Last March, Nintendo shocked viewers of their Nindies Showcase presentation with the surprise announcement of Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer. Developed by indie team Brace Yourself Games, the title combined elements from BYG’s Crypt of the NecroDancer with Nintendo’s Zelda franchise. Today, Nintendo surprised fans yet again with the release of a free update for the game, which adds the character Octavo to the game, alongside a new weapon, story and skills. The Octavo’s Ode update will seemingly provide players with a window into the character’s true intentions, but the update can only be accessed if players have completed the main game.
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A free update to #CadenceOfHyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda is available now! Includes Octavo as an unlockable character with his own story, weapon, and skills. Plus, classic Crypt of the Necrodancer gameplay in Dungeon Mode.https://t.co/S6Gh11azJu pic.twitter.com/uoBdJNLozV
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) December 18, 2019
In Cadence of Hyrule, the mysterious Octavo serves as the game’s primary antagonist. When the game opens, Octavo has captured the Triforce, using its power to make Link, Zelda and a number of other important Hylian figures fall asleep. The Triforce, however, mysteriously summons Cadence, the hero of Crypt of the NecroDancer, to Hyrule. There, she is able to wake Link and Zelda, and the three go on a quest to find Octavo and rescue the Triforce. The gameplay in Cadence of Hyrule combines elements from both franchises, as Link, Zelda and Cadence must move to the beat of the music in order to defeat their enemies.
In the past, few Nintendo games supported DLC, but that has significantly changed in the Nintendo Switch era. Yesterday, the company announced DLC for Luigi’s Mansion 3, while a new update for Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order was shown off during The Game Awards just last week.
Cadence of Hyrule is a truly notable game for Nintendo. That tends to be true for most games in the Zelda franchise, but in the case of Cadence of Hyrule, it truly showcased the publisher’s commitment to working closely with indie developers. In the past, Nintendo was highly unlikely to entrust their characters to even well-established developers, let alone a relatively newer team like Brace Yourself Games. With the game’s success, it seems likely that we may see similar pairings in the future.
Have you checked out Cadence of Hyrule yet? Are you excited to play as Octavo? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
