The Definitive Ranking of Hyrule Warriors
Posted on January 18 2023 by Sean Gadus
Zelda Dungeon is back with a new entry in the “Definitive Ranking” series where host Mases and Gooey continue their quest to analyze each game in the Zelda series and rank them based on ten different categories. In this episode, the duo take a deep dive into one of the most interesting spin-off games in the Zelda series: Hyrule Warriors. Developed by Koei Tecmo (Omega Force and Team Ninja), Hyrule Warriors was first released in August and September 2014 on the Wii-U. The game was successful (given the Wii-U’s small install base), selling over one million copies. The game has been re-released with added content and quality of life adjustments as Hyrule Warriors Legends for the Nintendo 3DS (2016) and Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition for the Nintendo Switch (2018).
Mases and Gooey use an exhaustive list of categories to discuss each game including World, Art Style, Story, and much more. In their opening discussion, the duo acknowledge that judging spin-offs like Hyrule Warriors can be tricky, given that they do not follow the format and gameplay styles that many other Zelda games are known for. The areas that Hyrule Warriors received the most praise from Mases and Gooey were Side Content/Extras and Music. Mases praised the extensive amount of DLC released for Hyrule Warriors when it first appeared on the Wii-U. With a variety of challenges maps and unlockable content, the game has hundreds of hours of content for players to sink their teeth into. With energetic remixes of old songs and some thrilling new songs, the game also has a fun and entertaining soundtrack.
Looking at the final results, the Staff and Community gave the game relatively similar final scores with 3.1 and 3.2. This places Hyrule Warriors above the lowest ranked set of games which includes Four Swords, Tri Force Heroes, Wand of Gamelon, Phantom Hourglass, and Adventure of Link. Mases gave Hyrule Warriors a 2.4, which ties the game with Adventure of Link, Twilight Princess, and Cadence of Hyrule. Goo has Hyrule Warriors very low on his rankings (2.2); the game is just above the last place finisher Four Swords.
If you want to want to watch past videos in the series, you can check out the full collection of “Definitive Ranking” on the Zelda Dungeon YouTube channel.
Do you agree with the placement of Hyrule Warriors in the “Definitive Rankings”? What are your own thoughts on the hack and slash spin-off? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Sean Gadus is a Senior Editor at Zelda Dungeon. His first Zelda game was Ocarina of Time, and he loves all of the 3D Zelda games from 1998-2011. The final battle of Tears of the Kingdom is one of his favorite final battles in the entire series. He wants to help build a kinder, more compassionate world. You can check out his other written work at The-Artifice.com.
