Ganondorf joins the Hyrule Warriors roster; NES adventure mode revealed

Hyrule Warriors, Koei Tecmo and Nintendo’s Zelda/Dynasty Warriors mash-up of sorts, is looking and sounding more and more awesome each and every day.

Today, thanks to the Hyrule Warrior-focused Nintendo Direct event this morning,  we got word that Ganondorf has joined the impressive roster of playable characters.  That’s not it though… we also were treated to a glimpse of the The Legend of Zelda NES-inspired Adventure Mode along with some of the classic Zelda and Nintendo items and influences found in the game.

Hyrule Warriors is set for a September 26th, 2014 release on the Wii U. Check out the screens and the Direct video in its entirety below.

Hyrule Warriors Direct 8.4.2014:
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Hyrule Warriors screens:

Video game fans will get the chance to play as the baddest bad guy of The Legend of Zelda video game series. Ganondorf, nemesis of Link and aspiring Triforce owner, will become a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming Hyrule Warriors video game, which launches Sept. 26 for the Wii U home console. Nintendo revealed new information about Hyrule Warriors during a Nintendo Direct video. To view the Nintendo Direct in its entirety, visit http://www.nintendo.com/nintendo-direct.

Hyrule Warriors combines two classic video game franchises, The Legend of Zelda and Dynasty Warriors, and challenges players to face off against hordes of enemies in epic battles. Some of the information discussed in the Nintendo Direct included:

• Adventure Mode: Players are faced with a grid of challenges that looks like the map from The Legend of Zelda on NES. Completing each challenge unlocks a new region of the map, and with it, a new level of Adventure Mode. Certain characters and weapons can only be unlocked in Adventure Mode.
• Costumes: Club Nintendo members who buy and register Hyrule Warriors within four weeks of launch will receive a set of alternate Ganondorf costumes as free in-game downloadable content. More details will be made available on http://club.nintendo.com. For certain other characters, Nintendo will make downloadable alternate costumes available as pre-order bonuses from select retailers in North America. Nintendo will announce more information about how to get these cosmetic add-ons in the future.
• Playable Characters: In addition to Ganondorf, players can opt to play as various characters from The Legend of Zelda universe. Each character carries his or her own specialty weapons: Link (Hylian Sword), Princess Zelda (Rapier), Impa (Giant Blade), Midna (Shackle), Sheik (Harp), Agitha (Parasol), Darunia (Hammer), Princess Ruto (Zora Scale), Zant (Scimitar), Fi (Goddess Blade), Ghirahim (Demon Blade) and Lana (Book of Sorcery).
• Weapons: A Chain Chomp will make a guest appearance as a weapon. As the story advances, new weapons will become available to some characters, such as the Magic Rod for Link, the Baton for Zelda and Spear for Lana. Weapons have special abilities called Skills that increase attack damage, or perhaps increase the chance of finding Hearts. Filling the Focus Spirit magic gauge will temporarily increase a character?s abilities and help to mow down huge numbers of enemies. And Bombchus are back, just bigger and more explosive.
• Game Play: Players can level their characters up to increase HP and attack skill, or they can grab materials dropped by defeated monsters to craft Badges to increase a weapon?s number of attacks, create longer combos or extend Focus Spirit time.
• Co-Op Mode: Two players can play a local co-op match, with one player looking at the TV and the other looking at the Wii U GamePad controller. Single players can also play on the TV, or using only the GamePad in off-TV play.
• Locations: Players will face down hordes of enemies in familiar locations, such as Skyloft from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Lake Hylia from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Twilight Field from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
• Classic Zelda Elements: Players will recognize items from their favorite Zelda games, including bombs, arrows and a Hookshot. The game is filled with familiar Zelda staples, such as Cuccos, Rupees, Gold Skulltulas and plenty of grass cutting.

For more information about Hyrule Warriors, visit http://zelda.com/hyrule-warriors.