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Time

Timeline and the clock

On the series timeline, Majora's Mask follows Ocarina of Time on the child branch. Inside the cartridge, three days last about 54 minutes.

Zelda Wiki's timeline, published in Hyrule Historia in 2011, places Link's return to childhood, the warning to the royal family, and the ride out of Hyrule to look for Navi before this game. Twilight Princess comes later on the same branch, with Ganon in the Twilight Realm. Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom have no single confirmed placement on that branch in the cited timeline source.

The clock, from Zelda Central's three-day guide and the Wikipedia article: 72 in-game hours, about 54 real minutes, about 45 seconds per in-game hour. The Song of Time returns you to dawn of the First Day and, on the N64, writes a permanent save. The Inverted Song of Time slows the clock to one third on the N64 and to one half on the 3DS. The Song of Double Time skips ahead to the next dawn or night on the N64, and to a chosen hour on the 3DS. I am keeping those two slow-rates separate.

North Clock Town on the first day, with the clock tower ahead
North Clock Town on the first day, with the clock tower ahead
Skull Kid under the falling Moon on the final night
Skull Kid under the falling Moon on the final night

Questions

How long is a day?

About 18 real minutes if you do not slow the song. The full 72 hours are about 54 minutes.

Which timeline?

The child timeline, after Ocarina of Time.

What does the Inverted Song do on the 3DS?

It slows time to one half, not to the N64's one third.

Fourth Day glitchSongs3DS vs N64Ending

Sources

Checked 2026-11-11.