While remakes aren't always what people want, if Nintendo is really going to go ahead with them (and it seems it is), then The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is by far the safest remake the developer can make for Switch 2. The beloved Nintendo 64 classic has been surrounded by remake rumors and fan speculation for years as gamers have wanted to see how it would look and play if it were rebuilt with modern technology, and its recently 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 best video games ever made, it was always going to be the easiest Zelda classics for Nintendo to bring back first.
If Nintendo uses the Switch 2 to return to its N64 era through complete remakes, however, 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, placing it near the top of Zeldas already successful history. With Ocarina of time returns and Star Fox 64 somehow get a new remake, Majora's mask now feels like the obvious next move for The Legend of Zelda.
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Majora's Mask remains one of Zelda's boldest experiments
Majora's mask have always lived in Ocarina of times shade, 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 timethe more tonally accessible, cleaner entry into 3D Zeldabesides being the first Zelda the game is coming to the groundbreaking Nintendo 64 console. On the other side is Majora's maskwhich takes a much 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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Instead of sending Link across Hyrule on a traditional hero's journey that one would naturally expect from the series, Majora's mask catches him in Termina, a world on the brink of destruction when a massive moon with a terrible face is on a three-day crash course to destroy everything. By playing Song of Time from Ocarina of timeLink can reset the clock to the dawn of the first day, giving players a new chance to save people, solve problems and get ever closer to the truth. The ticking clock is Majora's masks bread and butter, because it gives even the smallest decisions a sense of pressure that Zelda rarely embrace so directly.
That premise alone makes it feel unlike any other Zelda games behind or in front of it, giving it one of the strongest identities in the entire franchise. However, Majora's mask so called because of their masks, and they also contribute to that identity. By wearing different masks acquired variously through the game's story and exploration, Link could become a Deku Scrub, Goron, or a Zora, each of which came with their own movement, combat, and exploration tools.
But apart from the mechanics, one of the main reasons Majora's mask stands out as simply as one Zelda the game is due to its willingness to explore the idea of offering players one of the few truly horror-adjacent entries in the series. Ocarina of time sure has some terrifying 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 as a central part of the experience rather than something players only occasionally encounter, with a world that feels far more intimate and haunted than anything else Ocarina of time– or any Zelda games, for that matter – ever did.
Then hovering over all of this is, of course, the creepy moon. Many players that I had the privilege of growing up with Majora's mask having played it in 2000 have often commented over the years about how the game's moon followed them into their nightmares. To this day, the terrifying face of Majora's masks moon is considered its most iconic 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 as simply as one Zelda the game is due to its willingness to explore the idea of offering players one of the few truly horror-adjacent entries in the series.
Of course, while Majora's mask could be a sequel to Ocarina of timeit did something that most video game sequels generally rarely do. Instead of just trying to replicate what Ocarina of time did in an attempt to guarantee more success, it went in the complete opposite direction and gave gamers something they probably didn't expect from a follow-up to one of the best games ever made. Majora's mask is one of the rarest Zelda game that feels genuinely uncomfortable at times, but that discomfort is precisely why it has aged into such a worthwhile entry.
Switch 2 could give Majora's Mask the definitive remake it deserves
Majora's mask already got 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 it as the final word on what the game can be for a new generation of gamers. If Ocarina of time can go from handheld remaster to full Switch 2 rebirth, then Majora's mask absolutely deserves the same treatment without question.
If Ocarina of timeThe horror-adjacent sequel managed to make gamers feel so much anxiety 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 unfolded. The final hours can become almost unbearable with topical lighting, stronger animation, more atmospheric sound design, and a moon that feels like it could pop off the screen at any moment and crash into the players themselves.
Modern hardware can also make mesh conversions feel better than ever. Deku flying, Goron rolling, and Zora swimming were unforgettable on the Nintendo 64, but each of these forms could benefit tremendously from smoother movements, more expressive animation, and more responsive controls. Majora's mask is already mechanically strong in that regard, but Switch 2 could make each form even more distinct and feel like completely separate playstyles rather than just giving Link a few new moves.
If Ocarina of time can go from handheld remaster to full Switch 2 rebirth, then Majora's mask absolutely deserves the same treatment without question.
There are far too many reasons why Majora's mask deserves a proper remake to let it continue to hide in Ocarina of times shadow. It's famous enough to warrant the remake, different enough to avoid feeling like Ocarina of time again, and mechanically specific enough to benefit from more than a visual upgrade. A remake would have a real purpose because Majora's masks best ideas are still excellent, and modern technology can make them even better.
Nintendo doesn't need to remake every N64 classic for the Switch 2, but its current direction does Majora's mask hard to ignore. Ocarina of time makes sense because it's the crown jewel, obviously, and Star Fox 64 makes sense since Nintendo clearly wants to revive a dormant franchise with a recognizable story. Majora's mask sits between these two arguments, but carries both elites Zelda prestige and a design identity that could feel incredible with modern treatment. If Nintendo is serious about giving their biggest classics a new lease of life, then Termina should be next in line.
