Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition Coming To The Switch

When it comes to The Switch, Nintendo has made some really interesting and wonderful choices in the first year of the hybrid console, and as it matures and expands its library, I was overjoyed to see an updated Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition slated for release in early May.

The success of Breath Of The Wild continues to prove a formula Nintendo knows for each console they release: flagship series like Legend Of Zelda and Super Mario Bros continue to bridge the gap between new fans and fans that grew up with the classic Nintendo franchise games.

First released on the Wii U, Hyrule Warriors brought fans a new style of Zelda game in which fans could go on a multiplayer adventure with various characters from the franchise. The 3DS also had a version of the game Hyrule Warriors Legends in 2016.

The game gets a makeover for The Switch with new feature modes including a My Fairy Mode which Nintendo states brings in elements from Legend Of Zelda: Windwaker, in edition to its previous Legend Mode which splits the story line among characters, Free Mode in which any character unlocked can replay any sections of the game, Adventure Mode, including extra side quests and missions for playable characters, and Challenge Mode.

The port to The Switch also allows for two player on the same console using the joycons, an improvement to previous releases of the game.

Celebrating Breath Of The Wild, costumes for Link and Zelda are both available from the start of the game it is reported, although playing as the customary Twilight Princess Zelda costume, and Link's famed green tunic and pointed hat, as well as child Link are also viable options.

For years Zelda fans clamored for Nintendo to clear up confusion about the timeline of the games, and finally bent to a fan theory kicking around for ages about three seperate timelines in which the games take place.

In a way, The Legend Of Zelda can be a bit like Super Mario Bros, when it comes to explaining what events took place when and finally even Mario was amended to having separate timelines to make the games fit together.

Link in the Zelda series is a little like watching movies in the James Bond series in which each incarnation of Link is different. He could be much younger game to game. Each Link has a different set of memories and a new story to play out.

In fact, all the Triforce users in this series have the same issue- as they are different people entirely game to game, but not. When Nintendo released Hyrule Historia in 2011, we got a deeper understanding. In each timeline there has to be someone filling each role for the Triforce users. There will always be a hero, the royal family will always have a Zelda filling the needed role, there will also always be some version of Gannon fulfilling his duties.

According to the book, at the events of Ocarina Of Time, depending on the outcome of Link, this is the cause for the timeline split.

Timeline A ("Adult Timeline"), Link defeats Ganon

As seen in the final battle and ending of Ocarina of Time, Link defeats Ganondorf, sealing him in the Sacred Realm with the help of the Seven Sages. Later, Ganondorf escapes the seal, which forces the gods to cause the Great Flood. The events of The Wind Waker occur, immediately followed by the events of Phantom Hourglass. Tetra's Pirates discover a new continent, and establish New Hyrule there. The events of Spirit Tracks then occur on New Hyrule.

Timeline B ("Child Timeline"), Link prevents Ganondorf's acquisition of the Triforce

As shown in the final scenes of Ocarina of Time, Link is sent back in time to relive his lost youth, after having defeated Ganondorf in the "Adult Timeline". Link is sent to the period of time before Ganondorf entered the Sacred Realm and claimed the Triforce. Link alters events so that Ganondorf's claiming of the Triforce never comes to pass. As a result, Ganondorf eventually attacks Hyrule, but is subdued. After a failed execution, Ganondorf is sent to the Twilight Realm. Meanwhile, Link travels away from Hyrule and the events of Majora's Mask occur. Later, the events of Twilight Princess occur, followed by the events of Four Swords Adventures.

Timeline C ("Downfall Timeline"), Link fails to defeat Ganondorf during Ocarina of Time

This timeline is a continuity in which Link is defeated by Ganondorf during the final battle of "Ocarina of Time". After this, Ganondorf obtains all three pieces of the Triforce. Led by Princess Zelda, the people of Hyrule manage to seal Ganon and the Triforce in the Sacred Realm.- Legend of Zelda Wiki

Just as Link is a different incarnation of the Hero Of Time each installment, the royal family always has a female in each generation that is named Zelda, the family name given to the Triforce Wielder of that current era.

In her eight bit form, a dark haired pixel beauty that met up with Link after fighting the monster of Hyrule in the first Legend Of Zelda game, it was unfortunate that despite being the games namesake, and one of the greatest powers, the princess didn't always have much to do in many of the games and sometimes only was referred to of made a slight appearance. It wasn't even until Breath Of The Wild before a voice actor was put in place and Zelda actually spoke in cut scenes- this honor has still not befallen Link.

Because each Zelda is different game to game, her age, hair color, and even identity can change for those games where she went incognito, and her personality and relationship to Link can be slightly different.

As she holds the Triforce Of Wisdom, it is odd that Zelda was hardly a playable character only only really saw her potential when she took on the identity of another, or in the spin off games for Nintendo such as Super Smash Bros. Zelda has mostly psychic gifts such as precognition, spell casting, and telepathy in some games but she proves pretty gifted with a sword in hand in earlier versions of Hyrule Warriors. It is her role in Breath Of The Wild when Zelda really shines, showing off all her gifts as possibly the most gifted of the Zeldas yet.

Nintendo is famed for having their signature flagships series meet up for an afternoon of tennis, or kart racing. Friends from other series are meet to a friendly battle royal in Super Smash Bros and even enemies from the same series seem to shrug it off and go back to fighting each other in the next installment.

Which brings nerds to the war room arguing, is anything in the external games outside of a main series cannon to said game? What about spin off games? Mobile games?

Back in 2011, after the first release of Hyrule Warriors, nerds just had to know what timeline the events followed, was this story cannon or do we just write it off like Mario Tennnis?

Eiji Aonuma, the producer of the game, was asked by GameInformer where exactly did Hyrule Warriors fit?

With Hyrule Warriors, there is a link between the two, but it exists as a separate dimension, so it doesn't exist as part of the main canon...The universe of Hyrule Warriors really is sort of a different universe and it is connected to the timeline of the Zelda series, but it is connected to several different games throughout the series.-GameInformer

Outside of the main series timelines, Hyrule Warriors is a different take on events from games throughout the main series, and using these rules, gamers can team up with playable characters stemming from the entire series in a parallel universe, depending on how the player chooses to play.

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition will be released in early May on The Switch.