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It's been a while since Nintendo first announced their collaboration with Tecmo Koei in the
form of Hyrule Warriors, a Zelda spin-off that looks to follow the template of the developer's
Dynasty Warriors series. And while there hasn't been any new information concerning the game
since, it hasn't stopped us from looking over all of your ideas on what secrets the game
may hold. So of course it's time to break out the old Analysis Machine with some help
from all of you to see what things you found as well as alternate ideas on many elements
from the trailer. Of course, be sure to watch our previous analysis
of Hyrule Warriors as we'll be referring back to it from time to time. With that said, let's
see what ideas you guys came up with. One of the biggest debates about Hyrule Warriors
is twofold. Will it be canon with the rest of the Zelda timeline and, if it is, where
exactly would it take place? We believed that it will be considered canon thanks to multiple
clues we found. But many have argued that it won't be part of the timeline since Iwata
said it wouldn't in the Nintendo Direct announcement. That's not quite right. He said it wouldn't
be a part of the core series, meaning it's a spin-off. That doesn't mean it can't be
canon though. Iwata: The trailer you just saw is not the
next installment of the Nintendo's core The Legend of Zelda series, but it is an all new
game for Wii U. There are many spin-offs that are still in
canon with their core series. It's just a different style taken. We believe that's the
case here. So if it is canon, where could it be placed? Well, we first thought that
the game may take place during the Sealing War before A Link to the Past where Ganon
was sealed away by the Sages and the Hylian Knights. But you guys have plenty of other
ideas as well. The most common suggestion was that the game
actually takes place before Skyward Sword. As Bryson Morris pointed out, the Link featured
in Hyrule Warriors is incredibly similar to the one found in the prequel manga of Hyrule
Historia. This is some solid evidence, but there are also a few problems. Namely that
Hyrule didn't exist before Skyward Sword which contradicts the tentative title of the game.
Others suggested that the game actually takes place before Ocarina of Time during what's
known as the Unification War. That war claimed the life of Link's mother in Ocarina of Time
and was alluded to by the Great Deku Tree. Moshugaani suggests that this point in the
timeline would have many of the familiar locations as well as various armies fighting it out
for control. But for us, the most convincing suggestion
is that Hyrule Warriors takes place after Skyward Sword and before The Minish Cap. STARGOLD826
remembered that the Minish Cap tells of a time before that game when Hyrule was constantly
being attacked by monsters. The one who defended the people was the Hero of Men, who wielded
the Picori Blade. It's impossible to tell how much time passed
between Skyward Sword and The Minish Cap, but the designs of the enemies suggest that
Hyrule Warriors is closer to Skyward Sword as Mudkp971 points out. He also goes on to
say that this could be a time where Hyrule is still trying to be established and is under
constant assault by monsters, which would tie in with The Minish Cap.
But the most interesting evidence comes from RagnarokX on Neogaf. He noted that Link's
shield has a symbol that is very similar to one found on the outer ring of the Gate of
Time. It actually resembles a clock with the twelve symbols on the outside, and it's the
symbol in the place of number 3 that appears on the shield. It is much closer to this design
than our suggestion that it could be the sign of Nayru. But if this is the case, then what
is the significance of placing it on the shield? We're honestly not sure.
He goes on to point out that the building to right of the castle doesn't exactly resemble
the Temple of Time, something we suggested but noted the flimsiness of the evidence.
Instead, it could be the Temple of Hylia on top of which the Temple of Time was built.
But even he notes that this could be just a coincidence since there's another building
that looks just like it on the left side. So what does this all mean? Well, if the game
is canon, it seems likely that it will take place sometime between Skyward Sword and Ocarina
of Time though it's incredibly difficult to say on which side of the Minish Cap it will
fall on. If it's after Minish Cap, then the sword Link wields is definitely the Master
Sword. But if it's before, then that may be the Picori Blade which also looked very similar
to the Master Sword. Like many things concerning Zelda's Timeline, it's still a mystery.
But you guys found more than just story elements hidden in the trailer. There were a lot of
ideas on who the two mystery characters actually were. TLOWNSU and many others are almost positive
that the ornately dressed soldier is actually Impa from her Skyward Sword appearance. The
resemblance is certainly uncanny though it looks like she's had a slight costume change
like Link if that really is her. It may be, as lakewoodninja suggests, just an ordinary
member of the Sheikah. The blue haired girl was a lot harder to identify,
but many of you noted that she looks a lot like Nayru from Oracle of Ages. Perhaps the
goddess took on a human form for this particular war. And she is known as an oracle of time
which ties into the time motif on Link's shield. Either way, BowandSvent believes that these
two characters are possibly Lieutenants since the core of the game is taking pages from
Dynasty Warriors. The crystals were also a point of debate amongst
everyone. Lucas Freeman believed that merely function as the switches that often appear
in Zelda games. He points out how a majority of the ones in the trailer were near a door
or something else that may function. Switching from red to blue would mean they've been activated.
But BLACK ROSE WAR and newderekwst3 believe that the crystals origins are linked more
to the Dynasty Warriors series. They may just be visual indicators of which base camps you
and your enemies have control of. Red being the enemy, blue being you, and potentially
yellow if there was a third side. Then there's the mystery bar to the left which
you guys have plenty of guesses about. iCousins thinks it could simply be a magic bar like
in past Zelda games while TheMike5125 thinks it could be a meter for Link's shield strength.
It's worth noting, like VideoFED did, that this meter is actually empty while Link is
fighting the Lizalfos. Is that why he's dodging the flame attack rather than using his shield?
Or could it be the special guage from Dynasty Warriors, known as the Musou Gauge, as lightningbro
suggests? This allows the character to use special attacks, though we believe that gauge
is actually the one below Link's health as we see it acting just like to the Musou Gauge
in the trailer. Bordann has another theory. Maybe it's the morale indicator. In Dynasty
Warriors, the meter would always start low such as when Link is fighting the Lizalfos.
But as he takes control of the battlefield, it fills up allowing his allies to fight harder.
It may even decrease when certain enemies arrive, such as the dodongo.
Okay, we're almost done here, but there are still a few things that you guys pointed out.
First up is Eliskor noting that we've never seen the Fire Rod used in a 3D Zelda before.
Perhaps we could see some other lesser seen items and weapons return in a more fantastic
fashion? Then there's Mathew Haight who noted just how much height Link achieved. Maybe
his combos go higher because the scarf he's wearing is actually the Roc's Cape? Dasshizer
and many others also pointed out that the scarf also has the Hylian Crest emblazoned
on the very bottom. Next up is LegoHobbitBoy who points out that
there's a green jar in the background during the Lizalfos fight. Could it hold items that
refill Link's ammunition or health? Or is it connected in some way with the green gauge?
Z Carlson also points out the barrier around the gate in the background while Link is using
the Fire Rod. The barrier seems somewhat similar to the ones found in Twilight Princess, but
maybe it's just there until you defeat all the enemies and reunite with Zelda.
Finally Doctor Sploosh is positive that this game won't feature any of the motion controls
found in Skyward Sword, Twilight Princess, or the Nintendoland Battle Quest mini-game.
In all those games he was right-handed, but in Hyrule Warriors, he's once again left-handed.
Oh, but one more thing we forgot to mention. At the end of the trailer, Link reveals the
tentative name by opening a chest. Does this indicate that there will be a bit more exploring
than one would expect from a Dynasty Warriors type game? Maybe some of the battlefields
take place across typical Zelda dungeons? Could this be how he finds new weapons, or
is there something else to find? And that's all the theories and clues you
guys could find in the debut Hyrule Warriors trailer. The game is full of mystery, and
we'll be there to analyze it with your help whenever any new information is released.
If you liked this video be sure to like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at GameXplain.
Thanks for watching and be sure to stay tuned for more on Hyrule Warriors and other things
gaming too.