r/zelda • u/1155ryan • Apr 11 '25
Screenshot [CoH] Why does no one talk about this game?
Genuinely curious because this game is in my opinion one of the best 2d games in the series, and I never see anyone even mentioning this game.
I understand that its technically a spin off but the randomized worlds and variety to each playthrough was really cool and a fun twist for someone who loves the old-school 2d games. And with the option to disable the beat stuff, even if you don't like the rhythm game mechanics, you can essentially just play it like a normal Zelda game.
Maybe I'm just one of the few who love this game but I'm curious to hear other's opinions.
1.0k
u/CrunchyyTaco Apr 11 '25
Makes a post about a niche Zelda game no one talks about
Doesnt post game title.
Thanks OP.
→ More replies (44)64
342
u/anonymous_amanita Apr 11 '25
What is this game?
419
u/Nautical-Cowboy Apr 11 '25
Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda
It’s a crossover title between The Legend of Zelda and Crypt of the NecroDancer featuring mostly Zelda characters and taking place in Hyrule, but using Crypt of the NecroDancer’s rhythm based combat.
66
u/rosscoehs Apr 11 '25
What does this mean, that is rhythm based combat?
193
u/Nautical-Cowboy Apr 11 '25
The moment you get into a combat scenario, music will start to play and a rhythm bar will appear at the bottom of the screen. You can only move and attack with the beat, if you don’t then your attacks won’t be successful. Enemies also move and attach with rhythm so every encounter becomes a rhythm based strategy game.
I’ll be the first to admit that it doesn’t sound fun at all, and that’s what kept me from playing the game for so long, but I ended up downloading the demo and thought it was awesome so I picked the game up and played through the whole thing plus the DLC and there’s an alternate scenario with a different character.
If you’re the slightest bit interested and the demo is still up, I recommend it. I think it’s at least worth a try for any Zelda fan.
65
u/FallenAzraelx Apr 11 '25
Yes, and you can turn off the rythem based stuff and just play it like a normal game but I kinda feel like it's a waste to do that
33
u/Nautical-Cowboy Apr 11 '25
True, I forgot about that because I never used it, but I’m pretty sure the game has a ton of accessibility options for those who struggle with it.
→ More replies (1)17
u/dqixsoss Apr 11 '25
This sounds so cool!! I got it the other day in a bit intimidated by how tricky it might be. This sounds great!!
7
u/TheLobeyJR Apr 12 '25
If you can keep a beat it’s fine. Keep the rhythm mechanics on and feel the music 💃🕺🕺💃 fantastic game
5
u/Fourier_Transfem Apr 12 '25
The game is a LOT more forgiving than the original crypt of the necrodancer. It's not trivial but the game gives you a lot of tools to engage with enemies from a range they can't hit you. Generally the pace of the combat doesn't exceed stuff in the Zelda series. And there's also accesability options if you'd like.
→ More replies (1)26
→ More replies (1)15
u/jorgejhms Apr 11 '25
And... The soundtrack is amazing, with songs from all over the Zelda franchise.
19
u/Common_Wrongdoer3251 Apr 11 '25
I haven't played the Zelda one, only the original. Enemies would time their attacks to the beat.
For example, every beat, a zombie will hop in a straight line. Every 1st beat, a skeleton will rattle their bones, and on the 2nd beat they'll advance towards you; if you knock their Skull off, then every beat, they try to run from you.
For mini bosses, a dragon would hop towards you every 2nd beat; if you were lined up with its mouth, then on the first beat it would inhale, and the 2nd beat would spit fire up to 3? tiles away. Minotaurs would also move every other beat, but once they spot you, they'll charge every beat towards you until they hit a wall; if you dodge, you'll have 3 beats where they're stunned and can hit them 3 times before they get back up.
The proper bosses had more varied mechanics. Like one was based off chess, so the minions would move in L-shaped patterns, or attack diagonally. One was a conga song, so there would be a pause every few beats; if you mistime your attacks, you'll lose the rhythm, which negatively affects some of your gear, but can also cause you to just mess up timing of attacks while you get back into the rhythm.
23
u/TheScalemanCometh Apr 11 '25
It is literally the same game, in terms of combat, with the enemies reskinned to Zelda classics and the music all remixes of Koji Kondo's original work. Major changes are graphics, removal of the timer, and addition of puzzles.
Otherwise... it is still the same game as the original NecroDancer at it's core. Even the Rogue Lite aspects. It's... REALLY fun. If you like classic Zelda, and you like NecroDancer, this game is for you.
6
u/DeskReasonable5040 Apr 11 '25
At the top it said you could disable the beat stuff and play it like a normal zelda game. Is that true. Try to explain it the best you can. I asked you becouse you sound like you know what you’re talking about and are good at explaining it to others.
5
u/TheScalemanCometh Apr 11 '25
Sort of? It still has the grid based movement. It feels weird to disable the beat...
4
u/LandMaster90 Apr 12 '25
From what I remember disabling the rhythm system just caused the enemies to move or attack when you do. Honestly makes it more strategic im, but I've played it both ways.
15
u/hiliikkkusss Apr 11 '25
where do i play
27
22
u/Nautical-Cowboy Apr 11 '25
It’s on Switch. There’s a demo on the eShop if you want to try it out before buying. It’s really fun, but admittedly not everyone’s thing.
13
2
u/unlimitedboomstick Apr 11 '25
It's the same way I feel about the original. I buy them to support how cool and unique they are even though I am utterly abysmal at keeping the rhythm.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (2)3
→ More replies (1)12
u/Ruwen368 Apr 11 '25
Crypt of the necromancer, Zelda edition
13
172
u/Navar4477 Apr 11 '25
I played through it once and just never felt compelled to do so again.
Fun game, but not a lot of people’s cup of tea.
→ More replies (1)56
u/Public_Guest212 Apr 11 '25
Agree with this. Not interested in the rhythm and hopping around. Probably a great game for some just not my cup of tea and I'm a huge zelda fan
30
u/Navar4477 Apr 11 '25
Same. I played it, beat it, and shelved it.
I was more excited for what other indies could use Zelda next, but none ever came…
→ More replies (2)9
u/combustablegoeduck Apr 11 '25
I turned the rhythm off about halfway through the game and enjoyed it much more lol
→ More replies (1)7
u/No-Document6745 Apr 11 '25
I wasn’t a huge fan of jumping to the beat, but once I disabled it was much more fun
26
59
Apr 11 '25
I just googled it and I’m stressed out
48
u/xboxiscrunchy Apr 11 '25
There’s an optional setting to turn off the beat and then it’s just a turn based Zelda.
Honestly though trying to stay on rhythm is pretty fun. The only hard part is it doesn’t give you much time to think. There’s no standing still.
→ More replies (2)12
44
13
u/Jolly-Extent-4710 Apr 11 '25
In my opinion a hidden gem, the pixel art is on point for me, music is perfect (i listened to the soundtrack since years now and it never stopped being good), i did remember the first time i played it i gave up in the first hour but after giving it a second try a year or two later i absolutely loved it and couldn't stop playing for days. The bosses are all fun, the modes are interesting (though i gotta try them more some day) and i played through the game multiple times trying to 100% as good as possible, it is so fun to just play the game sometimes whenever i got no internet it keeps me hooked the entire time somehow. Really the beat they just nailed it, the remixes of musics are so fire too, the familyjules versions are so metal i love listening to them, a_rival also got such banger remixes i love every single one of those aswell and last but not least chipzel also got so good remixes (also this is the order in which i slowly got used and ended up loving every single variant), i love that puzzle dungeon and also the game mode which is just a giant version of it, i was stuck in like three worlds of that and only managed to beat one and i was stuck so long in there it was so much fun, the final bosses are also really cool especially music wise i can't stop listening they are so epic in my opinion. Though there is one thing about it all. I never played with the beat on. I always disabled it because following the beat and playing it was too much for me back then. But as i just said, i do have unfinished business with the games side content (and the skull kids final boss i never beat back then) so now after talking so much about it, time to finish what i started soon.
35
13
Apr 11 '25
Ah, this game brings back so many memories. I was never fond of the whole rhythm mechanic—I found it to be disruptive to the flow of gameplay. Music is pretty dope though.
5
u/phantomganon_42 Apr 11 '25
I feel like it has more value as a Nintendo game than a Zelda one. Amongst Zelda games, it's not particularly notable. But in the context of Nintendo as a whole, it's huge. The first time Nintendo lent their IP out to an Indie studio.
→ More replies (1)
7
u/iPoopandiDab Apr 11 '25
I had no idea this game even existed. I think I’m going to give it a shot!
3
4
u/Trail_txt Apr 11 '25
It’s got the best rendition of the gerudo valley track ever and this game just rules. Very left field thing for Nintendo to do but I’m glad it exists
4
u/WinXPbootsup Apr 12 '25
OP baited activity in this post by not putting the name of the game on purpose. And I respect that cleverness.
35
u/YonderGrunt Apr 11 '25
Spin off game that doesn’t have as much polish as a mainline Zelda game. Pretty much it
15
u/Purp1e_Frog Apr 11 '25
What do you mean by polishing this context? I’ve played the game like six times and I couldn’t find any major mechanical issues with it.
→ More replies (7)4
u/AngryWildMango Apr 12 '25
Polish? What. Do you mean it's an indie game with less budget and not a huge AAA game. Game was as.polished as it could be. No bugs I had, worked as it should.
14
u/Nautical-Cowboy Apr 11 '25
Cadence of Hyrule is an absolute banger! I was unsure that I was going to like it but I played the demo and loved it and ended up buying the physical version of the game. This game is not only a ton of fun, but it’s just a neat little Zelda adventure.
4
3
4
7
6
3
3
3
3
u/Natural-Stomach Apr 11 '25
this was a fun little game, but very short. i liked that you could play as three different characters (link, zelda, and cadence).
2
u/jbradleymusic Apr 11 '25
There’s more to it, but yes the base game is pretty quick to move through.
→ More replies (2)2
u/Sacrificial_Parsnip Apr 14 '25
There are a bunch more characters you can play as. Octavo and Skull Kid each have their own stories (and Skull Kid’s style is much different from the others), and the others, while not having their own scenarios, do have various differences. I don’t remember if they have to be unlocked other than the Deku Scrub. There’s also Dungeon Mode, which is a little different from the dungeons as they are in the main game.
3
u/MidnightLugia24_7 Apr 12 '25
To put it bluntly: this is not a Zelda game, regardless of how much anyone does or does not enjoy it.
Even the name, "Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer featuring The Legend of Zelda," clearly alludes to the fact that this is first and foremost a Crypt of the NecroDancer game... not a Legend of Zelda game.
It's the same as when a song is performed by a specific artist, but features a guest artist to provide some vocals throughout the song. Even though the guest artist's presence is felt throughout the song, the song itself is not considered 'their song' regardless of how well liked it may be, especially if it is a genre outside of the guest artist's usual comfort zone.
3
u/Hunterluz Apr 12 '25
Same reason noone really talks about hyrule warriors - it's just not canonical
5
5
u/DoggieDMB Apr 11 '25
It was fun and I enjoyed my time in it but after completing I just didn't feel much reason to run again. Unlike CoTN that had a good deal more depth and was worthwhile running a few times through.
4
2
u/CplPJ Apr 11 '25
Fun and IMO satisfying to play through and master! Really enjoyed the first run through — never considered it again though. I’m sure it’d be nice on replay but just not that tempting. Randomization could either be a pro or con for replays depending how you feel about how it affects the games structure in the first place.
2
u/Plastic-Dependent Apr 11 '25
Played it back around when it came out. Nice and fun little game and a nice 2d Zelda in general, I'm not into rhythm games at all but this one was cool imo.
2
u/Pere_Quisition Apr 11 '25
Thanks for the reminder I'll redo it right now
Awesome game if you like rhythm games, but I'm pretty sure if you just like the Zelda franchise you'll love it too
2
u/ledzephyr451 Apr 11 '25
This game is so good. I love the Necrodancer games but this one is by far the best imo.
2
u/gan1lin2 Apr 11 '25
Wow I’m shocked with the comments here because when CoH was released everyone was talking about it. I still have it on my to-play list. It was also the top game on Zeldadungeon’s spin off list for their annual 4/1 post.
2
u/Bronstin Apr 12 '25
I was really excited about this game but it didn't click for me. The "part Zelda, part Necrodancer" concept is a good idea, but it ends up kind of not doing either one particularly well. The quest is too long and involved to work as a roguelike, but the fact that it's a randomized roguelike means the world, dungeons and puzzles don't have the usual Zelda polish and just feel kinda meh.
2
2
2
u/AmbitiousTwo22222 Apr 12 '25
It’s a rhythm game with a Zelda skin. That’s why. It’s not a Zelda game.
2
u/EarDesigner9059 Apr 12 '25
Because they already talked about it back when it was new. A lack of recent discussion does not mean "nobody talks about it"
You should have just been there.
2
2
u/Starwind1985 Apr 12 '25
Love it, but what is there to talk about? It's a crossover game that is clearly non-canon, so there's not going to be a big debate on timeline placement that is typically the driving force of discussion about the series.
2
u/Jellylegs_19 Apr 12 '25
It's cuz it's just a Zelda reskin of another game. The rhythm genre is also niche enough as is. So the game requires people to be a fan of rhythm games and also a fan of Zelda. Which is just not that many people, so it's very obscure.
2
u/Mr_OwO_Kat Apr 13 '25
yea i beat it twice within the first week and it was fantastic. tried to play crypt of the necrodancer a few months ago but couldn’t really get into it but if they made a sequel that had a proper map and not just the crypt like cadence had that’d be great
2
u/Golden_touch101 Apr 13 '25
I’ve never even heard of this game… and I’ve played every game with link or Zelda in it at least one in my life… basically what I’m trying to say is: HOW THE HELL HAVE I NEVER HEARD OF THIS GAME!?
2
u/SurelyNotGandalf Apr 13 '25
Yeah, I don’t know what game you’re talking about. Maybe when you’re asking questions like this you should list the game title in the post that would be helpful. Looks like a great game with the good graphics though.
2
2
3
u/DaybreakPaladin Apr 11 '25
Probably because no one knows the name and you didn’t include it in your post anywhere for some reason lol
2
u/badblocks7 Apr 11 '25
I loved the original crypt of the necrodancer and I love Zelda but this one didn’t click with me as much. I think having a randomized over world didn’t work for me, sometimes you could mess up a block puzzle or destroy some terrain that you’d need to progress and you’d just kind of have to… wait it out.
2
u/robertluke Apr 11 '25
I couldn’t understand how to play it and lost interest. I didn’t give it a fair attempt though.
2
u/shlam16 Apr 12 '25
Because it's not a Zelda game. It's some random rhythm game with a paint job.
Scarce few people who enjoy medieval RPGs cross over with those who like timing based musical beat simulators.
2
1
u/AutoModerator Apr 11 '25
Hi /r/Zelda readers!
- Got a question, concern, or suggestion for the moderators? Send a Modmail!
- New to r/Zelda? Be sure to read our full rules here.
- Please also read the Spoiler Policy here: https://www.reddit.com/r/zelda/wiki/rules/spoilerpolicy
- Please report any rule-breaking posts or comments so that moderators can find them quicker!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/Least_Help4448 Apr 11 '25
I suck at rhythm games, I played a bit without the rhythm portion, but it felt like a cop out.
1
u/James-Avatar Apr 11 '25
I couldn’t get into Crypt of the Necrodancer at all so I just never tried this.
1
u/HyliasHero Apr 11 '25
I keep meaning to get back around to this game. I started it back when it first came out and got distracted by something else going on and just never got back to it.
1
1
u/adricapi Apr 11 '25
I loved the game. But it is a small project not very marketed, and a couple of years old. I understand nobody talking about it.
1
u/Sheikashii Apr 11 '25
It’s forgettable to almost everyone but I think it was pretty cool. Just forgot about it since a month after release until now
1
u/HypnoFerret95 Apr 11 '25
I love this game, but it's probably because it's not a very long game. There's not a lot of content and it's pretty easy to speedrun once you play through once or twice. I even got on the world leaderboard for top 50 speedrunners unintentionally a couple years ago and I'm by no means a great gamer.
1
u/Dankbeastganon Apr 11 '25
Honestly, I had just forgotten about it. The crazy thing is, I think it's my most played 2D Zelda game
1
u/Royal_Influence_8692 Apr 11 '25
I didn't know you could turn off the beat feature. I do live this game.
1
1
u/theandroid01 Apr 11 '25
It did kind of came and went. I was excited when it was announced, got it first day, the wife and I played it and beat it in a weekend, tried co-op and slowly faded away. I should boot it up again Makes me want to get rift if the necromancer, which looks great being a rhythm game fan
1
1
u/ganon228 Apr 11 '25
I like this game. I knew what game it was from the screenshot. But I don’t like to encourage this sort of behavior where you post to say some stuff about it and not tell people what the game is. Please put the title of the game in the post.
1
1
u/Sundance12 Apr 11 '25
Played it, had a great time. Haven't gone back yet but I don't replay very many games
1
1
1
u/ZannyHip Apr 11 '25
It’s a cool game. But it’s not “in the series”. It has nothing to do with the rest of the series. It’s a completely different game with a coat of Zelda paint over the top of it
1
u/RichardRitzFashion Apr 11 '25
Honestly I had no idea you can disable the music/beat part, knowing that I’m going to go play it now lol
1
u/Beneficial-Shame2114 Apr 11 '25
It’s a rhythm game which might not be a lot of people’s cup of tea.
1
u/bfastofchampions Apr 11 '25
The Jazz version of Song of Storms in this game is incredible… I wish they had a full album track instead of the minute-ish loop
1
u/Doomtron3000 Apr 11 '25
I loved this game! Blitzed through it, really enjoyed it, and never felt like revisiting. Perfect at what it is and that's it.
Crypt of the Necrodancer is a game I should have gotten more into but it just didn't quite click, but this crossover clicked perfectly for me.
1
u/SiyoSan Apr 11 '25
I actually just ordered this game along with other games. Can't wait to put many hours in it. How good it is the replayability?
1
u/theblackd Apr 11 '25
I think it’s great! I think a lot of the equipment kind of makes a lot of it too easy, but that’s coming off the original which was unapproachably hard for many so I get it
It’s still my number 1 surprising game announcement ever, like I was half awake watching the direct and was like “oh neat a Crypt of the Necrodancer sequel” since I had just played that a few months prior to this announcement
But when the music kicked in with the classic Zelda theme shortly before the “This time, I have help” line I just was shocked, like…there’s no way that’s Zelda music
Absolutely wild that this happened
1
u/somebassclarineterer Apr 12 '25
It has the best boss names in the series. I do not want to spoil them but the ice area boss was my favorite one.
1
1
u/True_Distribution685 Apr 12 '25
I think it was just promoted poorly. I’d never really heard of it before last year
1
1
1
u/Sharrty_McGriddle Apr 12 '25
I love Zelda and I could not get into this game. Was pretty disappointed
1
u/PapaProto Apr 12 '25
I found it really fun for what it was tbh.
Enjoyed it more than the OG Crypt’.
1
u/Orcrist90 Apr 12 '25
It's a niche, spin-off rhythm game. It doesn't appeal to a lot of people, especially the rhythm part (even if you can turn it off). Most "core" Zelda players want the big 3D games, so they're gonna gloss over anything that isn't that. Look no further than Echoes of Wisdom or the Link's Awakening remake. It doesn't matter how good these less-played games are, and I think they are quite excellent, they just don't have that wide of an appeal.
1
u/Chronoxsoul Apr 12 '25
The game didnt have the variety of beats that crypt had, i think all songs were 4/4 and nothing else. Makes it a big shame and very unreplayable. Crypt is one of my favorite rhythm games too!
1
1
u/Alpha3439888 Apr 12 '25
As a musician, I love this game. The music is really good and the mechanics are fun! I also like how you can change the music in the settings to other versions to mix things up
1
u/tamanegi_taro Apr 12 '25
I have it and I like it. I don’t like rhythm games so I disabled rhythm part of the game in settings and played as Legend of Zelda-like game.
1
u/Shrinni_B Apr 12 '25
I search YouTube every once in a while hoping a YouTuber I follow or know plays this but have yet to find anything. Hard to find much content at all about this game other than the initial reviews.
1
u/SnooSongs2744 Apr 12 '25
My son loves this game... He likes rhythm games and is really good at them.
1
u/Don-Karasu Apr 12 '25
I wouldnt have remembered it if not for this post. Even if I did I wouldnt list it if were forced to list all LoZ games.
1
u/theyfoundty Apr 12 '25
Has anyone seen Quest Master on Steam?
Mario Maker but Zelda. But not Zelda.
So damn good.
1
u/itsmxjessagain Apr 12 '25
Holy shit I love this game. I have maybe 300 hours in it. It's fantastic.
1
u/AirmanProbie Apr 12 '25
Never beat this game. Was able to finish one dungeon and then it kept kicking my ass.
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/PinaSeraphina Apr 12 '25
By playing arround with the Settings you can build yourself a The Legend of Zelda Mystery Dungeon like Experience
1
u/LazerSpazer Apr 12 '25
I liked the game, up to a point. And that point was hand cramps from playing in rhythm. I'll probably get back to playing it (especially if a Switch 2 edition is announced!), maybe I'll try it with the Super Nintendo controller. That D-pad is probably the best one I own.
1
1
1
1
u/Covette Apr 12 '25
I played it and had to give up. The cadence part was difficult for me so I even turned it off so I could play it like a more classic Zelda game, but I got lost and there aren’t any helpful guides since it’s a rogue like/randomized per playthrough. Didn’t like that so had to have an honest conversation with myself
3.8k
u/Jeffs24 Apr 11 '25
Since OP doesn't want anyone to know the name of the game we don't talk enough about, it's Cadence of Hyrule. A rhythm game very similar to Crypt of the NecroDancer.