Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the Necrodancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda Cheats & Cheat Codes for Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Windows, and More

Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda is a 2019 action-adventure rhythm game and a crossover of Crypt of the NecroDancer with The Legend of Zelda. The game was developed by Brace Yourself Games and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. Cadence of Hyrule utilizes elements from both franchises to bring a unique and interesting game to the table. It combines the rhythm-based gameplay from Crypt of the NecroDancer with the characters, settings, and lore from The Legend of Zelda franchise.

The game received generally positive reviews. 88% of Google users who weighed in on the subject claimed to like the game. Publications like IGN gave it glowing reviews with an 8.8 out of 10. Metacritic reports that Cadence of Hyrule received generally favorable reviews, with fans and critics alike agreeing that the game combined the classic, retro charm of both games to create something unique and fun. Most critics gave the game an 8 out of 10 or higher, with an average rating of 85.

The game did so well that it was nominated for and won several awards. In 2019, it was nominated for Best Audio and Nintendo Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards. It was also nominated for Best Score/Music at the 2019 Game Awards. While it didn’t win any of its 2019 nominations, it did win two awards in 2020. Cadence of Hyrule won in the Game, Music, or Performance-Based category at the NAVGTR Awards. It also won the G.A.N.G. / MAGFest People’s Choice Award at the 18th Annual G.A.N.G. Awards.

Cadence of Hyrule Premise

Cadence of Hyrule is a crossover of Crypt of the NecroDancer and The Legend of Zelda, where players utilize the rhythm mechanics from the former while playing either Link or Zelda from the latter. Players will unlock more playable characters as they go, like Cadence. The game takes place in the Kingdom of Hyrule, a familiar setting for Zelda fans. The game opens with a man named Octavo using a magical lute in Hyrule. The lute manages to put Hyrule’s king, Zelda, and Link to sleep. With these three important figures asleep and unable to stop him, Octavo uses the Triforce of Power to turn his lute into the Golden Lute.

While all of this is happening, the Triforce teleports Cadence to Hyrule. Once in Hyrule, Cadence manages to wake Zelda and Link, but she doesn’t stay with them. After waking them up, Cadence parts ways with the duo so she can, hopefully, find a way home. As Cadence searches for a way home, Link and Zelda search Hyrule for ways to stop Octavo. During this time, Octavo has collected four champions, each equipped with a magical instrument that gives them each unique musical power. Link and Zelda need to obtain these four musical instruments so that they can go to Hyrule Castle and face Octavo. Before the final showdown, Cadence rejoins the pair.

If this sounds familiar, that’s because it follows a pretty similar formula to how Link usually goes about defeating Ganon. Even in the newest Legend of Zelda games, like Breath of the Wild, Link must defeat four champions to face Ganon. When Link, Zelda, and Cadence confront Octavo, he admits that he and his champions were supposed to fight Ganon. Once they defeat Octavo, he opens a portal to the future where Ganon reigns supreme, and the trio must beat him to save Hyrule and send Cadence back to her world.

Cadence of Hyrule Main Characters

Cadence of Hyrule has a fun cast of main characters thanks to the crossover. While the game takes place in The Legend of Zelda setting and mostly focuses on Legend of Zelda characters, it does blend in a few Crypt of the NecroDancer characters as well. When considering the game’s DLCs, there are quite a few unlockable playable characters, but we’ll focus on the five most important characters.

• Link: Link is one of the most recognizable characters in video game history because he’s the playable character in just about every Legend of Zelda game out there. Link is so infamous that many confuse him for being Zelda since it would make sense for him to be the title character. In Cadence of Hyrule, Link is one of three playable characters early on in the game. Once Cadence wakes Link and Zelda, players can play as either Zelda or Link. Link sets off on a quest across Hyrule with Zelda to confront Octavo. The duo must defeat all of Octavo’s champions and collect their magical instruments before finally facing off against Octavo.
• Zelda: Zelda is the second playable character in Cadence of Hyrule and, like Link, has become one of the most recognizable characters in gaming history. Zelda isn’t always a playable character in The Legend of Zelda games, but she’s always an important figure that exists at the heart of the story. Zelda and Link are always intertwined. Zelda is the princess of Hyrule and is often fated with the responsibility of saving her kingdom from a terrible fate. In Cadence of Hyrule, she sets off on a journey with Link to save Hyrule from Octavo. Unlike many other Zelda titles, this game lets the player play as Zelda.
• Cadence: Cadence is the title character of Cadence of Hyrule and also becomes playable as the player progresses through Hyrule. The Triforce sends her to Hyrule after Octavo’s arrival, where she is informed of strange happenings in the kingdom. She eventually stumbles upon two portals, where she can choose to save either Link or Zelda. Once she’s woken one of them up, she explains what she knows and then parts ways with them so she can look for a way home. Players will stumble upon Cadence multiple times throughout their exploration of Hyrule. Cadence will eventually rejoin Link and Zelda in their fight against Ganon, allowing her to be playable once again.
• Octavo: Octavo is one of the main antagonists in Cadence of Hyrule. Before appearing in Hyrule, Octavo stole the Thread of Courage from the Fates and used it to craft the Golden Lute. This lute has magical properties that allow him to put anyone he wants to sleep. Octavo uses the lute to put the king of Hyrule to sleep, as well as Link and Zelda. He also creates four champions, Bass Guitarmos, Gohmaracas, Gleeokenspiel, and Wizzroboe, who all have their own magical instruments. To confront Octavo, the player must defeat all four of his champions and collect their instruments. He eventually tells the heroes that his champions are supposed to stop Ganon in the future.
• Ganon: Ganon is the main antagonist of The Legend of Zelda series. Any Zelda fan will be quite familiar with Ganon because he makes an appearance or is referred to in most of the games in the series. Ganon is an extremely powerful force that threatens the safety of Hyrule. He has the Triforce of Power, which makes him practically unbeatable. According to prophecy, the only person who can defeat Ganon is the Goddesses’ chosen Hero. In Cadence of Hyrule, Ganon doesn’t make too many appearances, but he is one of the final battles of the game. Octavo reveals that he and his champions are designed to combat Ganon in the future. The heroes defeat Octavo, so they have to jump forward in time to face Ganon themselves.

Cadence of Hyrule Titles in the Series

Since Cadence of Hyrule is a crossover between two franchises, we’ll take a look at The Legend of Zelda and the Crypt of the NecroDancer franchises separately.

The Legend of Zelda Franchise:

The Legend of Zelda franchise contains a lot of titles in its series. These titles include main games, remakes, spin-offs, collections, and other media appearances. For now, this list will focus on the main timeline games.

• The Legend of Zelda (1986)
• Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (1987)
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991)
• The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (1993)
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
• The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (2000)
• The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons (2001)
• The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (2001)
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past & Four Swords (2002)
• The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2002)
• The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures (2004)
• The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (2004)
• The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2006)
• The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (2007)
• The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (2009)
• The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (2011)
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (2013)
• The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes (2015)
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (2023)

Crypt of the NecroDancer Franchise:

• Crypt of the NecroDancer (2015)
• Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the Necrodancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda (2019)
• Rift of the NecroDancer (2024) – Brace Yourself Games announced this sequel to Crypt of the NecroDancer earlier this year. It will be available in 2024.

Cadence of Hyrule Cheats & Unlockable Characters

Unfortunately, there aren’t any official cheats, cheat codes, or exploits for Cadence of Hyrule. This game was released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch and as such, unless the developer purposefully includes cheat codes, they won’t work. That’s not to say that a player can’t figure out a way to cheat in Cadence of Hyrule, but it’s not something most Switch users would recommend. To download effective cheats on a Nintendo Switch, players might need to jailbreak their Switch. Tampering with the console has several negative consequences, so the risk isn’t worth it for what little reward there is.

While Cadence of Hyrule doesn’t offer much in the way of cheats or exploits, it does have a lot of variety in its gameplay. One of the ways this game stands out is by allowing players to several different characters. Let’s take a look at how to unlock every playable character.

How to Get Each Playable Character

There are five playable characters within the base Cadence of Hyrule game. Once players unlock each character, they can swap between playable characters by interacting with Sheikah Stones. They’ll find these throughout their exploration of Hyrule.

• Link & Zelda: At the beginning of the game, players have the choice to wake up either Link or Zelda. The first character chosen can’t be missed, since this will act as the player’s main playable character for a while. They can, however, still unlock the character they didn’t choose. If, for example, players choose to wake up Link, they can still unlock Zelda later on. To do this, players need to go to Kakariko Village, where they’ll find the character they didn’t choose still asleep. To wake them up, players need to get their hands on a Hibiscus Potion. To get the Hibiscus Potion, players need to explore the village cemetery until they find the entrance to an underground dungeon. Within the dungeon, they’ll face their shadow self. Once they defeat their shadow self, they’ll get the Hibiscus Potion. Give the Hibiscus Potion to the sleeping character to wake them up. Now, the player will be able to swap between Link and Zelda.
• Cadence: Although Cadence is the one who initially wakes up either Link or Zelda, she doesn’t become playable until the player meets a few requirements. Once she wakes up either Link or Zelda, she’ll part ways with them to try and find her way home. Players will come across Cadence several times throughout their journey across Hyrule. To recruit Cadence and make her playable, players will need to find her at all four locations where she appears. Unfortunately, the game is randomized, so where she shows up may not always be the same for everyone. Once the player has interacted with her four times, she’ll join their party and become playable.
• Yves, the Deku Scrub: Yves isn’t a main playable character, so if players want to unlock him, they’ll have to take a few involved steps to get him:
  • First, they’ll have to find him. Yves is in a tree stump in the Lost Woods. Players will find him near the music puzzle that wakes the sleeping Tingle.
  • Collect Tingle’s Dowser after solving the puzzle. This will help the player navigate the Lost Woods.
  • Talk to Yves to learn about his dreams of becoming a hero.
  • Collect 20 Deku Seeds (10 for upgrading stamina and 10 to give to Yves). Once players give Yves the seeds, he’ll become playable.
• Octavo: After the Octavo’s Ode update, Octavo became the fifth playable character in Cadence of Hyrule. To unlock him, players simply need to finish the game by defeating Ganon. Scroll through the credits to receive a message that says, “You can now play as Octavo!” Start a new game and choose the “Story Mode – Octavo” option to play as Octavo.

There are six more playable characters in Cadence of Hyrule, but they aren’t part of the main game. They’re only available through DLCs. These characters include Impa, Shadow Link, Shadow Zelda, Aria, Frederick, and Skull Kid.

Cadence of Hyrule Cheats FAQs

Is Cadence of Hyrule easier than Crypt of the NecroDancer?

For the most part, Cadence of Hyrule is much easier than Crypt of the NecroDancer. Most players agree that the game isn’t that difficult, there’s just a bit of a learning curve to the rhythm mechanics. It may be overwhelming at first but just keep at it. Most players pick up the pace in no time. If the rhythm aspect isn’t for you, but you still want to enjoy the game, there is an option to turn the mechanic off in the settings.

Is Octavo the NecroDancer?

The NecroDancer is a future version of Octavo who defeated Ganon and took over the Kingdom of Hyrule.

Is the Cadence of Hyrule DLC worth it?

The Cadence of Hyrule Season Pass adds quite a bit to the base game that adds a lot of replayability. The Season Pass unlocks six new playable characters as well as music tracks and other great additions. That said, the first two releases of the Season Pass were criticized for not adding much value to the game. Most fans agree that the third DLC, Symphony of the Mask, which introduced Skull Kid, is the best addition to the game. Symphony of the Mask added more value to the game than the rest of the Season Pass.

How long to beat Cadence of Hyrule?

According to HowLongToBeat.com, Cadence of Hyrule only takes about six hours to beat if the player focuses on the main story. Main and side quests will take about eight hours, while a completionist run will take 11.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Nintendo of America / Brace Yourself Games / Nintendo.