Those of you who have played or know of Majora’s Mask probably know all about the three day cycle. It turns out that Nintendo have actually been developing Majora’s Mask 3D for about three years, in fact, they started developing the remake nearly directly after Ocarina of Time 3D. That means, all that time us fans were petitioning and begging Nintendo for a remake, the guys at Nintendo were just in their offices snickering at how we were begging for a game they are making… perhaps, though maybe not that harsh!

Joking aside, Aonuma, via Miiverse, mentions how they were waiting to be able to say that it wasn’t just an ordinary remake and how it will run smoother. This should hopefully give you an idea of what the remake may be like when it is released.

Check out the Miiverse post and our predictions after the break!

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Greetings to everyone in The Legend of Zelda community! Eiji Aonuma from Nintendo here.

Since The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D was announced during the most recent Nintendo Direct, I’ve noticed that many of you have posted your thoughts in this community. Now, I’d like to say a few words for myself about Majora’s Mask 3D, which is planned for release next spring.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D was actually in development almost immediately after we finished working on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, which was released in June of 2011. So although we’ve been working on the game for quite some time, we didn’t want to say it was being developed until we were at a point where we could proudly say that this is not going to be just another remake and that it’s going to be worth your time. For a while now, when fans from Japan and around the world would ask me if we were working on a Majora’s Mask remake, I would silently plead in my heart, thinking, “Please wait a bit longer!” (laughs).

We’ve spent a lot of time making sure the gameplay experience is smoother than in the original version without taking away from this unique world. I hope those that haven’t played the original game, and those of you that played it but gave up mid-way through will take this opportunity to give the new version a try.

Oh, and I should mention that we haven’t removed the distinct look and feel that are unique to this game, so it should live up to this game’s Japanese catchphrase, “this Zelda has a scary vibe.” Brace yourselves for what this world has to offer! (laughs)

When it’s closer to its release date, I’ll talk more about what has been changed in the Nintendo 3DS version and its new features right here in this comunity, so stay tuned!

One thing I find very bizarre is the fact that it has taken three years to develop the remake of a game that only took roughly one year to develop. True they have to enhance all the visuals and other mechanisms for the 3DS, but surely the existence of Ocarina of Time 3D would save on time, wouldn’t it? Yes that is very true, however seeing how Master Quest was present in Ocarina 3D, it is likely to have one for Majora’s Mask 3D. But there is something to remember, Master Quest Already existed for Ocarina of Time, whereas it didn’t for Majora’s Mask, or at least to our knowledge is didn’t. Another reason for the long development time could also just be because they were prioritising other game development and wanted to release A Link Between Worlds first.

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Some fans seem to think that maybe they are creating a new dungeon or two. Now that would be very welcome, but you have to bear in mind that this would drastically affect the story of the game. The only way I can think they could add a new dungeon is if they created a new Skulltula house or another type of mini dungeon.

One piece of information I am definitely welcoming is the fact they are making the gaming experience smother. Obviously, this is something which is supposed to happen in a remake, but there are certain aspects which definitely need this. We already saw it in the Water Temple in Ocarina of Time 3D, Nintendo completely streamlined how you would progress through it as you didn’t have to continuously pause the game to change your boots. The remake utilised the touch screen for item switching, meaning your game was never interrupted by pausing the game constantly. There is another one of these temples in Majora’s Mask, the Stone Tower Temple, but this had it even more tedious. This temple required mass item switching, especially when it came to the Elegy of Emptiness.

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Finally, Aonuma goes on to say how even though the remake will have new features, they are still trying to make sure the game stays true to its roots, especially the dark and creepy feel that it was renowned for.

Unfortunately, that’s all he had to say about the game, but promises that he will release more information closer to the game’s release in Spring 2015.

Are you excited about Majora’s Mask 3D? What do you want changed? Tell us in the comments below!

Leon Fletcher

I am a huge Nintendo fan, hence why NintyBuzz exists. I especially love all things Zelda and Metroid. NintyBuzz was started by me back in the Summer of 2014, it started out mainly as a hobby, though the site has gradually grown, and I hope it grows for many years to come!