While remakes aren’t always what people want, if Nintendo really is going to move forward with them (and it seems that it is), then The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is absolutely the safest remake the developer could possibly make for the Switch 2. The beloved Nintendo 64 classic has been surrounded by remake rumors and fan speculation for years because players have wanted to see what it would look and play like if it were rebuilt with modern technology, and its newly revealed 2026 Switch 2 release window makes perfect sense as a result. Considering the original Ocarina of Time has a 99 Metascore and a reputation as one of the greatest video games ever made, it was always going to be the easiest Zelda classic for Nintendo to bring back first.
If Nintendo is using the Switch 2 to revisit its N64 era through full remakes, though, Majora’s Mask can’t be left out of the lineup for long. The original Majora’s Mask launched on the Nintendo 64 in 2000 and still holds a 95 Metascore, putting it near the top of Zelda‘s already successful history. With Ocarina of Time returning and Star Fox 64 somehow getting another remake of its own, Majora’s Mask now feels like the obvious next move for The Legend of Zelda.
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Majora’s Mask Is Still One of Zelda’s Boldest Experiments
Majora’s Mask has always lived in Ocarina of Time‘s shadow, and it’s easy to see why when you step back and really look at what the two have to offer. On one side is Ocarina of Time, the more tonally accessible, cleaner gateway in to 3D Zelda, in addition to being the first Zelda game to arrive on the groundbreaking Nintendo 64 console. On the other side is Majora’s Mask, which takes a far stranger, riskier approach to the franchise’s iconic formula, but is also arguably more fascinating for that very reason, as it could have simply repeated the formula that made Ocarina of Time legendary—and it chose not to.
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Rather than sending Link across Hyrule on a traditional hero’s journey anyone would naturally expect from the series, Majora’s Mask traps him in Termina, a world on the brink of doom as a massive moon with a horrific face is on a three-day crash course to destroy it all. By playing the Song of Time from Ocarina of Time, Link can reset the clock back to the Dawn of the First Day, giving players a new chance to save people, solve problems, and inch ever closer to the truth. That ticking clock is Majora’s Mask‘s bread and butter, as it grants even the smallest decisions a sense of pressure that Zelda rarely ever embraces so directly.
That premise alone makes it feel unlike any Zelda game behind or in front of it, giving it one of the strongest identities in the entire franchise. However, Majora’s Mask is so named on account of its masks, and they also contribute toward that identity. By wearing different masks acquired through various means throughout the game’s story and exploration, Link could become a Deku Scrub, Goron, or a Zora, each of which came with its own movement, combat, and exploration utility.
But mechanics aside, one of the main reasons Majora’s Mask stands out so effortlessly as a Zelda game is because of its willingness to explore the idea of offering players one of the few truly horror-adjacent entries in the series. Ocarina of Time certainly has some horrific moments, whether players are exploring the well beneath Kakariko Village, digging up graves in its graveyard, or moving through the Shadow Temple. But Majora’s Mask treats horror like a core part of the experience rather than something players only occasionally run into, with a world that feels far more intimate and haunted than anything Ocarina of Time—or any Zelda game, for that matter—ever did.
Then, hovering over all of that is, of course, the creepy moon. Many players who had the privilege of growing up with Majora’s Mask after playing it in 2000 have frequently commented over the years on how the game’s moon followed them into their nightmares. To this day, the terrifying countenance of Majora’s Mask‘s moon is considered its most iconic piece of imagery, as it perfectly encapsulates the game’s tone, mystery, and overwhelming, chill-bump-inducing sense of inescapable doom.
One of the main reasons Majora’s Mask stands out so effortlessly as a Zelda game is because of its willingness to explore the idea of offering players one of the few truly horror-adjacent entries in the series.
So, clearly, while Majora’s Mask may be a sequel to Ocarina of Time, it did something most video game sequels in general rarely do. Rather than attempting to merely replicate what Ocarina of Time did in an effort to guarantee more success, it went in the completely opposite direction and gave players something they likely didn’t expect from a follow-up to one of the greatest games ever made. Majora’s Mask is one of the rare Zelda games that feels genuinely uncomfortable at times, but that discomfort is precisely why it has aged into such a treasured entry.
Switch 2 Could Give Majora’s Mask the Definitive Remake It Deserves
Majora’s Mask already received a 3DS remaster, but that version shouldn’t disqualify it from getting a full Switch 2 remake. Ocarina of Time got its own 3DS remaster as well, and Nintendo clearly doesn’t see that as the final word on what the game can be for a new generation of players. If Ocarina of Time can move from handheld remaster to full Switch 2 rebirth, then Majora’s Mask absolutely deserves the same treatment without question.
If Ocarina of Time‘s horror-adjacent sequel managed to make players feel that much unease and pressure using the Nintendo 64’s now-limited power, it’s worth imagining what the Switch 2 could accomplish with it. Clock Town could feel more crowded, more reactive, and more alive as the three days unfold. The final hours could become almost unbearable with current lighting, stronger animation, more atmospheric sound design, and a moon that feels like it could pop out of the screen at any moment and crash into the players themselves.
Modern hardware could also make the mask transformations feel better than ever. Deku flight, Goron rolling, and Zora swimming were unforgettable on the Nintendo 64, but each of those forms could benefit enormously from smoother movement, more expressive animation, and more responsive controls. Majora’s Mask is already mechanically strong as far as that goes, but the Switch 2 could make each form even more distinct and feel like entirely separate playstyles rather than simply giving Link a few new moves.
If Ocarina of Time can move from handheld remaster to full Switch 2 rebirth, then Majora’s Mask absolutely deserves the same treatment without question.
There are just far too many reasons why Majora’s Mask deserves a proper remake to let it continue to hide in Ocarina of Time‘s shadow. It’s famous enough to justify the remake, different enough to avoid feeling like Ocarina of Time all over again, and mechanically specific enough to benefit from more than a visual upgrade. A remake would have a real purpose because Majora’s Mask‘s best ideas are still excellent, and modern technology could make them even better.
Nintendo doesn’t need to remake every N64 classic for Switch 2, but its current direction makes Majora’s Mask hard to ignore. Ocarina of Time makes sense because it’s the crown jewel, obviously, and Star Fox 64 makes sense because Nintendo clearly wants to revive a dormant franchise with recognizable history. Majora’s Mask sits between those two arguments, however, carrying both elite Zelda prestige and a design identity that could feel incredible with modern treatment. If Nintendo is serious about giving its greatest classics a new life, then Termina should be next in line.
