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There's a lot of buzz around Hyrule Warriors right now, which is only being emphasized with Koei Tecmo and Nintendo's efforts to hype up the Japanese gaming public into a frenzy ahead of its 14th August release in the country. It's working out nicely for both companies, as much of that Japanese marketing material has been localised for a lengthy build-up ahead of the September releases in the West, while a special Nintendo Direct from NoA is rapidly approaching. It's absolutely everywhere, through consistent official updates and some captured footage emerging of the Japanese version.

While much has been revealed, in terms of characters and the usual rapidly expanding range of DLC in the form of outfits — which are likely to feature in the upcoming Direct broadcast — some aspects have been less clear. This week a bit of negative news emerged that Hyrule Warriors will only support local co-op, not online; we'd already known about the local option, in that it was shown off that one players uses the TV while another utilises the GamePad screen. It's a neat feature, though time will tell whether the already modest framerate — at least from our experience with the game to date — suffers in this mode. Online content is expected through Miiverse and possibly some special battle options, but there's some consternation that friends can't hook up online and play through the campaign together.

It's only fair to Koei Tecmo and Nintendo to state at this point that, as far as we're aware, online co-op was never promised, or directly suggested. There may have been some optimistic speculation and guesswork that made it seem like it would be included, though, and the main kicker is that Dynasty Warriors 8 — including the original last-gen version in 2013 — did have online co-op. It's only natural that fans don't like to see a feature like that taken away; it's a step back.

One of a few Wii U games with online co-op and chat

The question is, will online co-op be missed in Hyrule Warriors? One perspective is that it won't, as the frantic battlefield fighting won't work well in a small team without guaranteed communication — along the lines of "you get that enemy Captain by Hyrule Castle, I'll get the other one" — which, naturally, is there in local play. The other perspective is that it will be missed, and that the Wii U has a perfect communication system right in the box; as Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate aficionados know, the GamePad is a perfectly competent option for voice chat in online co-op. We don't know whether online co-op was left out as a design choice or, far more likely, to save time and money, but we can determine whether it bothers us, as Wii U owners.

It's a bit of a norm for Wii U gamers to miss out on some online features in multi-platform ports, whether it's entire online modes or DLC. This is a Nintendo-published game, though, so it begs the question of whether we should be receiving a title that actually takes a step back in its franchise, albeit this is a crossover release.

We want to know what you think and also gauge which sort of multiplayer you would prefer, if you could choose, in games like Hyrule Warriors — let us know in the polls below and sound off in the comments.

Are you disappointed by the absence of online co-op in Hyrule Warriors? (546 votes)

  1. Not at all, I was never interested in it anyway24%
  2. Only a little, but I'm not that bothered by it31%
  3. I'm not sure yet5%
  4. I'm quite disappointed, but still want the game29%
  5. I'm very disappointed, and it spoils the game for me12%

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Given one choice which would you prefer, local co-op or online co-op in Hyrule Warriors? (531 votes)

  1. Local co-op all the way26%
  2. I'd like both, but I'd lean towards local-co-op33%
  3. I can't choose3%
  4. Both in a perfect world, but I'd opt for online-co-op28%
  5. Online co-op every time9%

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Has the absence of online co-op in the campaign affected your purchase choice for Hyrule Warriors? (534 votes)

  1. Absolutely not!49%
  2. I'm a bit disappointed but no, I'm still getting the game23%
  3. I haven't decided yet6%
  4. Potentially, but I think I'll still get it7%
  5. Absolutely, it was a deal breaker for me - no sale from me now5%
  6. I was never going to buy Hyrule Warriors anyway8%

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