Summary
Nintendo’s next generation of hardware and follow-up to the Switch might be one of the worst-kept secrets in the gaming industry, but Nintendo is intent on making sure that the Switch goes out with a bang and not a whimper. The June Nintendo Direct revealed a slew of new games, with one of the most surprising being the announcement and release date trailer forThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.Echoes of Wisdomis both the second Nintendo SwitchZeldagame to use the art style and assets of theLink’s Awakeningremake and the eighth retail release in the franchise to appear on the hardware, breaking a record previously held by the Nintendo 3DS.
Prior to the launch of the Nintendo Switch, the Nintendo 3DS was the company’s powerhouse during the 8th console generation, carrying the company’s profits after the somewhat disastrous launch ofthe Wii U. As such, the handheld would be the home to 4 mainlineLegend of Zeldagames and 1 spin-off, making it the record holder in terms of mostZeldareleases on a single piece of hardware (despite two of those games being 3D remasters). With the release ofEchoes of Wisdom, the Nintendo Switch is now home to 5 mainline entries and 3 spin-offs, becoming Nintendo’s de facto home for theZeldafranchise.
The Zelda Franchise’s History on the Nintendo 3DS
While the Switch now holds the record for the most mainlineLegend of Zeldagamesand spin-offs on a single console (as well as the record for most titles in the franchise on a single platform thanks to the Nintendo Switch Online classic game collections), it’s a record that was previously held by the Nintendo 3DS. Beginning with 2011’s 3D remaster of the seminalOcarina of Time, the 3DS would become home to 4 mainline games and a single spin-off, the system’s port of the Wii U mousou gameHyrule Warriors. TheLegend of Zeldagames available on the 3DS include:
The standout entry in the 3DS’Zeldalibrary is the unexpected and welcome surprise sequel to the SNES’A Link to the Past, 2013’sThe Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. Interestingly, the Nintendo Switch has followed suit withThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, which seems to be acting as somewhat of a spiritual successor andfollow-up toLink’s Awakeningin the same way thatA Link Between Worldswas toThe Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.
Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s Release is the Cherry on Top of the Switch’s Zelda Library
The surprise reveal of another mainlineZeldagame just before the end of the Switch’s lifespan sees the console becoming the ultimate home of theZeldafranchise. Not only does the Switch now have a total of 5mainlineLegend of Zeldagameson the console, but it also has access to almost every mainlineZeldagame in the franchise thanks to the Nintendo Switch Online service’s classic game collections (with the one exception being the DS and 3DS-exclusive titles in the series). TheZeldagames available on the Nintendo Switch at retail include:
With a staggering total of 5 mainline entries and three series spin-offs, the Switch has the most robustZeldalibrary of any Nintendo hardware, and that’s without even including multiple console generations' worth of mainline games and spin-offs available through theNintendo Switch Onlineservice. The release ofEchoes of Wisdomis an important moment for theZeldafranchise, not only smashing previous series records but breaking the protagonist barrier and featuring Princess Zelda in a starring role for the first time in series history.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
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!
