Cadence of Hyrule Developer Discusses the Game’s Role as a Spin-Off, Place in the Zelda Series

Hands down, Cadence of Hyrule was the most surprising announcement from the recent Nindies Showcase. While Nintendo has worked with outside developers before to make canonical Zelda titles, Cadence of Hyrule is the first time Nintendo has partnered with an indie studio. This dip into the rhythm genre could be a unique storytelling mechanic. After all, Nintendo is no stranger to using creative approaches to storytelling, and music plays a major role in several plotlines. Is Cadence of Hyrule going to be a fresh new entry in the ongoing Zelda saga?

In a recent interview with IGN, Ryan Clark, founder of Brace Yourself Gaming, gave some insight into his studio’s view of this collaboration. Clark was clear that Cadence of Hyrule “is first and foremost a new entry in the NecroDancer universe,” but that much care was given to the game so that it could be considered an entry in both franchises.

In the same interview, Kirk Scott, Nintendo of America’s Manager of Publisher-Developer Relations, reiterated that Cadence of Hyrule falls into a unique category. Stating that the game “doesn’t really fall in line with a Zelda-type title,” Scott pointed out that Brace Yourself Gaming worked directly with Nintendo’s teams in Japan to create a title that’s uniquely both Zelda and Crypt of the Necrodancer.

Scott also reinforced the idea that Cadence of Hyrule is still considered a “Nindie” game, despite its close relation to the Zelda series. When asked by IGN if Cadence of Hyrule could be “the first Zelda ‘indie’ game ever,” Scott stated, “I wouldn’t go that far, but it is one of the first independent developers to use Zelda content.”

While it’s clear that Cadence of Hyrule won’t have much of an impact on the mainline Zelda games, it is still a fresh and unexpected collaboration. Would you like to see Nintendo work with other indie developers in the future? What indie franchises would you like to see Nintendo collaborate with? Let us know in the comments!

Source: IGN