In their own way, Nintendo Direct conferences mirror the air of surprise and discovery that define the Zelda games. They appear with little warning and, while watching, its difficult to say whether youll be taking a detailed look at an upcoming game, catching your first glimpse of something completely new or just watching a CEO studying fruit. The rule, then, is to expect the unexpected. Even so, it was hard not to be caught flat-footed by the mere existence of Hyrule Warriors. Reactions were both mixed and extremely passionate, though Nintendo likely werent anticipating any other sort of response. The Dynasty Warriors titles are popular but bewildering for first-time players, a stark contrast to Nintendos own games and the broad audience they strive to reach. Fans concerned about the treatment of their favourite characters may also raise an eyebrow at Team Ninjas involvement, given the heavily-criticised story of Metroid: Other M. Nintendo took steps to address these concerns at E3, stressing the involvement of Zelda team veterans and showing a wide array of playable favourites like Midna. Well be waiting until August to see if the game fulfills its many promises and proves to Zelda fans that Dynasty Warriors can offer more than pyrotechnics but the announcement itself proved the team know how to handle explosions.