Nintendo celebrates Zelda's 30th anniversary with new amiibo, 'Hyrule Warriors' content

By Danny Cowan Published September 6, 2016

nintendo zelda skyward sword heads to wii u eshop for 30th anniversary skywardsword — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Nintendo plans to honor The Legend of Zelda series’ 30th anniversary with an array of upcoming releases, expanded Hyrule Warriors Legends content, and uniquely themed amiibo figurines that will launch through the end of the year.

To mark the occasion, Nintendo has released a Wii U Virtual Console version of 2011’s The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, which is now available digitally via the console’s eShop for $20.

Recommended Videos

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword introduced the floating city of Skyloft, and gameplay alternates between flight-based exploration and combat that unfolds across a series of surface overworlds. Like the original Wii release, the Wii U Virtual Console version of Skyward Sword demands precise motion-controlled swordplay, and requires a Wii Remote along with a connected Wii MotionPlus gyroscope accessory.

Nintendo also revealed an upcoming slate of The Legend of Zelda-themed amiibo figurines that are compatible with a number of series releases across the 3DS and Wii U. New figures include the pixel-rendered 8-Bit Link, Link as he appeared in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Toon Link and Toon Zelda figures inspired by The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.

All Zelda-themed amiibo can be scanned by the Wii U GamePad to unlock new content in the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The four figures will hit retail on December 2.

The 3DS brawler Hyrule Warriors Legends, meanwhile, has received a new batch of downloadable content to celebrate Zelda’s 30th anniversary. Players who download the third Hyrule Warriors Legends DLC pack will receive the new Sand Wand weapon for Toon Link, along with a dimension-hopping train from The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks that can be summoned to mow down enemy hordes.

The new DLC pack also adds Toon Zelda as a playable character, along with a new Adventure Mode map. Players can download the Hyrule Warriors Legends “Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks Pack” from the in-game “Extras” menu starting today.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Danny’s passion for video games was ignited upon his first encounter with Nintendo’s Duck Hunt, and years later, he still…

Gaming

One of Link’s oldest enemies returns in new Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom ad

Link runs toward a ledge in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

A new ad for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom confirms that a boss from the original The Legend of Zelda is returning in the highly anticipated sequel, and the trailer even teases that there might be multiple variants of this enemy.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | You Can Do What?!

Gaming

Before Tears of the Kingdom, you need to play Zelda’s most underrated game

best-single-player-nintendo-switch-games

With The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom less than one month away, it’s as good a time as any to revisit Breath of the Wild. Maybe you still have a few shrines to clear out, or perhaps you never defeated Calamity Ganon (it’s OK, you can admit it). Now might be your last chance to finish that story before diving headfirst into Hyrule’s next chapter. Breath of the Wild isn’t the only Zelda game you’re going to want to finish before May 12, though; Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a must-play that needs to be on your prelaunch checklist.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity - Announcement Trailer - Nintendo Switch

Gaming

5 big details from Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s new trailer that you may have missed

Link stands near allied humans and Gorons in Tears of the Kingdom.

The final trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has arrived, and it's full of new information about the upcoming Switch game. We got a better look at its open world, saw many new characters, and got another peek at all kinds of vehicles that players can make. In fact, the trailer was so crowded with new information -- and Tears of the Kingdom's mechanics and story are still so shrouded in mystery -- that there are some things that you might have missed, leaving a ton to speculate on.
When watching it again, we found a ton of curious details that had us wondering about unannounced features. We've rounded up five details in particular that could have some major implications for the gameplay and story of Tears of the Kingdom.
Link has companions

One of the most surprising things about this new trailer is that it seems to confirm a companion system, or at least NPCs that are way more active than they ever were in Breath of the Wild. During a montage around the 1:38 mark, we see Link riding a horse through an active battle between humans and Ganondorf's forces. Later on, after the three-minute mark, we see new Rito, Human, Zora, Goron, and Garudo working with Link. The Zora soldier specifically helps Link fight an enemy in a two-on-one encounter.
Companions aren't a new feature to open-world games; titles like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim have it. Still, these more active NPCs and an entire potential companion mechanic highlight just how deeply core gameplay systems have been modified for Tears of the Kingdom.
New characters and enemies