Daily Debate: Were the Changes in Majora’s Mask 3D Justified?

Most Majora’s Mask fans are pretty thrilled that Majora’s Mask 3D is even a thing. That being said, there were a ton of fairly significant changes to the game that may or may not be welcomed. Looking back on the game I find little to dislike about the changes, but that’s simply because most of them felt like either missing content (no ability to fish) or corrections on things that probably only existed the way they did due to the limited time under-which the game was created (just one year). A user on Reddit by the name of

BlueKoin however feels differently. Here are the changes BlueKoin found most notable and possibly things this person (and you) don’t like.

• Bomber’s Notebook: I like that the Bomber’s Notebook was changed to track much more information, but I find that it’s much more intrusive than it should be. The fact that it pops into the menu every time anything in the book is added or updated really bogs down the fun of starting, continuing, or completing side-quests. It should’ve stayed as a dialogue-style text prompt instead of a Skyward Sword style treasure collection prompt. Also, it ticks me off that the Happy Mask Salesman is the one who gives you the Bomber’s Notebook. What reason is there for him to have such an item? Sure, the Bomber’s Notebook makes the game easier, especially this new and improved version, but why just give it to us?
• Zora swimming: I think the change was excusable, but it should’ve been done so that you can still fast/classic swim without magic as well, much like how you can still roll as a Goron without magic but you won’t roll fast or have spikes.
• The Sheikah Stone: it’s fine (I’ve never used it though), but the game should not call attention to it in the form of scripted dialogue from the Happy Mask Salesman. Ocarina of Time 3D didn’t need to, why would Majora’s Mask 3D?
• Fishing Hole: Honestly, I find the addition of a fishing hole completely negligible. I’m always busy doing more important stuff, like collecting masks or heart pieces, or completing side-quests.
• The Bank was moved: as much as I find this change unnecessary, it makes sense considering the fact that it was moved to be right next to the warp for Clock Town.
• Some Great Fairy rewards were switched: I really don’t get why. Maybe someone can explain the reasoning to me?
• The Song of Soaring’s stone tablet was moved: again, another change I don’t really get. Especially considering that at that point there are only three possible statues to warp two, and one of them is in a place where it won’t matter for longer than it would take to get the Song of Soaring in the original game.
• Shiro was moved to inside the Pirate Fortress: this is one of those changes that really tick me off because it screws with people who’ve played the original Majora’s Mask prior to playing the 3D remake. I understand that Shiro was moved to a place where his mask is most useful, but again, it really screws with people who would’ve otherwise looked for him where he originally was.
• The boss changes: easily the changes I hate the most. Odolwa was one of my favorite bosses of the entire series, but this fight was absolutely ruined in the 3D remake. Odolwa went from a boss that has several ways to be stunned to a crappy rinse-and-repeat style boss that gamers so often regard as awful boss encounters. Ghot wasn’t change as severely, but the addition of an eyeball weakpoint just makes him yet another boss damaged by hitting it in the eye, because the series needs more of those. Other than that, I still find Ghot quite fun to fight, and the fact that the boss chamber seems to have been changed to make charging the Goron roll easier is just the icing on the “You didn’t screw up!” cake. The same cannot be said for Gyorg, however, as I find the addition of an eyeball weakspot just as tedious, and on top of that, the addition of a second phase in which it can only be stunned by tricking it into inhaling mines makes the fight absolute garbage. Sure, the fight wasn’t anything special in the original version, but this is far worse. As for Twinmold, well, I think this post sums it up quite nicely.

Were the changes justified to you?