It was undoubtedly one of the most unexpected announcements during the June 18, 2024 Nintendo Direct: the announcement of a new episode in The Legend of Zelda series, with an even more remarkable twist—that it would feature Zelda as the main character for the first time instead of Link. Technically, there is already a game on Philips CD-i where players can control Zelda, but since Nintendo does not recognize these titles within the official lore, they are generally considered out-of-universe. As demonstrated in the initial video, Nintendo has chosen to use the same rendering and artistic direction as the remake of Link’s Awakening.
In “The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom,” Link is kidnapped for once, providing an opportunity for Zelda to emerge as Hyrule’s savior. Instead of directly rescuing Link with combat, Zelda utilizes a staff granted by a fairy named Tri, which enables her to replicate any object, referred to as an echo. Once mastered, this ability allows for infinite replication of elements. For example, Zelda can create a table to gain a height advantage or merge water cubes together. Additionally, she can create echoes of monsters to defeat other enemies while keeping her hands clean. There are likely more gameplay mechanics yet to be revealed, and further details await subsequent presentations.
The release of “The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom” is scheduled for September 26, 2024, and Nintendo has also announced a collector’s edition Switch Lite console themed after the game, which includes the Triforce symbol.
