Nintendo Unveils New Wii U Zelda Title, Hyrule Warriors

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Nintendo has just announced a new game in the Zelda universe, one out in 2014 that combines the franchise with another very popular non-Nintendo series, it seems. The working title is “Hyrule Warriors,” and from the debut trailer it very obviously looks like an amalgam of The Legend of Zelda and the famed Dynasty Warriors series where players cleave through legions of enemies and fight larger bosses in open battle.

In the trailer, we see Link using many of his most trusted weapons at his disposal to dispatch swarms of enemies, from bombs to his Master Sword. Hyrule Warriors, or whatever they do end up calling it, will be out for the Wii U next year, and is being developed by Tecmo Koei.

It should be clarified that Nintendo has come out and said this is not the next-gen Wii U Zelda title that’s taking so long to develop. This is a spin-off project, and those expecting a lengthy, deep Zelda experience may be disappointed.

That said, what’s being shown does look incredibly fun. Honestly, and I can’t remember the last time I’ve said this, it might actually be fun to play with a Wiimote, judging from the style of gameplay. Even just a minute or so of the game makes it look like a blast, though I suppose Dynasty Warriors style combat isn’t necessarily for everyone.

I do hope Hyrule Warriors has effective co-op play, as it’s the sort of thing this style of game is made for. I would love to see other playable characters from Sheik to Skull Kid, complete with their own move sets. Another slight disappointment is that the game looks rather dated, even for the Wii U, presumably because of how many enemies have to be rendered onscreen at once. But at this point, we’ve learned never to play Nintendo games for the graphics, and that usually works out just fine.

Even if it isn’t Nintendo’s next big Zelda title, it does look like fun and will certainly please their fanbase. Hopefully this is a sign of the Wii U coming into its own, and Nintendo understanding the proper way to utilize their franchises to keep their customers happy between big releases.

More info about the game as we hear it, but so far, this is looking like a slam dunk for Nintendo.

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