I could boot up my Nintendo Switch right now and jump into The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time or Majora’s Mask without skipping a beat. Both of the Nintendo 64 originals are present in the Switch Online subscription alongside a growing list of classics. But instead of updating the games themselves, they are all natively emulated with all the distinct quirks and flaws we remember.
Preserving games and ensuring they remain playable in this form is important, but ensuring the same applies to remasters and remakes is just as vital. Especially when it comes to the Nintendo 3DS revivals of Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask. Released in 2011 and 2015 respectively, these remasters are fundamental reinventions of the original experiences that enhance the visuals, improve controls, and sand off many of the needlessly rough edges. They would also be right at home on modern hardware.
Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask Are Trapped On Nintendo 3DS
When Nintendo first announced it was bringing back Ocarina of Time for its 3D handheld, it terrified hardcore fans. How would such a beloved classic translate to modern hardware? Was there a chance that current conventions would potentially dilute this peerless classic? Fans were resistant to change, but now this remaster is arguably the best way to experience Ocarina of Time. However, you’ll need to pull out an ageing console to do so.
Don’t get me wrong, Ocarina of Time took wonderful advantage of the 3DS when it came out back in 2011. Character models and environments received a significant upgrade, helping to bring them closer in line with the original concept art instead of matching the blurred original.
All environments received similar treatment, making the game world feel brighter and far more saturated in the early hours before it descended into chaos. But beneath the visual upgrades, it was still the same game, yet improved in the majority of ways by quality-of-life changes.
Switching equipment was much easier thanks to the implementation of a dual-screen and no need to enter a menu every time you needed to put some boots on. Things likelocking onto enemies, moving the camera, or traversing the environment were given overhauls too. Everything felt smoother and more responsive, while the underlying level and mechanical design remained untouched because it was already pretty outstanding.
And They Deserve A New Home On Nintendo Switch
Majora’s Mask benefited from its remaster treatment even more so than Ocarina. While I will always love this game, it was made in a very short period of time, and you can really tell once you start to pick things apart. Navigating its Groundhog Day premise is a delight, but also so frustrating when you have to go through the same sequences and watch identical cutscenes over and over again in order to make any progress.
The 3DS version streamlines so many of these processes and makes it easier to actually go ahead and complete the game, not to mention that switching between the masks that offer a variety of mechanics is now so much simpler. Nintendo was able to recognise the flaws in its own creations and correct them, ultimately delivering the experiences it intended to many years ago. If you can track down a 3DS, this is the perfect way to play these games, but this involves going out of your way and spending a lot of money on old hardware and software.
Nintendo could combat this approach by remastering these remasters, or just porting them as part of a double pack that jazzed up the performance and resolution somewhat, so both games felt right at home on the Switch, Switch 2, or both. You could point to its dual-screen features as potential barriers to such a port, but we’ve already seen Skyward Sword tackle more obnoxious mechanics from the Wii era, while Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is going to have to deal with a laundry list of Wii U hallmarks baked into its very design.
There’s little excuse, and loads of people who want to and deserve to play these games in 2024 without having to jump through a bunch of flaming hoops. Make it happen, Nintendo.
