Zelda: Majora's Mask Originally Featured A Mask That Made Link An Adult
Video game development is no small task, and sometimes creators have to get, well, creative. As evidenced by the interesting 8-bit prototype for "Breath of the Wild," the "Legend of Zelda" franchise is no stranger to taking inventive steps when it comes to creating a new video game. Sometimes, creative solutions to game development bumps in the road come in the form of rehashing and repurposing ideas that never make it into the final product.
One such example was found by the popular YouTube channel DidYouKnowGaming? as it dove deep into the stories behind the creation of "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask." Plenty of previously obscure information regarding the game's bizarre development was discussed in DidYouKnowGaming?'s video, such as the dark secret behind some NPC dialogue being based on the developers' lives at the time, but it was also revealed that at one point during the game's brief one-year development, there was an in-game mask that would transform Link into an adult.
The Adult Link Mask was removed halfway through development
Right as DidYouKnowGaming?'s video begins, it is revealed that the "The Legend of Zelda Hyrule Historia" compendium of all things Zelda contains concept art for Adult Link as he would have appeared in "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask." The authors of "Hyrule Historia," however, were unsure what these concept images were for. As the book states, "Only Child Link appears in 'Majora's Mask,' but, for some reason, there are illustrations for Adult Link. Perhaps they were prototypes for Fierce Deity Link, who appears in the final game." Luckily, DidYouKnowGaming? did some digging and translated various Japanese magazines that contained interviews with some of the developers for "Majora's Mask."
As the game's codirector Yoshiaki Koizumi said, "Until halfway into development, there was a mask that let you turn into Adult Link...In this game Link can transform into different races, so Adult Link would've just been a bonus feature. But (art director) Imamura pointed out that just turning into an adult wasn't very interesting, and it didn't make Link stronger or anything." This explains the exclusion of Adult Link for the final product then, but according to DidYouKnowGaming?'s continued translation of the magazine and contrary to Hyrule Historia's postulation, the Adult Link mask didn't actually influence what would become the game's Fierce Deity Mask.
At one point in the game's creation, Link had a mask that would transform him into an enormous "Fierce Deity." However, it was apparently enormously overpowered. Therefore, the mask's abilities were split into two different masks that are present in the final version of the game: The Giant's Mask and the Fierce Deity Mask. While you can only use them during specific boss fights, at least they made the cut.