As part of the June 2024 Nintendo Direct,Zeldafans were shocked to find out that a newLegend of Zeldaspin-off was only three months away, and that’s not all. For the first time since theZeldaCD-i games, Princess Zelda herself takes the spotlight as the sole protagonist ofThe 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 Wisdomis set to fulfill many long-standing fan requests, and it’s not holding back.
It’s a surprise to see a brand-newZeldatitle looking this fleshed-out so soon after 2023’sTears of the Kingdom, especially with a Nintendo Switch successor allegedly nearby. Due to the high-profile name attached to it, one could have expectedEchoes of Wisdomto be saved for that console’s launch window, or at least be cross-gen, but it appears to be launching alongsideMario and Luigi: Brothershipas 2024’s last major Switch games. SeeingThe 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 theMariofranchise. For the third time ever, Princess Peach appeared as the lone playable character inPrincess Peach: Showtime, following up the 1990 game-watch titlePrincess Toadstool’s Castle Runand2005’s DS-exclusiveSuper 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 aMariotitle, and that was executed superbly here. Where issues arose were inPrincess Peach: Showtime’s identity as a Princess Peach game, rather than aMariogame built around Peach. It opted for a rotating series of gameplay styles instead of building up core mechanics like manyMariotitles are known for, and their low complexity never produced anything especially memorable. Plenty have enjoyed their time withPrincess 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
EnterThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, a game that would feel like a response toPrincess Peach: Showtimeif they weren’t so close together. UnlikeShowtime,Echoes of Wisdomis a typicalLegend of Zeldagame through-and-through, to the point where it could be mistaken for a mainline entry if they still used top-down angles.Echoes of Wisdomis a top-downZeldawith theLink’s Awakeningremake’s art style, and not only will itprovide fans with the Zelda-starring classicZeldathey’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-definingUltrahand ability fromTears 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 otherZeldagame. When Princess Peach gets another entry for herself, hopefully it can include a clever twist on regularMariogameplay likeEchoes of Wisdom, and feel all the more exciting for it.
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!
