There's nothing quite like stepping into a game in The Legend of Zelda series for the very first time. There's this level of uncertainty whenever you begin a new adventure, as you're never sure what could be hiding around the corner. Whether you're making your way through the dungeons, or simply spending time tackling a range of minigames, there's this constant element of surprise as you stumble upon each Zelda game's many secrets and rewards, making the experience so special.

While I'm no stranger to revisiting titles in the Zelda series, I'd be lying if I said I got that same excitement and suspense going into repeat playthroughs. While there's still a lot of enjoyment to be had when revisiting Zelda games, I no longer have that same determination to fully explore as I once did, now that I'm aware of what awaits me. Yet, there's one feature that the Zelda series introduced 23 years ago that resolves this issue, and I think it's time that the mode makes its triumphant return.

Master Quest Is a Completely Different Experience

It's More Than Just A Simple Hard Mode

Originally released in 2002 as a bonus for players who pre-ordered The Wind Waker, Ocarina of Time's Master Quest can be easily mistaken for a simple hard mode. While Master Quest does have you encounter more difficult enemies at earlier points in the game, adding a greater challenge, the mode still follows the same structure and pacing as the original Ocarina of Time, making its addition feel like an afterthought on the surface. However, that all changes once you first step foot into a dungeon.

While the Master Quest was first released in 2002 in Japan, it wasn't made available in the U.S. until 2003.

All of Ocarina of Time's dungeons are completely altered in the Master Quest, from its overall layout to the puzzles that you're required to solve. The puzzles and layouts within the Master Quest's dungeon are made to be significantly more difficult than the original Ocarina of Time, forcing you to be more cautious and attentive to your surroundings in order to find the right solution. That's not to mention the additional items that are required in order to clear the dungeons, encouraging further exploration of the overworld for its many rewards.

What I find so refreshing about Master Quest is how it directly challenges familiarity. Stepping into the first altered dungeon provides this mix of bafflement and surprise, as I quickly realized that I would need to rethink my approach to how I tackle these dungeons if I had any hope of proceeding. Unlike a more typical version of a hard mode that simply ups the ante, Master Quest seeks to offer an entirely original challenge, and in doing so brings back that unfamiliarity and suspense that a first playthrough provided.

Few Zelda Games Offer The Same Kind Of Hard Mode

Almost No Other Titles Have Their Own Version Of The Master Quest

Ocarina of Time's Master Quest serves as a perfect template for other Zelda games to follow. The major changes that Master Quest makes to dungeon layouts and puzzles provide further encouragement to exploration and experimentation as you're once again oblivious to the rewards and dangers that await you. Master Quest found a perfect solution to maintain the same engagement and interactivity for repeat playthroughs. Yet, it remains an anomaly within the Zelda franchise.

Not all entries in the Zelda series offer an alternative hard mode, meaning that the experience remains identical with every playthrough. The few games that do include a harder difficulty, such as The Wind Waker HD or Breath of the Wild, tend to offer minimal changes to the original experience. Additions like tougher enemies or fewer opportunities to replenish health are often very simplistic, lacking the ingenuity and creativity that made Master Quest feel so refreshing to play.

The only title with a mode that bears any resemblance to Ocarina of Time's Master Quest is the original The Legend of Zelda for NES. Upon completing the initial campaign, you have the opportunity to play the Second Quest, where new dungeons are placed in alternate locations in the overworld.

That's not to say these alternative modes don't force you to reconsider your approach. For example, the lack of hearts dropped by enemies in Twilight Princess HD or the Link's Awakening Switch remake will naturally make you more cautious, especially when you find yourself in the midst of a combat encounter. However, that sense of familiarity is inescapable, and despite the greater challenge these harder modes may provide, I always find myself wanting more after finishing a repeat playthrough.

Master Quest Should Become A Zelda Series Staple

Master Quest Would Add Replayability To Titles

What makes Master Quest such an ideal feature to be included with future Zelda games is the incentive for replayability. The mode's alternate dungeon layouts aren't just a simple way to increase difficulty, but they offer an original challenge, encouraging you to experiment and explore in the same way you would have done on your first playthrough. Master Quest maintains that same curiosity and thirst for adventure in a way previous Zelda entries failed to achieve with their more straightforward hard modes, making it far easier to revisit.

That's not even considering the ways in which future Zelda entries could expand on what Master Quest established. For example, the altered layouts and puzzles of Ocarina of Time's dungeons could also be applied to other quests or secrets in the game's overworld, while the locations of certain key items could also be changed. Master Quest provides the groundwork for future Zelda entries to create greater uncertainty and curiosity during a repeat playthrough, further encouraging you to revisit the games.

It's hard to say whether future Zelda games will implement their own versions of Master Quest. Even then, I remain in awe of the creativity and originality that a mode like the Master Quest can offer to an already stellar title like Ocarina of Time. Its changes not only give me that challenge that has dwindled with each subsequent playthrough of Ocarina of Time, but have restored that excitement and determination to explore that I experienced during my first playthrough, making Master Quest a great potential addition to future The Legend of Zelda titles.