Nintendo is finally giving Princess Zelda her time in the spotlight as the main protagonist in a Legend of Zelda game with the upcoming 2D adventure Echoes of Wisdom.
Unveiled during this year's Nintendo Direct, Echoes of Wisdom will see Princess Zelda, along with the mysterious fairy, Tri, try to save her people and Link from the "strange rifts" appearing across the Hyrule Kingdom.
For years, Zelda has only been granted as a playable side character in limited sections of previous The Legends of Zelda games and as a fighter in the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
As of writing, it has not yet been confirmed which continuity Echoes of Wisdom will take place, although longtime fans are already crafting their theories on the game.
[EOW] Idk if this was obvious, bu the game uses the map from ALTTP/ALBW
byu/FelipeKits inzelda
The Legends of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is scheduled to release exclusively on Nintendo Switch consoles on Sept. 26 along with a limited-edition Hyrule-themed Switch Lite.
'Echoes of Wisdom' to Take Inspiration from Original 'The Legend of Zelda' Games
As seen in the trailer, Echoes of Wisdom will most likely take inspiration from Link's Awakening and other original Legend of Zelda releases rather than the recent franchise installment.
Series producer Eiji Aonuma even said during the Nintendo Direct livestream that he and his team wanted to give fresh new gameplay for a Zelda-dedicated title while also retaining core aspects from the original top-down Zelda games.
For one, Zelda will seem to have similar abilities to Link's "Ultrahand" and "Fuse" abilities featured in Tears of the Kingdom as the princess uses various environmental items to craft her way out of obstacles and challenges.
Aonuma is the lead producer for both recent Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom releases that garnered Nintendo top spots in the game charts in 2017 and 2023.
More 'Legend of Zelda' Games Could be Expected in the Coming Years
With the announcement of Echoes of Wisdom for this year, there is a high chance that Nintendo will once again release a Legends of Zelda game each year.
The streak of annual Zelda game releases has been cut in 2022 as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic finally rears its head into the gaming industry.
However, with most game productions returning to normal operations, Nintendo may finally be able to announce a new Zelda title every year again.
