The NSO port of Majora’s Mask includes rectified gameplay elements, graphical improvements, and a new suspend feature compared to the N64.

The recent release of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask onto the Nintendo Switch Online service has brought improvements to the game compared to the Nintendo 64 version, including a more consistent framerate and smoothing filters to improve texture quality. Being the sixth main installment in The Legends of Zelda series originally released back in 2000, the revival of Majora's Mask for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack service was highly anticipated by players.

Previously, Nintendo Switch Online releases have had emulation bugs including rendering issues, input lag, and crashing. Even The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, debatably the best game on the service, offered a substandard emulation experience worse than previous versions such as on the Wii U. As Nintendo Switch Online is a paid service, many expected better. However, the release of Majora's Mask has seen many of these issues revisited and fixed within other NSO games. Notably, Ocarina of Time's water temple issues were fixed, demonstrating that Nintendo is listening to the community and responding to concerns.

The Nintendo Switch Online release of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask has not only fixed issues encountered in previous games but improved the overall quality of the game for a modernized playthrough. While the NSO emulator technology makes the games look sharper, however, some scenes do look a little different from the original N64 version. As Majora's Mask is possibly the most demanding game on the N64, it is natural that issues have been encountered with adapting the game for modern technology.

The Switch Version Of Majora's Mask Simulates N64 Lag

As it is considered by some to be the best Zelda game, Majora's Mask's anticipated release on Nintendo Switch Online had to bring revitalized gameplay. Nintendo achieved this as the NSO version of Majora's Mask offers a more consistent gameplay experience than on N64. On NSO, the framerate is capped at 30 fps and while players have experienced dips in framerate on Switch, it is not as inconsistent as the N64 version. Although the N64 uses a memory Expansion Pack to allow for greater screen resolution and more detailed graphics, the N64 has always been reported to have trouble maintaining a steady framerate.

The NSO version seems to combat this known issue relatively well and even adds lag intentionally to cutscenes in order to simulate N64 lag, as noted by speedrunner Fig on Twitter. This fixes any video sync issues where audio and video discrepancies occur due to higher framerates and makes the NSO playthrough as close to the N64 as possible.

Majora's Mask On Switch Online Uses Smoothing Filters

Compared to the visual masterpiece that is Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Majora's Mask - originally released in 2000 - cannot compete graphically. Yet, the revival of this game for NSO brings about nostalgia for many players and does graphically revamp the fan-favorite. In the previously released NSO games, fog and lighting issues were encountered as these aspects were not correctly rendered in certain scenes compared to the N64. With the release of Majora's Mask, Nintendo has rectified these issues and revisited bugs in previously released NSO games.

While there may seem to be a slight white-balancing issue in Zelda: Majora's Mask on NSO, the addition of the smoothing filter to the game improves the graphical experience from the N64 version. This feature makes 3D models look better than the previous version. However, 2D aspects suffer a little as there is noticeable pixelation on 2D objects that creates a little dissonance between 3D and 2D graphics. This is not world-ending, however, and the overall improved texture quality makes for a smoother playthrough of fan-favorite Majora's Mask on NSO than N64.

Majora's Mask Switch Port Doesn't Use N64's Owl Statues

A major improvement to Majora's Mask seen in the Nintendo Switch Online version compared to N64 is the addition of suspend features. In the N64 version, players relied on scattered owl statues to save progress as there was no quicksave option in the game menu. However, new to the NSO version, quick saves can be completed at any time due to the suspend feature. This makes for a potentially more relaxing game experience and improved overall enjoyment of Majora's Mask on the Switch compared to the game's original platform.

Majora's Mask Is Available On Switch Through The NSO Expansion Pass

A final difference stands in the availability of the two versions of Majora's Mask. If unowned, the classic N64 game can be found for anywhere between $20-$60 dollars for the cartridge. Meanwhile, the Switch port of Majora's Mask appears a little more complexly priced. In order to get access to the game, players must already subscribe to the Nintendo Switch Online service, reasonably priced at $19.99, and then pay for the Expansion Pass separately.

The Switch Expansion Pass has struggled to justify its cost at times, with the annual cost standing at $49.99, or $80 for the family plan. This premium tier grants access to a library of classic Sega Genesis games, and Majora's Mask marks the 12th N64 game available through this service. DLC material is available for other games, including the Animal Crossing: New Horizons paid expansion and the Booster Course DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. While Nintendo has promised to remaster additional classic games in the future for the Expansion Pass, the price of this premium plan remains a little high in the minds of some players.

With Nintendo announcing the closure of the eShop on WiiU and 3DS to come in March 2023, it seems that the company is moving away from making its classic re-vamped games available on these console generations. For now, however, Majora's Mask can still be picked up on the WiiU and 3DS systems, although these versions do not benefit from the updates and fixes seen in the Nintendo Switch Online remaster.

Overall, the best way to play The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask in 2022 seems to be on Nintendo Switch rather than Nintendo 64. Despite the Expansion Pass price, the Switch port has fixed gameplay elements and graphical improvements on modern hardware. It also has newly introduced suspend features to allow for a smoother playthrough of the classic game, which may make it more approachable to first-time players..

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Source: Fig02_ /Twitter