Hyrule Warriors

Hyrule Warriors
Developer	Omega Force Team Ninja
Publisher	Nintendo Koei Tecmo (Japan)
System	Wii U, 3DS, Switch
Release Date	Wii U JP August 14, 2014 EU September 19, 2014 AU September 20, 2014 US September 26, 2014 3DS (Legends) JP January 21, 2016 US/EU March 24, 2016 AU Mach 25, 2016 Switch (Definitive Edition) JP Match 22, 2018 US/PAL May 18, 2018

Hyrule Warriors is an action game that was originally released for the Wii U in 2014. It is a game which mashes up the characters, setting and items of the The Legend of Zelda series with gameplay based on Koei Tecmo's Dynasty Warriors series. It is unique compared to other Zelda games in that various other characters besides Link are fully playable within the game. There have also been two expanded remakes for other systems: Hyrule Warriors Legends for the Nintendo 3DS and Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition for the Nintendo Switch.

Story

Princess Zelda has been haunted by dreams that foretell a dark threat that is approaching Hyrule. She and Impa decide that they need to find the reborn spirit of the hero. Shortly after Zelda witnesses the skills of one trainee knight, named Link, her attention is called by the approach of an army of monsters. The enemies are led by a sorceress named Cia, and a clash begins between Hyrule and the forces of darkness. Link sneaks off to join in on the fight and turns out to have been chosen by the Triforce of Courage. With that, he is recognized as Hyrule's new hero by Impa. While Zelda goes missing after the following battle, Impa and Link press on in leading the Hyrulean forces onwards in search of a way to defeat Cia. They end up receiving aid from a mysterious and energetic young girl named Lana.

Gameplay

The gameplay follows that of the Dynasty Warriors with a focus on melee combat. However, some elements of the Zelda series, such as useage of different items/weapons and targetting, are also worked into the gameplay. Characters fight on different maps, often with the aid of other soldiers. The morale of one's side (and their performance) can be affected by how well the player does against enemy forces. In each battle, the player's aim is to claim enemy territory while trying to sabotage enemy efforts to claim or reclaim land from the player. The player can often switch between different playable characters on the battlefield, which is also a way of quickly switching between tending to problems in different areas of a map. Characters and weapons can be leveled up, and different weapons and materials can be obtained to further strengthen characters.

Hyrule Warriors is divided into several modes. Legend Mode is the game's story campaign, where the battles follow the course of the game's storyline. This is accompanied by Free Mode, where Legend Mode battles can be replayed with other characters. Then there is Adventure Mode, where the player can navigate a map based on the overworld of the original The Legend of Zelda. In each space, a different type of battle with special conditions can be faced. Players can also obtain item cards, which are needed to access some squares or the battles within them. For example, a Bomb item card could be used to clear a cracked wall on one square and unlock that square's battle. By completing certain challenges in the maps of both Legend Mode and Adventure Mode, a Gold Skulltula could appear in the map and had to be collected within a short time limit. Collecting them would unlock pieces of artwork and expand the game's apothecary. An update to the game also added Challenge Mode, in which players have to collect as many Rupees as possible in different scenarios. There was also a Bazaar in which players could use rupees to forge weapons, raise characters' levels and create potions or badges to enhance characters further.

The game features a large cast of playable characters, which was expanded through the game's DLC. The DLC also added new outfits, maps, items and Legend Mode scenarios. It is compatible with amiibo, which can be scanned to unlock new weapons, and it supports two players.

Playable Characters

At the very beginning of the game, Link is the only playable character. However, other characters can be unlocked by progressing through Legend Mode and Adventure Mode. The following are characters who are unlockable within the original Hyrule Warriors and all ports, in order of playable appearance:

• Impa
• Sheik
• Lana
• Zelda
• Darunia
• Ruto
• Agitha
• Midna
• Fi
• Ganondorf
• Zant
• Ghirahim
• Cia
• Wizzro
• Volga
• Medli

Of those, Cia, Wizzro and Volga were only available after an update in the original Wii U version, and Medli was made available through updates to both the Wii U game and Legends. In the Challenge Mode of the Wii U version, Ganon and Cuccos were playable in special scenarios made available through DLC. As Challenge Mode was removed from Legends, they are only playable in the original game and the Definitive Edition.

The following are characters who were available as DLC in the Wii U version, but were unlockable within the base game of both later versions:

• Twili Midna
• Young Link
• Tingle

The following are characters who were made available in Legends and could be obtained in the Wii U version either through a promotional code or as DLC:

• Linkle
• Skull Kid
• Toon Link
• Tetra
• King Daphnes

The following are characters who were made available as DLC for the original Wii U game and Legends, and they were later included as part of the base game of the Definitive Edition:

• Marin
• Toon Zelda
• Ravio
• Yuga

Continuity Notes

Hyrule Warriors has been declared to not be part of the official Zelda continuity. The game still makes reference to previous games of the series and the concept of alternate timelines.

• The past eras explored in the game are based on the settings of Skyward Sword, Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess.
• In the Skyward Sword era, Ghirahim is shown trying to resurrect Demise in the form of the Imprisoned, just as he does within Skyward Sword. Fi also appears at Skyloft, in reference to her position at the start of the game. Ghirahim also notes Ganondorf's resemblance to Demise, which refers to Ganondorf being a reborn form of Demise's hatred.
• In the Twilight Princess era, the ensuing storyline is an alternate version of the story of Twilight Princess in which Cia empowers Zant instead of Ganondorf.
• In the Wind Waker scenario, characters and locations from The Wind Waker appear. They are said to be from another dimension, which refers to the idea of the Zelda continuity being divided into several alternate timelines.

Legacy

The game was generally well-received and was a fairly popular title. It reportedly had much better sales figures outside of Japan. Koei Tecmo went on to collaborate with another Nintendo franchise, Fire Emblem. This resulted in the production of Fire Emblem Warriors for the Nintendo Switch in 2017. The developers were inspired to make the collaboration when working on Hyrule Warriors Legends, due to the touchscreen controls reminding them of Fire Emblem.

Ports/Remakes

• The first expanded port of Hyrule Warriors was Hyrule Warriors Legends for the 3DS in 2016. This version included all of the DLC released for the original game at the time and included several new Adventure Mode scenarios. One was based around the new character of Linkle, while the other was one that featured characters and various elements from The Wind Waker, and it also acted as an epilogue to the game's main storyline. This game added several new playable characters from The Wind Waker and Majora's Mask in addition to Linkle (all of whom could be shared with the Wii U game with special codes that came with the game). It also featured a new mode called My Fairy, where players could obtain and raise special Companion Fairies that could help the player in battles. The only feature left out of this version was Challenge Mode.
• In 2018, one last port was released for the Nintendo Switch, known as Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition. This game included all of the previous games' characters and features, including all of the DLC that was released. It also added new costumes for Link and Zelda based on their appearances from Breath of the Wild. Beyond that, other changes in this version were minor in nature.

Sequels

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity was released for the Nintendo Switch in November 2020. Unlike the original Hyrule Warriors, Age of Calamity was specifically based on the backstory of Breath of the Wild and featured revamped gameplay.