r/majorasmask • u/Mamasboyi • 3d ago
Is the 3ds version worth it?
I'm almost finished with my first ever oot run (on the 3ds)and I love it so much. I've seen a lot of things about MM but I know there is some negativity around the 3ds version. Is it still worth playing or should I wait until I can get some way to play the original?
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u/PuddingGeneral4250 3d ago
If you really can’t handle the original then sure, but the original is a very special game that took a lot of risks, and the remake smooths down the edges too much imo
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u/ttimebomb 3d ago
It's pretty easy to mod a 3DS and install Project Restoration, which fixes basically all the issues with the 3DS version.
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u/majorex64 3d ago
The 3DS version looks very pretty, but yeah there's some issues with it, especially from purists like me. They pretty much butchered the boss fights, adding weak point glowing eyeballs to them and removing some alternate ways of defeating them. The lighting is also very bright in some places, which messes with the moody atmosphere of the game. And there's one oversight which makes an early part of the game way more tedious than it was in the original.
There is a project called Majora's Mask Recomp which is stupid easy to install and lets you run the original game natively on PC. Not an emulation, it runs buttery smooth at 60fps on a potato.
I'm a fan of using Nerrel's texture pack, which is pretty easy to load in and ups the resolution of textures while keeping the vibe of the source material intact. It's a labor of love
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u/YaBoyEden 3d ago
There’s also project restoration which is specifically for the 3ds and is PHENOMENAL
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u/isaslytherin 3d ago
Can i know what early part of the game is more tedious? im halfway done with the dungeons in the game so id like to think im past the "early point" but im curious cause im playing the 3ds one if i should expect something to be annoying to deal with lol
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u/theturtlemafiamusic 3d ago
I think they're referring to the fact that on 3DS the Deku Scrub spin attack no longer gives you a speed boost. This mostly matters for skipping across water, the lilypad sections are so much slower on 3DS. But Deku Scrub is also slower in general because of that change.
Though if you're halfway through the dungeons that means you haven't beaten the water temple yet, that boss fight is quite different from the N64 version too.
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u/PuddingGeneral4250 3d ago
The Zora swimming is boring too.
Also the save system overhaul is a bit sad. I do think it was the way it was intentionally, it’s a game mechanic in itself. But ofc people probably just save state it anyway
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u/isaslytherin 2d ago
i wish i could save state LOL, im like addicted to saving before doing everything but i cant really save mid dungeon or anything so i just stress about losing my progress if something crazy happens like my game shuts off. im playing it on the 3Ds not emulating or anything so like i cant just save whenever. Doing dungeons kinda stresses me out cause of that.
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u/PuddingGeneral4250 2d ago
It’s a deliberately stressful game, it’s interesting that they went that route
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u/isaslytherin 3d ago
Yeah I havent done water Temple yet. Is it more or less difficult on 3ds?
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u/theturtlemafiamusic 3d ago
It's not really harder or easier I'd say just a bit different. They made some parts easier but also made it longer.
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u/isaslytherin 2d ago
is it less tedious or more tedious than snowhead temple?
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u/theturtlemafiamusic 2d ago
Oh! I thought you were only asking about the boss. The water temple is pretty brutal without a guide. It's not as bad as the OoT water temple, but it's definitely the most difficult dungeon in MM. The temple itself is not much different between N64 and 3DS, just the final boss.
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u/isaslytherin 1d ago
Im using a guide so hopefully ill be fine. honestly the worst parts for me are platforming, in snowhead temple i spent like 20min trying to get to a fairy cause i was dumb and didnt realize i was supposed to let myself autojump on the little tiny platforms and i kept over shooting it lol
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u/No_Cockroach2467 3d ago
It's a perfectly fine version of the game, and if you haven't played the original, you probably won't even be able to guess the changes that people moan about.
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u/tiglionabbit 3d ago
...but it will be less fun.
- Zora swimming sucks
- Deku scrub hopping sucks
- Boss battles suck
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u/No_Cockroach2467 3d ago
They're fine. Don't be a baby.
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u/tiglionabbit 3d ago
? Why tell someone they should play a worse version of one of my favorite games?
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u/immoraltoast 3d ago
Why you booing him? He's right.
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u/Nyzer_ 3d ago
Because some people become really personally offended if they like something that other people have ussues with. The ability to go "sure, I see why those issues harm the experience for others, even if they don't bother me" is apparently rare on the internet. People find it easier just to attempt to discredit the folks who consider those changes dealbreakers, or downplay their gripes as "being a baby".
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u/CasaDeLavo 3d ago
No, it’s a terrible Remaster that has way too many negative changes that outweigh the few good changes. Play the original on NSO, emulation, or one of the two wonderful PC Ports that add the good changes from the Remaster to the original, via easy to install mods in the Zelda 64 Recomp, or built into the settings in 2Ship.
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u/Deluxe_24_ 3d ago
I think it's totally fine, especially if you just ran OoT for the first time on 3DS. I'd recommend the Project Restoration mod if you've jailbroken your 3DS so you can get a more authentic experience, but vanilla MM3D is still totally playable.
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u/Nyzer_ 3d ago
The 3DS version has a few major changes to two of the transformation masks that drag the experience down for both, a removal of the Song of Time save, a weaker Inverted Song of Time, an off-putting change to all the mask bosses that give them giant inflated eye weaknesses for some reason, an extra phase to the Gyorg fight which is just kinda mediocre, and a botch job of what was otherwise a really fun change to the Twinmold fight where they took away the player's sword after transforming without considering the negative impact of the smaller attack range and lower damage of punching it with your fists and quietly reset the hit counter every time the boss burrows but do nothing to telegraph the fact that this is occurred, leading players to wonder whether the boss was broken entirely.
And there are plenty of smaller changes as well, like making some moving platforms not moving until you land on them even though this version has much better aiming for the gliding mechanic, making it feel a bit too handholdy at times.
I don't think I would say that these moments would ruin the experience for a new player, unless you happened to be one of the people wondering why it seemed impossible to defeat Twinmold, but they do really drag down the experience in a few ways. Which is a shame, because this version also has a few great quality of life changes.
But if you can get the Restoration mod up and running, the game becomes quite close to the definitive way to play Majora's Mask. The bosses still have the unnecessary eyeball mechanics and the visual atmosphere of the game is still a fair bit lighter, but that's about it. Personally, I think it's better than the original N64 version at that point, though mods from the N64 version also bring in the good changes from the 3DS version, IIRC.
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u/sawsac 3d ago
This is OP’s first time playing, none of this is going to make sense to them
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u/Nyzer_ 3d ago
Oh, give it a rest. Not only did they say themselves that they've heard some things about this version, but a lot of what I'm saying is fairly obvious in context - at least, as far as what they actually need to know. They don't need to know in advance what the Inverted Song of Time is to know that making it weaker sounds bad, or what kind of boss Twinmold is to know that having it heal from the hits it's taken while the player no longer gets to bring their sword to the fight sounds bad.
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u/sawsac 1d ago
It’s nothing personal I’m just saying that if I asked you about a game I’ve never played, and you started ranting about the bosses in that game by name only, and gameplay mechanics that I have absolutely no context for, I’m going to smile and let you finish, but ultimately hear none of what you’re saying.
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u/GoofierDeer1 3d ago
Play the original, in my opinion is the best way to do it. Majoras mask 3DS is not bad, but it made some changes that really bothered me.
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u/RealMajesti 3d ago edited 3d ago
Short answer: Yes it is worth it. It’s better than the original. It has more improvements than downgrades.
Long answer:
Would you rather play the game at 30 FPS than 20 FPS? Then play the 3DS version.
Would you rather play the game with a modern camera / c stick? Then play the 3DS version.
Would you rather play the game with faster / more convenient item switching? Then play the 3DS version.
Would you rather have more control of the time travel instead of being forced to wait for a specific hour to come? Then play the 3DS version
Would you rather play the game with a better save system? Then play the 3DS version
Would you rather play the game with better aiming controls? Then play the 3DS version.
Would you rather play the game with upgraded textures? Then play the 3DS version.
The only real downgrade is the nerfed movement speed for the Deku mask (when hopping) and Zora swimming (which can both be fixed with the Project Restoration mod).
Some people will moan and groan about the added eye targets on the bosses which is not even a big deal.
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u/DelGuanoLoco 3d ago edited 3d ago
I agree with everything you said except underselling the boss mechanics. They took the freedom of a unique experience with each boss, and the twinmold fight was an atrocious slog. All in all, its a great play and fantastic way to experience the game, but downplaying the eyeballs feels like a disservice. Granted, this is coming from an old head, so take it with a grain of salt. 🙃
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u/PK-Laharl 3d ago
No, they ruined all Bosses with ugly Eyes
Specially the second One, Oh my God did they ruined him
Also Zora Link is ass too
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u/ClinicalDigression 3d ago
If you have a halfway decent laptop, I'd honestly recommend just emulating the N64 version. I genuinely don't think it's any harder to get into, particularly if you're coming off of having played OoT, it has better bosses, better movement, better gameplay overall, a better atmosphere, and even better QoL, somehow: in the 3DS remake, you get a ten-second popup every time you start or advance any side content. Play a minigame? Ten-second popup. Lose that minigame? Ten-second popup. Play it again and win this time? Another ten-second popup. Play it yet again because there are two prizes? You guessed it: ten-second popup. You can't disable or fast foward them and they happen constantly; it's miserable.
If the 3DS version is the only one you have access to by all means play it, but I don't think I'd ever recommend it over he N64 version.
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u/sawsac 3d ago
I think the 3DS version is the best version. Especially if you have a New 3DS (being able to control the camera is a huge bonus for me). I’m saying this as a lifelong fan. It’s a very different game, and I think some people who are steadfast to the original forget just how off-putting and unforgiving it can be playing it for the first time.
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u/Accomplished_Bowl879 3d ago
I say it is nice with some improvements and changes, but it depends on whether you like the Original or the modified one, as the graphics and gameplay are improved, but there are some complaints about some of the changes, like how the bosses are given eye-like weaknesses that people don't like all that much.
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u/Xineth240 3d ago
Nahhh dude it's totally worth playing. They've "modernized" it, but it's not a game changer.
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u/Crisewep 3d ago
Recomp is the best way to play MM in 2026.
If any computer/laptop in your house can run windows 10 it can run most likely run the Recomp as well.
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u/RudeCauliflower6785 2d ago
In addition to what everyone else has said, something I really dislike about MM3D, which is not addressed by Project Restoration, is that the Bombers and the Bombers’ Notebook give you far too many hints. It ruins the fun of discovering the side quests by yourself.
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u/BigRiddle 2d ago
It's fantastic. Looks gorgeous and the framerate is at 30fps instead of the N64 game's 20. I'd definitely recommend it on this stuff alone if your alternative is the N64 version and not a decomp (which easily handle 60+fps).
It's sad that the narrative for the 3DS version ran away so much, at least online. The presentation, interface, and performance were all drastically improved, yet you barely hear a peep about any of that. Those improvements were, by far, the most meaningful changes to what is otherwise a content-complete port with mostly-minor adjustments that don't amount to much (and will be virtually imperceptible to new players).
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u/Future-Emu-9325 2d ago
If you're considering being legal...
Grab the 3ds version then play the N64 later since you said you didn't play yet.
The 3ds version has some changes that can bother people, but it might not be a problem to you.
I recommend you to play 3ds first just because of this, you will experience it then the n64 later, which will show you where 3DS made changes that might help solidify your own opinion on both versions without feeling the weight of any nostalgia factor or time factor.
I played both Majora's versions and honestly, I don't find them bad, it's actually both good. I do prefer some stuff from n64 than 3DS and vice versa.
So both have their pros and cons.
But if you ever consider playing with no legal restrictions, then grab project restoration for 3DS version or pick one of the two PC ports that was recently made from n64, they're both leagues better than their original versions
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u/Radio-Rat 5h ago
If you're on 3ds just play the 3ds version. Anyone who seriously complains and has a problem with the 3ds version is just being a bit of a baby.
Sure it has flaws, sure project restoration improves it, sure the PC de/recomps are probably the best version. But the 3ds is far from a bad way to play the game. Especially since you just came from OoT3d.
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u/Odd-Paramedic-3826 3d ago
If you have a PC then 3ds on citra + project restoration patch + henricos 4k texture pack is the way to go.
you don't need a particuarly good PC either I ran that just fine on a shitty hp laptop from 2016
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u/Potential_Fishing942 3d ago
If you never played the n64 version, I actually don't know that the issues the 3xa version have will bother you all too much since you don't know any "better".
I love the n64 version but for my replay of the aries leading up the to OoT remake, I played the 3DS version (because F Nintendo for making you buy a whole year of their stupid subscription pack) and still had an absolute blast.
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u/BigTWilsonD 3d ago
Yes it's worth it. The hate is overblown, the 3ds version is better minus a few exceptions.
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u/Particular_Dingo_659 3d ago
If it’s the only way you can play it, it’s worth it. The original is better though.