As part of the June 2024 Nintendo Direct, Zelda fans were shocked to find out that a new Legend of Zelda spin-off was only three months away, and that's not all. For the first time since the Zelda CD-i games, Princess Zelda herself takes the spotlight as the sole protagonist of The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. After one of Link’s typical quests to defeat Ganon goes awry, Zelda is forced to venture through a slowly disappearing Hyrule in his stead. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is set to fulfill many long-standing fan requests, and it's not holding back.
It's a surprise to see a brand-new Zelda title looking this fleshed-out so soon after 2023's Tears of the Kingdom, especially with a Nintendo Switch successor allegedly nearby. Due to the high-profile name attached to it, one could have expected Echoes of Wisdom to be saved for that console’s launch window, or at least be cross-gen, but it appears to be launching alongside Mario and Luigi: Brothership as 2024's last major Switch games. Seeing The Legend of Zelda's titular princess be treated to an exciting adventure of her own feels great, especially if it means bigger things for another Nintendo princess’ next outing.
Princess Peach: Showtime Held A Lot Of Promise
Back in March 2024, Nintendo Switch owners were treated to another spin-off oriented around one of Nintendo's lead heroines, with this instance belonging to the Mario franchise. For the third time ever, Princess Peach appeared as the lone playable character in Princess Peach: Showtime, following up the 1990 game-watch title Princess Toadstool's Castle Run and 2005’s DS-exclusive Super Princess Peach. Seeing Peach in the driver's seat was a rare treat for many long-time fans, so there was a lot of hype leading up to its launch.
Princess Peach’s Big Moment Didn't Feel Fittingly Ambitious
Only, it didn't live up to that hype. Little was wrong with the game; many would agree that a variety of theater productions is a great idea for a Mario title, and that was executed superbly here. Where issues arose were in Princess Peach: Showtime's identity as a Princess Peach game, rather than a Mario game built around Peach. It opted for a rotating series of gameplay styles instead of building up core mechanics like many Mario titles are known for, and their low complexity never produced anything especially memorable. Plenty have enjoyed their time with Princess Peach: Showtime, but the Princess’ first solo console outing could have been so much more.
Echoes of Wisdom Seems to Do With Zelda What Showtime Should Have Done With Peach
Enter The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, a game that would feel like a response to Princess Peach: Showtime if they weren't so close together. Unlike Showtime, Echoes of Wisdom is a typical Legend of Zelda game through-and-through, to the point where it could be mistaken for a mainline entry if they still used top-down angles. Echoes of Wisdom is a top-down Zelda with the Link's Awakening remake's art style, and not only will it provide fans with the Zelda-starring classic Zelda they've been asking for, it will have even more to offer.
Echoes of Wisdom Looks Like A Properly Zelda-Led Legend of Zelda
This ambition is fulfilled by the new Echo mechanic, which is already drawing comparisons to the game-defining Ultrahand ability from Tears of the Kingdom. With it, Zelda will be able to do everything Link can, but without a sword and shield to ensure she feels distinct. The subtle brilliance of this mechanic is how it aligns with the Triforce of Wisdom, while just as easily fitting into Link’s arsenal in any other Zelda game. When Princess Peach gets another entry for herself, hopefully it can include a clever twist on regular Mario gameplay like Echoes of Wisdom, and feel all the more exciting for it.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
- Released
- September 26, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
Save Hyrule—this time with the wisdom of Princess Zelda!
The people of Hyrule are being stolen away by strange rifts—and with a certain swordsman among the missing, it’s up to Princess Zelda to save her kingdom in the latest adventure in The Legend of Zelda™ series!
Team up with the ethereal creature Tri and use the Tri Rod to create “echoes,” which are imitations of things you find in the environment—then recreate those echoes whenever you like to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. Use echoes like water blocks to reach new heights, make bridges out of old beds, throw rocks at foes, or find your own combination of echoes to do things your way. You can even make echoes of monsters to fight at your side in combat!
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo, Grezzo
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Franchise
- The Legend of Zelda
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
