Nintendo Switch Online and its expansion pack have been hotly debated topics for many Nintendo fans for quite some time now. Despite giving players a treasure trove of classic games to play, some have argued that the steep subscription cost is too much. While there are pros and cons to the service, it appears Nintendo has given fans another compelling reason to consider purchasing the expansion.Recently, it was revealed that The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask has been released on the Nintendo Switch via the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. This news confirmed a tweet from Nintendo last week that had announced that Majora's Mask would be available on the service on February 25. It is worth mentioning that in order to play this classic title, players must have an active subscription to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack.Originally released on the N64, Majora’s Mask had the daunting challenge of following the highly successful The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Fortunately for fans, the game was well-received upon its release in April 2000. One reason for its success was its darker tone that featured a story focusing on Link as he attempted to stop Skull Kid from sending the moon crashing into the world of Termina. With the game now launching on the Nintendo Switch Online service, Majora's Mask has received some modern conveniences not present in the original N64 version, such as save states.
This game joins a stacked lineup of Nintendo games available in the expansion pack. The subscription service already contains an impressive number of titles from the NES, SNES, N64, and SEGA Genesis. Some of these other playable games include Super Mario 64, Paper Mario, Banjo-Kazooie, and Super Mario World, just to name a few. In addition, the expansion pack already features Ocarina of Time for those wanting to revisit the first Zelda title to launch on the N64.
In addition to bringing Majora’s Mask to the Switch, Nintendo updated the emulation of Ocarina of Time. According to reports from fans on social media, the Switch version now features the fog effect present in the original N64 game. This effect was previously missing from certain areas, such as the Water Temple, and its absence became a common complaint among many fans.
The release of Majora’s Mask for the Switch Online Expansion Pack is doubtlessly big news for Nintendo and the Nintendo Switch. Previously, the title was not available to play on the hybrid console. It will be interesting to see if this new addition from the N64 will be enough to convince those on the fence to purchase the expansion pack in the days ahead.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is available for Nintendo 64 and Switch through the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pass, and an enhanced port is available on 3DS.