment. After an Ocarina of Time remake, fans are naturally curious to see if a Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask game is in the future for the Switch 2 as well. Considering how Majora’s Mask was a direct sequel to Ocarina of Time‘s story, the strength of the remake almost guarantees a familiar follow-up to come back too.
Currently, the Ocarina of Time remake has one of the highest review scores of any game ever made, sitting at an astounding 96 on Metacritic following its release. Labeled as something with “Universal Acclaim,” the launch weekend and midnight releases of Ocarina of Time already has sales numbers around 35% higher than even The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, one of the most popular games on the original Nintendo Switch. With a high demand for the remake continuing, it’s likely that Nintendo is thinking about other remakes that could reach this level of astronomical appeal.
The story of Majora’s Mask immediately follows the events of Ocarina of Time, with the same core engine, controls, and features of that N64 era of The Legend of Zelda games. However, this makes both games subject to the same dated qualities that got polished out in the Ocarina of Time remake, making fans desire the same adjustments for Majora’s Mask. Some fans even prefer Majora’s Mask of the two N64 games, for its more mature story and the intense countdown of a crashing moon that surrounds it. Given how high-quality the Ocarina of Time remake turned out to be, those who are big fans of Majora’s Mask are already asking for the sequel to return.
Production on a Majora’s Mask remake may already be in the works, as it would be extremely easy for Nintendo to make after confirming fan interest. Many of the same assets and gameplay features of the Ocarina of Time remake could be simply re-used for a Majora’s Mask revival, in the same way the original games borrowed from each other. For example, some character models could just be translated from one game to another, with textures and aesthetics for the greater world also carrying over. The stunning story book visuals of Ocarina of Time‘s remake for its map environments would be easy to put in Majora’s Mask, as that game featured many of the same locations.
The Legend of Zelda series is not shy from using assets from one game in its series to another, showcased best by Breath of the Wild locations being re-used in Tears of the Kingdom. At the same time, Ocarina of Time‘s remake introduced several quality-of-life changes to the original that don’t need to be touched going into a Majora’s Mask comeback. One example of this is how quests are easier to track through a new journal menu in the remake, or how item toggling is considerably streamlined now too. Majora’s Mask can just borrow these enhancements, making it faster to make altogether.
For those who’ve played the remake of Ocarina of Time, you may have already noticed some clues hinting at Nintendo’s eagerness to rebuild Majora’s Mask as well. The game has several teases toward Majora’s Mask, beyond just characters like Skull Kid who you can talk to within the game. One big clue is with the Happy Mask Salesman NPC, who fans might remember plays a big role in Majora’s Mask. The Salesman is wearing gold bracelets in the Ocarina of Time remake, but in the original title, that is an item he only puts on in Majora’s Mask.
At the same time, that NPC Skull Kid also has a line that says “My face is missing something,” giving players more evidence to suspect a Majora’s Mask remake. Other theories point toward new masks coming to the Ocarina of Time remake in 2027, planned for the Link and Zelda amiibo release. Some datamined files point toward three masks being added, one for Zelda and Link, and a secret third one hidden in the game’s logs. More digging reveals that some creepy dialogue and character reactions to that third mask will be present, suggesting that the signature Majora’s Mask could be arriving in Ocarina of Time at some point next year.
With other content for the game coming next year, such as the Master Quest features from Ocarina of Time‘s GameCube port, it’s possible that another remake is going to appear sooner than we think. The foundation of Ocarina of Time‘s remake removes a lot of the work needed to build a sequel, with developers no longer needed to establish everything from the ground up. Instead, players can look forward to more of the same excellent quality of the remake in The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, should Nintendo decide to bring it back too after Ocarina of Time‘s massive success.
What do you want to see in a potential Majora’s Mask remake? Let us know in the comments below!
