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Should You Play Ocarina of Time or Majora’s Mask First?

Play Ocarina of Time first, then Majora’s Mask. Nintendo places the latter after the former, though its three-day time mechanic may appeal to players who prefer a more unusual structure.
Length2 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team

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Play The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time first, then Majora’s Mask. Nintendo’s official timeline places Majora’s Mask after Ocarina of Time, so that order gives you the story context as intended. You do not need to play every Zelda game first; this recommendation is about these two titles.

Why Ocarina of Time comes first

Nintendo’s official Zelda timeline places Majora’s Mask after the events of Ocarina of Time. Playing them in that order gives you the pair’s narrative sequence and context.

The games also have distinct central premises. Nintendo describes Ocarina of Time as Link’s journey to stop Ganondorf after Hyrule is plunged into darkness. In Majora’s Mask, Link is in Termina, trying to stop the moon and return to Hyrule during a three-day crisis. These are connected adventures, but they offer different kinds of journeys.

How the games differ

Ocarina of Time: a conflict centered on Hyrule

Ocarina of Time is the natural starting point if you want the pair’s story in sequence or prefer a premise built around stopping Ganondorf in Hyrule.

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#1 Best Overall
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Majora’s Mask: a three-day crisis shaped by time

Majora’s Mask makes its three-day cycle part of the adventure. Nintendo’s description highlights using the ocarina to manipulate time and plan activities around the schedule. That unusual structure may appeal to you more, but it does not change the recommended story order. See Nintendo’s game descriptions for both premises.

Choose by what matters most

If you care most about… Start with… Why
The story sequence of these two games Ocarina of Time Nintendo places Majora’s Mask after Ocarina of Time in its official timeline.
A premise about stopping Ganondorf in Hyrule Ocarina of Time That is the central conflict in Nintendo’s description.
A three-day crisis with time manipulation and planning Majora’s Mask may sound more appealing That structure defines its setup, though Ocarina of Time remains the better first choice for story context.

Do you need to play other Zelda games first?

No. The timeline supports playing Ocarina of Time before Majora’s Mask; it does not mean you must play every Zelda game chronologically before starting either one.

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Where to play them on Nintendo Switch

Nintendo’s UK catalog article dated September 3, 2024 listed both games in the Nintendo 64 application for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. That is a dated UK catalog record, not a guarantee of current availability in every region. Check Nintendo’s catalog article and your local Nintendo catalog for current access.

Nintendo Support says the Nintendo 64 Classics library is included with the Expansion Pack tier and requires an active membership. Classic games can be played offline for up to seven consecutive days before membership verification is required online. See Nintendo Support’s membership and offline-play information.

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Rank #3
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (w/ Master Quest)
  • Play the original Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time
  • Or the Master Quest edition with many bonus features

As of October 8, 2026, Nintendo’s U.S. listing schedules a new Ocarina of Time edition for Nintendo Switch 2 for November 5, 2026, a future date at the time of writing. Nintendo calls it an entry point to the Zelda series; that does not alter the order of these two games, and the listing does not establish a matching new Majora’s Mask edition. Check Nintendo’s U.S. listing for current release details.

Quick Recap

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The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (w/ Master Quest)
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Play the original Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time; Or the Master Quest edition with many bonus features
$118.95
Rank #4
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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