As 3D printers continue gaining traction in household settings, it seems only natural that hobbyists would use them to pay homage to their favorite media. One The Legend of Zelda fan decided to create figurines based on Link's transformations from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, and the results are impressive.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is a strange entry in the series, taking on a unique structure and a very dark tone. Masks play a vital role in the game, with their uses ranging from puzzle-solving to transforming Link into a different species entirely, gaining the traits of the species.
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Three major transformations are represented in three 3D printed art pieces by Reddit user therome5. The artist created 3D models of Deku Link, Goron Link, and Zora Link and used a 3D printer to make physical versions. They then painted the printed models to finalize them into impressively rendered representations of Link's forms in the game. Deku Link is seen holding a flower, Goron Link uses the drums that replace the Ocarina of Time in the game, and Zora Link holds Mikau's Zora Guitar. Click here to see all the images.
The creator of the models has generously made them available for free download, leaving the links to all three in the replies to the original post. They manage to capture the careful detail of the 3DS remake of Majora's Mask, even the Zora Guitar with its delicate fishbone shape and the small flower in Deku Link's hand, which are difficult to achieve on consumer-grade 3D printers. Each model includes a base for the character to stand on, inscribed with the mask that haunts the world of the game.
3D printers have gained a lot of traction in recent years and have been used for fan art of other games like Final Fantasy. Still, it is difficult to have them print at the fine level of detail the Majora's Mask models include, and painting them can be a challenging task as this specific type of 3D printer creates objects with layers of plastic. This can introduce ridges between layers that may need to be sandpapered down or covered in plastic finisher later, and naturally, introduce inconsistencies during the painting process that require high skill to work around.
Majora's Mask's fan community has endured for many years, with the game initially releasing in 2000 for the Nintendo 64. With rumors of the game finally coming to Nintendo Switch, an entirely new audience could be exposed to Majora's Mask and finally find out why it remains so beloved over twenty years later.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D is available now on Nintendo 3DS.
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