FEATURE: Why I think Majora’s Mask deserves a sequel and not a remake

Nintendo have been a company who have not been too unfamiliar with teasing. As a disclaimer, I rarely buy into the idea of “teasing”, and commonly think sometimes overzealous fans can read into things too much to get what they want.

Nintendo do have a history of teasing things and it’s definitely warranted for fans to think they’d do something similar with Majora’s Mask. Remember when people though that the Hoenn region would be making a return to the 3DS, after some subtle hints in the X and Y games? It’s definitely made me more receptive to the notion that Nintendo might be teasing something with Majora’s Mask.

Combine this with Nintendo’s penchant of providing their Zelda titles with visual makeovers in the past, like with Wind Waker HD and the aforementioned Ocarina of Time 3D, and there’s notable evidence of behaviour that might suggest a Majora’s Mask remake is in the works.

While the idea of remaking Majora’s Mask would be fantastic, especially given how much love and care the Ocarina of Time enhanced port was treated to, I am not sure this is the best way to go about things. After all, I think Nintendo already cops enough flack for dipping into their back catalogue.

Instead, I propose another solution – why wouldn’t a sequel to Majora’s Mask be a better idea? We’ve already touched upon the concept with games like A Link Between Worlds, which provide brand new twists on previously trodden ground, and it turned out pretty fantastically too.

There are a few reasons why I think another adventure set within Termina more beneficial than a by-the-numbers enhanced port or remake, but first, a catch up for those who haven’t been paying attention to the incessant clues and hints that Nintendo have been putting out.

There’s been a few things here and there that have indicated that Nintendo might be working on something related to Majora’s Mask but nothing has ever surfaced (yet). While there were numerous retailer listings published between 2011 and 2014, I won’t be mentioning them here because many are created on a whim and barely hold any credence. Remember Luigi’s Mansion 2 for Wii U? So yeah, we’ll move on.

It all started in July 2011, where Eiji Aonuma announced that if there were an output of emotion and clamour from fans for a remake of Majora’s Mask 3D, similar to what Ocarina of Time 3D had, that a Majora’s Mask remake “wouldn’t be an utter impossibility”. While Mr. Aonuma’s language is textbook noncommittal, it certainly got the wheels rolling on the rumour mill that would persist for the three years following. At the time, Ocarina of Time 3D had just hit shelves and a few months later Four Swords: Anniversary Edition was released on DSiWare.

Skyward Sword was also shown that year, and would be released several months later too in November 2011, where Koji Kondo and Aonuma once again acknowledged the fans demands for a Majora’s Mask remake with an interview with GamesRadar originally published in 2011, further clarifying that the next 3DS Zelda would be original rather than another remake.

The next year, in 2012, it was a pretty quiet year for Zelda. Besides a few scant Virtual Console releases throughout the year, and the translation of the Hyrule Historia encyclopaedia, not a lot happened for the franchise. But in June that year, Shigeru Miyamoto spoke to IGN about where the series could be headed next. When asked, Miyamoto stated that they hadn’t quite decided yet, but they had their eyes on something to do with A Link To The Past but that there was also a possibility of doing a remake of Majora’s Mask. Given that we would get the former in the form of a proper sequel, A Link Between Worlds, a year later, many fans deduced that a Majora’s Mask remake was finally on the way.

From 2013 onwards, it would appear that Nintendo became particularly self-aware of the fans, their desires and how to tap into these desires to keep talk and speculaton running rampant throughout the community. While Majora’s Mask still did not reveal itself for the rest of the year, around the time of E3 that year, IGN published yet another interview with Miyamoto. Considering the mentions of Majora’s Mask had been going on almost three years now, answers were wanted. Miyamoto’s response to these fans of Majora’s Mask? A very coy “they’re in my memory”.

Similarly, in September later that year, Aonuma asked to specifically mention “please write that I laughed” when clued about a potential remake of Majora’s Mask, though was quick to mention that the meaning of his laugh was would be “up to interpretation”. A whole month before A Link Between Worlds was announced, at a panel at New York Comic-Con, fans were told to “finish this game [ALBW] and that may give you an answer” in regards to Majora’s Mask.

Most people who finished the game didn’t really get an answer, although there were a few nods to the game that appeared in other games that bolstered the fan theory. That same year, many fans raised an eyebrow at the mask’s inclusion in Animal Crossing: New Leaf, though this writer is inclined to believe this is merely coincidence considering other items like an encapsulated Metroid appears in that game too. The mask also appeared in A Link Between Worlds, in Link’s House, hanging inconspicuously as a background decoration. Some fans even read into the game’s text to find links between the two games, of which there are purported to be many. Sakurai even revealed a Skull Kid assist trophy for the fourth Super Smash Bros. game.

But are these teases? Or are they fans looking into things too much? The answer to that question is beyond the scope of this article, but the comments from key Nintendo personnel persisted into 2014. In January, Hiromasa Shikata, the director of Link Between Worlds, commented on the Majora’s Mask inclusion, mentioning that it was a special request from Aonuma’s production team. Never one to extinguish the flame, Shikata teased “now why would they ask us to do that?”

To make matters worse, Zelda Williams rocked up to the Smash Bros. Invitational at E3 2014 brandishing a Majora’s Mask shield – where she embarrassingly received copious amounts of hatred online from the community after Nintendo failed to announce the long rumoured remake. This could probably be chalked up to Majora’s Maks being Ms. Williams’ favourite game in the series, and it’s doubful whether she was willingly or openly teasing anything. Aonuma clarified the next day that he was aware that fans wanted Majora’s Mask and that the voice was very very strong, that he was “always listening”.

It is now August of 2014. We’ve had a few peeks at the Moon appearing in Hyrule Warriors but much like the rest of that game, it can probably be chalked up to fanservice. But Nintendo have once again, reignited the fires, by presenting a brand new artwork of Link sporting Majora’s Mask, in celebration of the annual Hanabi Festival. It’s worth mentioning this is the first piece of Nintendo artwork to feature the mask since the original game.

So, given this complex mixture of legitimate teasing, fan interpretations and coy comments here and there, will there be a Majora’s Mask enhanced port, in similar vein to Ocarina of Time 3D in the near future? Honestly, I hope not.

Grezzo did a fantastic job of touching up almost every single asset in Ocarina of Time for it’s 3D re-release, so it’s natural to think that Majora’s Mask, which uses all the same assets, would be an easy job for the team to complete. But why not develop a brand new story within the world of Majora’s Mask? Termina itself felt rather undeveloped as a location, featuring only four dungeons compared to the usual amount seen in other Zelda games.

The team has already proven their worth with A Link Between Worlds at offering a new and unique experience within the confines of an already familiar universe. There are so much untapped potential within Termina and its surrounding areas or even within Majora’s Mask (the mask) itself. Hopefully some of my ideas will give you an idea of why a sequel is not only possible, but certainly doable within the confines of the land of Termina.

The land of Termina is a particularly dark one, especially when compared with other locales within the Zelda franchise. But what would happen if Link were to explore beyond the borders of the Termina he was confined to in Majora’s Mask? What kind of locations could we be expected to find? There’s already evidence of alien life, as seen in the bizarre milk delivery side quest, and whos to say they’re alien? Why couldn’t they have just come from a distant land of Termina previously unexplored by other people of the land. We know that Clock Tower is meant to be a central location of commerce within the world of Termina, which makes it pretty clear people will enter and exit the town to sell their wares from other locations. Given that Termina is a warped analogue of sorts to Hyrule, it would make sense if there were more locations within the area – is there a Deku Tree in Termina? Is he where Tatl and Tael came from? These are just come questions that can be asked of the world of Majora’s Mask.

The world of Termina has no known creation story, as with Hyrule, but there’s a considerably amount of lore surrounding its protectors, who we meet in the game. The four giants watched over those who in the world who had migrated in four different directions during the creation of Termina, but they were never really elaborated on. Who were these giants? Where did they come from? Are there more than four of them within the game world? It’s totally possible to do an origin story of sorts for these people, or even send Link to a distant locale within the realm of Termina to discover who these giants are. While it’s a very literal interpretation, these giants are appearing from somewhere.

Similarly, we know that the Ikana Kingdom and its royal family are long gone (at least, in the mortal realm) when we encounter them during the events of Majora’s Mask. A prequel story, of sorts, could touch upon this family and their eventual demise as a smaller character arc similar to those found within other Zelda games. The entire Ikana Canyon and Stone Tower area is one of the most eerie and unique locations within a Zelda game, and unfortunately feels like one of the least fleshed out ones too. To counter argue, there is potential that this location gains a lot of its fear and tension from a lack of straightforward understanding, so this would have to be approached carefully.

Of course, half of the mystery with Majora’s Mask is its eclectic cast of characters. The Happy Mask Salesman is easily the most mysterious of them all. He’s a man who has traveled the land, presumably traveling to all kinds of places within Termina. He also knows quite a bit about Link himself, mentioning to link that retrieving Majora’s Mask should be no problem for “someone like him”, implying knowledge of his previous adventures. There’s also the question of where all those masks on his backpack come from too – as most of them are unseen throughout the entire game. Heck, one even looks like the Mirror Shield face. Could the Happy Mask Salesman represent a member of the once ancient tribe that created the mask? After all, he’s clearly a magical being who has excessive knowledge about the mask, whom both fairies are visibly scared of in the game. All the children within the moon resemble him too. And of course, he had the mask in the first place. A theory, yes, but also one that could be further explored in a sequel to Majora’s Mask.

The mask itself has many unanswered questions about it too, though some have been clarified in a manga released around the same time, this manga is considered non-canon and not officially a part of the story. But a sequel could easily flesh out these ideas presented in the manga – including those surrounding the ancient tribe, who used the mask for its hexing rituals, as well as the creation of the mask itself. There’s the rather obvious question, too, of “Who is Majora” and why they have such a horrific mask dedicated to them. Similarly, does the mask have different effects on different people depending on their temperament? These are all similar questions that could be explored in a sequel to Majora’s Mask.

But of course, these are all theories and speculations. Nintendo, if they really wanted to, could potentially shock us all and take us back to Termina and completely retool everything in the world. Who’s to say that when we saw Termina, it was a permanent fixture? Termina could be an “idea” of a parallel universe. A constantly shifting dimension that takes the familiar and warps it for its own vicious purposes. Imaging coming upon Anju and Kafei in a potential sequel, speaking to them, and discovering that, once again, they’re not who they used to be. They’re completely different people. They’re brother and sister forced to band together in an abusive household oppressed by the tyranny of a similarly retooled Madame Aroma. It’s an interesting concept, and the mechanisms underlying such a world could easily be explored too. And it’d give the game an opportunity to shock and unnerve players all over again, just as they were when they played Majora’s Mask with the familiarity of Ocarina of Time still in their psyche.

Perhaps I’m getting a little bit carried away with myself, but I just feel like there’s a limitless amount of potential for a weirder Zelda game to take place within the world of Termina, rather than just another old remake. I’ll admit I’m excited to revisit Termina again, whether it be through a retread of familiar ground or something new altogether – but I’d even more like to break down the barriers the original game presented and see more of the world.

Do you agree or disagree with me? If so, let us know in the comments! We’d be happy to hear your thoughts on what you think Nintendo could (or should) do with Majora’s Mask in the near future.