The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D Won’t be “Just Another Remake”

In a post on Nintendo’s Miiverse, Zelda series director Eiji Aonuma has revealed some behind-the-scenes details on the development of the recently announced The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D. The game is a 3DS specific remake of the N64 classic, much like its predecessor The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D was. And according to the post the two weren’t far apart in development.

We didn’t want to say it was being developed until…we could proudly say that this is not going to be just another remake

Aonuma wrote “The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D was actually in development almost immediately after we finished working on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, which was released in June of 2011.” This is pretty surprising given the fact that, despite multiple rumors and hints, nothing official was announced until only a few days ago.

The long wait is apprently due to the scope of the project, with Aonuma explaining that this isn’t a quick and easy remake. “So although we’ve been working on the game for quite some time, we didn’t want to say it was being developed until we were at a point where we could proudly say that this is not going to be just another remake and that it’s going to be worth your time. For a while now, when fans from Japan and around the world would ask me if we were working on a Majora’s Mask remake, I would silently plead in my heart, thinking, “Please wait a bit longer!””

Aonuma goes on to explain that while changes have been made, they have worked hard to retain the unique atmosphere and mood that made the original game such a fan-favorite. “We’ve spent a lot of time making sure the gameplay experience is smoother than in the original version without taking away from this unique world…Oh, and I should mention that we haven’t removed the distinct look and feel that are unique to this game, so it should live up to this game’s Japanese catchphrase, “this Zelda has a scary vibe.” Brace yourselves for what this world has to offer!”

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D will be released exclusively on Nintendo 2DS and 3DS in Spring 2015.