‘Cadence Of Hyrule’: Everything You Need To Know About The 'Zelda' Rhythm Game

One of the year’s weirdest and most unexpected collaborations in gaming reinvents a classic Nintendo formula with dance-infused combat, killer music, and a nostalgia trip back to the pre-3D era of “The Legend Of Zelda.”

The game, called “Cadence of Hyrule,” comes from “Crypt of the NecroDancer” developer Brace Yourself Games and is a rhythm rogue-like game where your fighting ability depends heavily on how well you can move to the beat of the music. The game is out today and is available on the Nintendo Switch for $24.99.

The game is a satisfying cross-over guaranteed to win over longtime Zelda fans while giving rogue-like game fans something truly unique. The game’s full title, “Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda,” evokes a riff on the original rather than a full-blown spin-off or sequel. With that being said, the game straddles the line between the hardcore, rogue-like crowd eager for more “Crypt of the NecroDancer” and traditional “The Legend Of Zelda” fans who will love it for its nostalgic music, art style, and classic enemies, environment, and discoverable treasure.

Those looking forward to “Cadence of Hyrule” can watch gameplay from the Nintendo Treehouse during E3 2019 below.

Move to the Beat

Aesthetically, the game looks much like “Crypt of The Necrodancer,” featuring a retro-inspired pixel art style. “Cadence of Hyrule,” however, resembles the game in more ways than one.

In the game, players must do everything to the beat of the music. "Missing a beat" could quite literally mean death for players. The game combines this rhythm game mechanic with the action commonly found in “The Legend of Zelda” games to produce a one of a kind gaming experience.

Run Through Stages Multiple Times

“Cadence of Hyrule” is also a rogue-like game with a procedurally generated dungeon design and a randomized world. Brace Yourself Games wants fans to play it like “Crypt of the NecroDancer,” embracing the idea that you will sometimes fail, and have to run through the game multiple times.

Music, music, music

The music in the game is fun and high-tempo to keep up with its rogue-like elements. The music adds dance and rock beats to classic “The Legend of Zelda” tunes that longtime fans will instantly recognize, to make for a familiar yet new soundtrack.

Zelda Or Link

“Cadence of Hyrule” lets players choose between playing as either Link or Zelda, and even occasionally brings in “Crypt of the NecroDancer” protagonist Cadence. The two characters each have their own unique approaches to combat with Link using a shield, and Zelda using Triforce magic. Fans will have a blast trying to master the two playable character, while at the same time making sure everything they do is done to the beat.