While remakes aren't always what people want, if Nintendo actually moves forward with them (and it seems they will), then The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is absolutely the safest remake the developer could have made 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 remade with modern technology, and its newly revealed 2026 Switch 2 release window makes perfect sense as a result. With respect to the original Ocarina of Time it has a 99 Metascore and a reputation as one of the best video games ever made, it will always be the easiest Zelda a classic that Nintendo will bring first.
However, if Nintendo is using the Switch 2 to revisit its N64 era through complete remakes, The Major's Mask he can't be out of the lineup for long. original The Major's Mask launched on the Nintendo 64 in 2000 and still holds a 95 Metascore, putting it near the top Zeldais already a success story. WITH Ocarina of Time returning a Star Fox 64 somehow get another remake of your own, The Major's Mask now it seems like a clear next step The Legend of Zelda.
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Majora's Mask is still one of Zelda's boldest experiments
The Major's Mask always lived in Ocarina of Time's 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 it is Ocarina of Timea tonally more accessible and cleaner gateway to 3D Zeldaexcept for being the first Zelda the game arrives on the breakthrough console Nintendo 64. On the other hand, it is The Major's Maskwhich takes a much weirder and riskier approach to the franchise's iconic formula, but is also probably fascinating for that very reason, as it could simply repeat the formula that created Ocarina of Time legendary – and decided not to.
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Rather than sending Link through Hyrule on the traditional hero's journey one would naturally expect from the series, The Major's Mask trapping him in Termina, a world on the brink of destruction as a massive moon with a terrifying face is on a three-day crash course to destroy it all. By playing the Song of Time from Ocarina of TimeLink can reset the clock back to the Dawn of Day One, giving players a new chance to save people, solve problems, and be ever closer to the truth. The ticking clock is The Major's Mask's bread and butter because it gives even the smallest decisions a sense of pressure, right Zelda rarely does he embrace so directly.
This premise alone makes it unlike any other Zelda game behind him or in front of him, giving him one of the strongest identities in the entire franchise. However, The Major's Mask it is so named because of its masks and they also contribute to this identity. By wearing different masks obtained in different ways throughout the game's story and exploration, Link could become a Deku Scrub, Goron, or Zora, each with their own movement, combat, and exploration.
But mechanics aside, one of the main reasons The Major's Mask stands out as effortlessly as a Zelda Thanks to its willingness to explore the idea, the game offers players one of the few truly horror entries in the series. Ocarina of Time certainly has some terrifying moments, whether players are exploring the well beneath Kakariko Village, digging up graves in its graveyard, or navigating the shadowy temple. But The Major's Mask treats horror as a core part of the experience, rather than something that players are only occasionally exposed to, a world that feels far more intimate and haunting than anything else Ocarina of Time-or any Zelda game when it comes down to it – sometimes.
Then, of course, the ghostly moon hovers over it all. Many players who had the privilege of growing up with them The Major's Mask after playing in 2000, they have often commented over the years about how the month of the game followed them into their nightmares. To this day, the terrifying face of Fr The Major's MaskThe moon is considered its most iconic image, as it perfectly encapsulates the game's tone, mystery, and overwhelming, chilling sense of inevitable doom.
One of the main reasons The Major's Mask stands out as effortlessly as a Zelda Thanks to its willingness to explore the idea, the game offers players one of the few truly horror entries in the series.
So sure, while The Major's Mask may be a sequel Ocarina of Timedid something that most video game sequels in general rarely do. Rather than just trying to replicate what Ocarina of Time in an effort to guarantee greater success, it went in the complete opposite direction and gave players something they probably didn't expect from a sequel to one of the best games ever made. The Major's Mask is one of the rare ones Zelda games that feel really uncomfortable at times, but that discomfort is what makes them such valuable items.
Switch 2 could give Major's Mask the definitive remake it deserves
The Major's Mask it's already received a 3DS remaster, but this version shouldn't disqualify it from getting a full Switch 2 remake. Ocarina of Time it also got its own 3DS remaster, 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 then it can go from a manual remaster to a full Switch 2 rebirth The Major's Mask certainly deserves the same treatment.
If Ocarina of TimeThe horror sequel managed to make gamers feel so uneasy and pressured by the now limited power of the Nintendo 64 that it's worth imagining what the Switch 2 can do with it. Clock Town could feel more crowded, reactive and alive over three days. The final hours could become almost unbearable with contemporary lighting, stronger animation, more atmospheric sound design, and a moon that feels like it could jump out of the screen at any moment and crash into the players themselves.
With modern hardware, mask transformations could feel better than ever. Deku's flight, Goron's roll, and Zora's swim were memorable on the Nintendo 64, but each of these forms could have benefited immensely from smoother movement, more expressive animation, and more responsive controls. The Major's Mask it's already mechanically strong as far as it goes, but Switch 2 could make each form even more distinct and feel like completely separate playstyles rather than simply giving Link a few new moves.
If Ocarina of Time then it can go from a manual remaster to a full Switch 2 rebirth The Major's Mask certainly deserves the same treatment.
There are simply too many reasons The Major's Mask deserves a proper remake to keep hiding in it Ocarina of Timeshadow. It's famous enough to justify a remake, different enough not to feel like Ocarina of Time all over again and mechanically specific enough to benefit from more than just a visual upgrade. A remake would have a real purpose because The Major's MaskThe best ideas are still excellent, and modern technology could make them even better.
Nintendo doesn't need to remake every N64 classic for the Switch 2, but its current direction does The Major's Mask hard to ignore. Ocarina of Time it makes sense because of course it is the crown jewel and Star Fox 64 it makes sense as Nintendo clearly wants to revive a dormant franchise with a recognizable history. The Major's Mask it sits between these two arguments, yet carries both elites Zelda prestige and design identity that can feel incredible thanks to modern processing. If Nintendo is serious about giving new life to its greatest classics, then Termina should be next.
