‘Hyrule Warriors,’ A 'Legend Of Zelda' Spinoff With New Characters, Announced For Nintendo 3DS

The incredibly popular “Legend of Zelda” spinoff, “Hyrule Warriors,” is heading to the Nintendo 3DS, after previously being released as a Wii U title. Originally, the title was supposed to be announced next week at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, but developer Koei Tecmo accidentally leaked the trailer, leading to an official announcement from Nintendo.

“Hyrule Warriors” takes the characters from the “Legend of Zelda” games -- such as Link, Zelda and Ganondorf -- and using the gameplay from the “Dynasty Warriors” series, the most popular game franchise from Koei Tecmo. The formula proved to be a success and was replicated for “Dragon Quest Heroes” by Square Enix, which will get a U.S. release later this year.

This won’t just be a straight-up port of the game however, as Gematsu has confirmed two new characters that were not in the game’s previous release. These characters are “Wind Waker” standout Tetra and King of Hyrule (or the King of Red Lions), who has appeared in some of the more recent “Zelda” games. Wii U owners are also in luck, as the two characters can be transferred to the Wii U for those who plan on getting both versions of the game.

One of the more impressive accomplishments of the 3DS version, as noted by Nintendo Life, is that the game looks quite similar to its Wii U counterpart -- which is a huge compliment for a 3DS game. Notable differences include clearer character outlines and the detail of the game’s world being cut down somewhat. But otherwise it’s still a very good-looking game, just like the Wii U version.

“Hyrule Warriors” for the 3DS might come with all the previously released downloadable content (DLC) that was available for the Wii U version of the game. The possibility is there, because the Japanese version of the game is called “Zelda Musou: Hyrule All Stars,” hinting at the possibility of this being the definitive version of “Hyrule Warriors.”

No release date has been confirmed for “Hyrule Warriors” for the 3DS, though that could be revealed at E3. 3DS owners will just have to wait for the official announcement.