As you might have seen, Majora's Mask 3D got teased yet again by Nintendo (Link) and I still believe that Majora's Mask 3D will be released this year, so it's time for me to throw around some ideas about what they could improve in the remake, before Nintendo makes an official announcement.
Improved saving system
Probably one of the biggest complaints about the original and one of the main incentives for the remake (Aonuma personally mentioned this) is the saving system of the original game. Japanese version only allowed saving via the Song of Time and the western version got the temporary save states via owl statues. Well, with the 3DS you can always simply go into sleep mode, which helps, but there are no technical limitations that should prevent a better saving system, where you can simply save at any time and anywhere.
Improved time system
If you use the Song of Double Time, it should give you the option to pick a specific time to skip forward to. Like 3PM at Day 3. Similar to Skyrim. This should annihilate the annoying waiting times during certain sidequests.
Master Quest / Hero Mode
This is a question, of how much effort Nintendo/Grezzo is willing to put into the remake. But since Ocarina of Time 3D is already providing the engine and many of the assets, they should have more time to focus on additions. But one way or another the game should get some sort of 2nd Quest / hard mode. A Hero Mode, where they double or quadruple the damage should be the minimum effort. Nice would be, if they follow the idea of Master Quest and re-arrange the dungeons. There are only four main dungeons, but it would be nice to see some changes here and there. There's lots of potential here for some really clever puzzles and great challenges.
They could also mirror the entire game world again for some cheap, but effective changes. Though then the clocks would move counter clockwise, which would be really weird.
Boss Battle/Gauntlet
This is a feature from Ocarina of Time 3D that could make it back. However, there are only five different bosses in the game and you can replay them anyway, whenever you want, thanks to the time loop. So, it's not really necessary, but still nice to have.
Improved Picto Box
Probably the best addition about The Wind Waker HD was the nice Miiverse integration via Tingle Bottles and the funny selfies that you can make with the improved Picto Box. Originally this item was introduced in Majora's Mask and it would be a shame, if it didn't get a similar treatment. It should store 12 Pictographs and you should be able to do selfies with it. While Toon Link has the greater ranger of emotional expressions, Majora's Mask has all the different masks! You could do funny selfies as a Deku, Goron, Zora, Fierce Deity Link or while wearing various masks. Could be a lot of fun.
Tingle Balloons (Miiverse Integration)
Now what would be all these funny selfies worth, if you can't easily share them with others? The Wind Waker HD handled its Miiverse connection very nicely with the Tingle Bottles and Majora's Mask 3D should follow with a similar concept. Similar to the Pictobox Majora's Mask was the game to actually introduce Tingle, so he should have the honor again. But maybe not with "Tingle Bottles", since this game doesn't take place on the ocean. Tingle Balloons could be an option, where you receive the messages bound to a ballon. Maybe you have to shoot them down in a similar style to Tingle himself.
Figurine / Painting Collection
When improving the Pictobox, we might as well do something more with it than just selfies. It didn't have much purpose in the original game, so they could/should add a sidequest similar to The Wind Waker, where you have to make pictures of everyone and everything. Thanks to the time loop it should be even impossible to miss any characters or enemies, which was the biggest problem with the same quest in TWW. Maybe introduce Carlov to Termina and let him make figurines again. They should look really nice in 3D. Or do something else like a painter, who uses your pictographs for inspiration.
However, if you think about it, a stationary collection similar to The Wind Waker wouldn't work because of the time loop. So, it would have to be something that you can take with you back in time.
3rd Skulltula House & Shard of Agony
Ocarina of Time 3D and The Wind Waker HD both missed the opportunity to add new dungeons, but third time is the charm. Since Majora's Mask doesn't have all too many dungeons, a new one would be appreciated. I always enjoyed the Skulltula houses (replayed them many times back in the day), so why not add a third one? Prize could be the Shard of Agony from Ocarina of Time 3D. In the original Majora's Mask you simply kept the Stone of Agony's ability, where the Rumble Pack vibrated near hidden grottos. This would feel out of place with the shard though, so maybe a nice way of obtaining it would be good. Though there are only two caves in the game, where the Shard/Stone of Agony resonates, and both of them are pretty easy to find, so maybe Nintendo decides to remove this item/ability alltogether.
Cave of Ordeals / Savage Labyrinth
A pit trial dungeon similar to the ones in Twilight Princess or The Wind Waker is something I really hoped for in Ocarina of Time 3D. But maybe this time. 50 floors of battling enemies is always a good and fun challenge.
Items and Masks
I have no idea, how they will reorganize the item menu with all these many items. Maybe they will keep the masks separate, but then the item selection style of Ocarina of Time 3D wouldn't work anymore. They should even save some item spots again by having the Ocarina on its own touch button and removing the three magic arrows from the menu (please let us toggle between arrows using R this time). In any case some more masks won't make the cow fat. There's some potential here and the wouldn't need to have some important functions. Sometimes a funny mask with some funny reactions from people can be reward enough. They could also turn the Shard of Agony into a mask, which glows near hidden secrets.
That's it for my Majora's Mask 3D wish list... I tried to keep it basic and as realistic as possible, because "some super boss dungeon utilizing Fierce Deity", "add four new temples" or similar probably won't happen with Nintendo. I would be surprised, if they covered even half of the list, if anything. But still I wanted to talk about the possibilities with the remake.
What would you like to see from a potential Majora's Mask 3D? Let me know in the comments!
Improved saving system
Probably one of the biggest complaints about the original and one of the main incentives for the remake (Aonuma personally mentioned this) is the saving system of the original game. Japanese version only allowed saving via the Song of Time and the western version got the temporary save states via owl statues. Well, with the 3DS you can always simply go into sleep mode, which helps, but there are no technical limitations that should prevent a better saving system, where you can simply save at any time and anywhere.
Improved time system
If you use the Song of Double Time, it should give you the option to pick a specific time to skip forward to. Like 3PM at Day 3. Similar to Skyrim. This should annihilate the annoying waiting times during certain sidequests.
Master Quest / Hero Mode
This is a question, of how much effort Nintendo/Grezzo is willing to put into the remake. But since Ocarina of Time 3D is already providing the engine and many of the assets, they should have more time to focus on additions. But one way or another the game should get some sort of 2nd Quest / hard mode. A Hero Mode, where they double or quadruple the damage should be the minimum effort. Nice would be, if they follow the idea of Master Quest and re-arrange the dungeons. There are only four main dungeons, but it would be nice to see some changes here and there. There's lots of potential here for some really clever puzzles and great challenges.
They could also mirror the entire game world again for some cheap, but effective changes. Though then the clocks would move counter clockwise, which would be really weird.
Boss Battle/Gauntlet
This is a feature from Ocarina of Time 3D that could make it back. However, there are only five different bosses in the game and you can replay them anyway, whenever you want, thanks to the time loop. So, it's not really necessary, but still nice to have.
Improved Picto Box
Probably the best addition about The Wind Waker HD was the nice Miiverse integration via Tingle Bottles and the funny selfies that you can make with the improved Picto Box. Originally this item was introduced in Majora's Mask and it would be a shame, if it didn't get a similar treatment. It should store 12 Pictographs and you should be able to do selfies with it. While Toon Link has the greater ranger of emotional expressions, Majora's Mask has all the different masks! You could do funny selfies as a Deku, Goron, Zora, Fierce Deity Link or while wearing various masks. Could be a lot of fun.
Tingle Balloons (Miiverse Integration)
Now what would be all these funny selfies worth, if you can't easily share them with others? The Wind Waker HD handled its Miiverse connection very nicely with the Tingle Bottles and Majora's Mask 3D should follow with a similar concept. Similar to the Pictobox Majora's Mask was the game to actually introduce Tingle, so he should have the honor again. But maybe not with "Tingle Bottles", since this game doesn't take place on the ocean. Tingle Balloons could be an option, where you receive the messages bound to a ballon. Maybe you have to shoot them down in a similar style to Tingle himself.
Figurine / Painting Collection
When improving the Pictobox, we might as well do something more with it than just selfies. It didn't have much purpose in the original game, so they could/should add a sidequest similar to The Wind Waker, where you have to make pictures of everyone and everything. Thanks to the time loop it should be even impossible to miss any characters or enemies, which was the biggest problem with the same quest in TWW. Maybe introduce Carlov to Termina and let him make figurines again. They should look really nice in 3D. Or do something else like a painter, who uses your pictographs for inspiration.
However, if you think about it, a stationary collection similar to The Wind Waker wouldn't work because of the time loop. So, it would have to be something that you can take with you back in time.
3rd Skulltula House & Shard of Agony
Ocarina of Time 3D and The Wind Waker HD both missed the opportunity to add new dungeons, but third time is the charm. Since Majora's Mask doesn't have all too many dungeons, a new one would be appreciated. I always enjoyed the Skulltula houses (replayed them many times back in the day), so why not add a third one? Prize could be the Shard of Agony from Ocarina of Time 3D. In the original Majora's Mask you simply kept the Stone of Agony's ability, where the Rumble Pack vibrated near hidden grottos. This would feel out of place with the shard though, so maybe a nice way of obtaining it would be good. Though there are only two caves in the game, where the Shard/Stone of Agony resonates, and both of them are pretty easy to find, so maybe Nintendo decides to remove this item/ability alltogether.
Cave of Ordeals / Savage Labyrinth
A pit trial dungeon similar to the ones in Twilight Princess or The Wind Waker is something I really hoped for in Ocarina of Time 3D. But maybe this time. 50 floors of battling enemies is always a good and fun challenge.
Items and Masks
I have no idea, how they will reorganize the item menu with all these many items. Maybe they will keep the masks separate, but then the item selection style of Ocarina of Time 3D wouldn't work anymore. They should even save some item spots again by having the Ocarina on its own touch button and removing the three magic arrows from the menu (please let us toggle between arrows using R this time). In any case some more masks won't make the cow fat. There's some potential here and the wouldn't need to have some important functions. Sometimes a funny mask with some funny reactions from people can be reward enough. They could also turn the Shard of Agony into a mask, which glows near hidden secrets.
That's it for my Majora's Mask 3D wish list... I tried to keep it basic and as realistic as possible, because "some super boss dungeon utilizing Fierce Deity", "add four new temples" or similar probably won't happen with Nintendo. I would be surprised, if they covered even half of the list, if anything. But still I wanted to talk about the possibilities with the remake.
What would you like to see from a potential Majora's Mask 3D? Let me know in the comments!
2 comments:
Seeing as TWW HD added new Treasure Charts, having new masks isn't much of a stretch.
A bit more utility for the Circus Leader's Mask.
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