We’ve all heard talk about a Majora’s Mask remake, but what about a “demake?” In 2012, deviantART user BLUEamnesiac created a group called MajorasMaskGB, which strives to work toward the possible creation of a Majora’s Mask demake that can run on actual Game Boy hardware. As of yet, there are no plans to actually program the game, and the core focus of the group is mostly artwork and gameplay mechanics. (Contributors to the group are welcome.) Taking a complex and colorful game like Majora’s Mask and converting it to an older, 2D platform style is no easy task, but the results are intriguing and well worth a look. Hit the jump for an artist interview, info and photos!
Artist Interview
I recently spoke with the artist about his work, and what inspired him to look at Majora’s Mask through a 2D lens.
ZU: How long have you been working on the demake, and where did the idea come from?
“MMGB started in March 2012. What inspired it was a rather lucid dream in which I was on a road trip as a child, playing my Game Boy as I always do. And for some strange reason, there was a deep sense of deja-vu as I realized the game being played was a 2D Majora’s Mask. I don’t have a clue for what caused this silly dream, but it stuck with me as I entered my daily routine. It was right about breakfast time that a basic proof of concept title screen started to take shape.”
ZU: Do you ever see this turning into an actual game? Has there been any programming done at this point?
“For the foreseeable future it remains a challenging puzzle born of curiosity to envision Majora’s Mask as a Game Boy game. I am not a programmer nor do I know of any I feel comfortable enough to ask to join in. I would definitely like to see it made into a playable game of some kind one day and am willing to turn over any ideas and art assets I create to anyone willing to give it a try.”
ZU: Any other interesting facts about your project we should share with our readers?
“Majora’s Mask GB is a slowly updated project mostly due to my own limitations in time and skill. Which is why I started the deviantART group MajorasMaskGB to invite anyone interested in joining in on the fun. Demaking a lush 3D game for a minimal 2D platform is challenging and rewarding. Even now, I’m still learning new ways to work within the constraints of four colors within a 160×144 resolution. Especially when it comes to the representation of light and texture. This kind of learning experience might be rewarding to others as well, so anyone is allowed to freely edit and expand upon anything we have made so far under the condition they allow others to do the same. Ideally this would snowball into something larger, but I’m happy even if it remains a small hobbyist project.”
Box and Cartridge Art
Gameplay and Scenes
The full gameplay gallery is here and the full scenes gallery is here.
User Interface
The full UI gallery is here.
Animations
Full gallery of animations is here.
Telling Time
The passage of time is obviously one of the key components of gameplay in Majora’s Mask, and this is what the creator had to say about overcoming this obstacle in a 2D format:
“So, how do you tell the time in Majora’s Mask GB? Simple my friend! A Roman numeral will light up for the current hour and will gradually change over time. With a fixed bar of 12 Roman numerals and no clock hands, telling the difference between AM and PM could be an issue. That’s why the lighted numeral will repeatedly blink to indicate PM. Problem solved!”
As a self-proclaimed Majora’s Mask junkie, I was intensely drawn to and fascinated by BLUEamnesiac’s story, and even more so when I heard the idea for this challenging project came from a dream. It’s almost like the game wanted to be made and was looking for a creator. I was impressed with the artist and his ability to take a complicated 3D game and render it in a way that captures the haunting essence of Majora’s Mask, in a simpler format. Although currently just an artistic venture, the possibility that this could one day be a playable game is something to look forward to for Majora’s Mask fans. For an extensive and complete gallery of photos and gameplay explanations, be sure to visit the MajorasMaskGB deviantART group. There is also a gallery of sprites and resources, located here.
Would you be interested in playing a Majora’s Mask demake? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
