TOKYO: In the modern age of gaming, Nintendo still has a very cautious relationship with downloadable content. Even though last generation of Nintendo consoles were capable of accommodating DLC, you could count the number of games that offered it on one hand. With this generation’s 3DS and Wii U, DLC packs have become more common as Nintendo seems to be forcibly realizing that this is an expectation of modern gamers. However, the number of titles with DLC offerings is still rather slim, and they still seem resistant to give some of their biggest titles this commodity.
The argument has of course been made that DLC can often become a trap for producers, and can degrade the quality of the core game as a result. It is true that other modern game franchises have suffered because it is assumed that the game can always be patched or expanded later, leading to lazy, buggy, or incomplete core products. Worse yet, some major gaming companies leave their games intentionally scarce to milk as much money as possible out of their players. It is a noble gesture to swear off such problems, but it is also an excuse, especially when dealing with games like Super Smash Bros. where the entire appeal is the broad character roster and therefore could benefit strongly for DLC expansion.
Hyrule Warriors is one such game. One of the most appealing aspects of this Legend of Zelda spinoff is the ability to play as a wide variety of characters other than Link. The Legend of Zelda has introduced us to a myriad of interesting side characters over the years, but until now they have only ever served as passive elements of the plot. The idea that Zelda or Impa could play an active role in the story for once is exciting. A handful of villains are also playable, and Ganondorf has his own mini-arc in the story. Unlike with Smash Bros., the developers of Hyrule Warriors recognized the potential for DLC expansion almost immediately, and have been very candid about the fact that they had planned several DLC packs months in advance. In a way, Hyrule Warriors has been a test for Nintendo in terms of DLC. The question is, have they passed?
The main attraction of each pack so far has been the addition of either new weapon styles for existing characters or brand new characters. No two characters play quite the same, and the DLC additions have lived up to that expectation. A free automatic download allowed us to play as the recurring villains of the game, Cia, Volga, and Wizzro. The Master Quest Pack allowed Link to ride his horse Epona into battle as a whole new weapon style, and the Twilight Princess Pack gave us Midna’s true form as her own character as well as outfitted Zelda with the Dominion Rod. These releases were fairly Hyrule Warriors young linkwell-received, particularly in the case of Twili Midna. However, a recent announcement about the contents of the upcoming Majora’s Mask Pack may have revealed their first marketing blunder: the complete absence of Skull Kid as a playable character. Two new characters have just join the fray, but those slots were given to Young Link and Tingle. The overwhelming popularity of Tingle in Japan partially explains this decision, but it still seems ill-advised since Skull Kid was the single most plot-relevant and memorable character in Majora’s Mask, often serving as the symbol of the game.
The other major appeal of the DLC is the addition of alternate costumes for existing characters. The pre-order bonus of the game was a set of costumes for Link and Zelda based on their looks in Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword. These were then made available to purchase independently, alongside a similar set for Ganondorf. In the Master Quest Pack, we received costumes for Lana and Cia based on their original “Guardian of Time” form, and in the Twilight Princess Pack, Zelda was given an Ilia skin while Link was given a Postman costume… for some reason. In the Majora’s Mask Pack, we received costumes for Sheik and Impa based on their Ocarina of Time designs, as well as a Skull Kid-themed costume for Lana, which was nice but felt backhanded considering the absence of the actual character.
There are other costumes hidden throughout the DLC packs for every character in the game, but these are for the most part simple palette swaps. Some are themed, such as the recolor of Zelda to look like Hilda. Some look good, while others come across as tacky.
The disappointment is that some of the themed color schemes would have been much better served as alternate skins. For example, the “Twilight” color scheme for Ruto is clearly based on that of Queen Rutela from Twilight Princess. However, it lacks any unique detail and feels lazy as a result, especially compared to Darunia’s recolor that features the belly markings of a Twilight Princess Goron.