Nintendo celebrates Zelda's 30th anniversary with new amiibo, 'Hyrule Warriors' content

By Danny Cowan Published September 6, 2016

nintendo zelda skyward sword heads to wii u eshop for 30th anniversary skywardsword — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Nintendo plans to honor The Legend of Zelda series’ 30th anniversary with an array of upcoming releases, expanded Hyrule Warriors Legends content, and uniquely themed amiibo figurines that will launch through the end of the year.

To mark the occasion, Nintendo has released a Wii U Virtual Console version of 2011’s The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, which is now available digitally via the console’s eShop for $20.

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The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword introduced the floating city of Skyloft, and gameplay alternates between flight-based exploration and combat that unfolds across a series of surface overworlds. Like the original Wii release, the Wii U Virtual Console version of Skyward Sword demands precise motion-controlled swordplay, and requires a Wii Remote along with a connected Wii MotionPlus gyroscope accessory.

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Nintendo also revealed an upcoming slate of The Legend of Zelda-themed amiibo figurines that are compatible with a number of series releases across the 3DS and Wii U. New figures include the pixel-rendered 8-Bit Link, Link as he appeared in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Toon Link and Toon Zelda figures inspired by The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.

All Zelda-themed amiibo can be scanned by the Wii U GamePad to unlock new content in the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The four figures will hit retail on December 2.

The 3DS brawler Hyrule Warriors Legends, meanwhile, has received a new batch of downloadable content to celebrate Zelda’s 30th anniversary. Players who download the third Hyrule Warriors Legends DLC pack will receive the new Sand Wand weapon for Toon Link, along with a dimension-hopping train from The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks that can be summoned to mow down enemy hordes.

The new DLC pack also adds Toon Zelda as a playable character, along with a new Adventure Mode map. Players can download the Hyrule Warriors Legends “Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks Pack” from the in-game “Extras” menu starting today.

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Play this Zelda hidden gem for free with Switch Online before Tears of the Kingdom

Ahead of the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, it’s a great time to look back on the stalwart Nintendo’s series presence on Nintendo Switch. From Breath of the Wild to a plethora of classics on Switch Online, it’s probably the best console for any fan of this series to own. That said, there’s one Switch exclusive that may have flown under your radar and is worth checking out before Tears of the Kingdom. That game is Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the Necrodancer featuring The Legend of Zelda.
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Free for Nintendo Switch Online members until May 7 and available at a 50% discount on the eShop through the launch of Tears of the Kingdom, this game is a rare case of Nintendo collaborating with an indie studio for a project tied to one of its biggest franchises. The result is a Zelda game that expands on the rhythm-based action formula established in Brace Yourself Games’ 2016 hit Crypt of the NecroDancer.
Although this roguelite doesn’t play like any other Zelda game out there, it makes some design choices that call back to the series' most iconic titles. That, as well as its rhythmic nature, will feel refreshing ahead of Tears of the Kingdom’s ambitious and systems-heavy open-world adventure. If you haven’t played it, give Cadence of Hyrule a shot while it’s free.
A unique adventure
As a crossover between Crypt of the Necrodancer and The Legend of Zelda, the game begins with NecroDancer protagonist Cadence being whisked away to Hyrule. She quickly inspires Link or Zelda to explore the world and fight back against Octavo, who put Hyrule’s king to sleep with a magical Lute. Those who prefer the more minimalist stories of earlier games in the series will enjoy how quickly the game gets players to the rhythmic action. People begging Nintendo to make Zelda playable in Tears of the Kingdom will also appreciate that they can play most of the game as her if they want.

The act of playing Cadence of Hyrule is where things get really interesting, as it combines old and new ideas to create something that feels familiar yet refreshing. Starting with the new, this is a rhythm game where players must move and attack enemies on the beat. The Zelda franchise is known for its music, and Cadence of Hyrule takes full advantage of that by including versions of some of the series’ greatest hits. Until we get a Theatrhythm-like game for Zelda music, this is game fans of the franchise's iconic soundtracks can't ignore.
Hopping tile-to-tile on the beat is pretty simple to understand, but it can get quite difficult as players must also account for the fact that every enemy also moves and attacks on the beat. Recognizing that players will probably die a lot, the game is structured as a roguelite where some dungeons are procedurally generated (as is the world each time you start a new file). Items can be found or bought with Rupees to help players during an individual run, while Diamonds are collected in dungeons or by clearing a screen of enemies can be spent on more permanent upgrades.
This may sound daunting, but gameplay options like setting the controllers to vibrate on the beat or only letting enemies move when you do can make it easier. Most Zelda fans should also feel more at home with how other parts of Cadence of Hyrule are designed.
But still familiar-feeling

Rhythm-based movement and combat aside, this is a classic top-down Zelda action-adventure game with aesthetics, presentation, and iconography that the series was once known for. The familiarity in terms of the locations visited, enemies fought, and items obtained makes those more distinct elements easier to embrace. It’s also novel to see elements from post-2D Zelda games show up in this style, like Skull Kid via DLC.
It demonstrates just how malleable and well-designed the core Zelda formula is because it still feels faithful despite its rhythmic nature. While Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom’s massive open worlds and deep gameplay systems impress, they’ve also created a yearning for a more classically structured Zelda experience from some fans.

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One of Link’s oldest enemies returns in new Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom ad

Link runs toward a ledge in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

A new ad for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom confirms that a boss from the original The Legend of Zelda is returning in the highly anticipated sequel, and the trailer even teases that there might be multiple variants of this enemy.

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Before Tears of the Kingdom, you need to play Zelda’s most underrated game

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With The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom less than one month away, it’s as good a time as any to revisit Breath of the Wild. Maybe you still have a few shrines to clear out, or perhaps you never defeated Calamity Ganon (it’s OK, you can admit it). Now might be your last chance to finish that story before diving headfirst into Hyrule’s next chapter. Breath of the Wild isn’t the only Zelda game you’re going to want to finish before May 12, though; Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a must-play that needs to be on your prelaunch checklist.

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