Last year at this time, the thought of a new top-down Zelda in our hands seemed like a pipe dream. But then Echoes of Wisdom came along and reaffirmed the idea that the future of the series could be not to be purely an open world, 3D thing.
But our thoughts now wander to another style of the franchise, one we haven’t seen used separately since Zelda II (and even then completely). If Nintendo is open to different game perspectives, is it time for another side-scrolling Zelda?
This thought occurred to me while we were playing the latest princess adventure. Much like Link’s Awakening, Echoes of Wisdom regularly switches to this sideways style, restricting the hero’s movement to four clear directions as if it had been turned into a standard platformer.
However, unlike Grezzo’s last remake (and the neglected Oracle games), Echoes of Wisdom returns to side view with much greater frequency. This is not an occasional trick, but something that comes up time and time again. An early dungeon turns on this perspective in almost every room, including a climactic boss battle that takes place completely off to the side.
The series has veered things into two-dimensional territory in the past, and you could even classify some of A Link Between Worlds’ image-based puzzles as being in keeping with the style. But to date, only Zelda II: The Adventure of Link has been brave (crazy?) enough to give Side View its all – and that was way back in 1987.
Maybe it’s because of that game’s status as one of the lowest points in the series (though its reputation has improved lately), its heavy difficulty, or Link’s silly little running, but it’s strange that Nintendo never returned to the side-scrolling style, save for the odd cameo here and there, after that difficult start. If Echoes of Wisdom shows us one thing, it’s that Zelda deserves more leads. But if he shows us two stuff, side scrolling Hyrule really works.
We loved the sideways approach used in Jabul Ruins, and Link’s Awakening’s Eagle Tower boss battle is a highlight of the game with its perspective-shifting action. Is it time for Nintendo to embark on another fully 2D adventure?
It’s not that modern gamers reject the 2D style. Last year, Super Mario Bros. Wonder back to the glory days of Super Mario World. All discussions of rendered hair follicle density and realistic weather systems fell away when faced with a beautifully animated, wonderfully designed left-to-right mission. Who says Zelda couldn’t do the same?
In bite-sized chunks, Echoes of Wisdom showed what that might look like. Early caves forced us to solve problems without the benefit of the z-axis, and they’re just as much a puzzle as something with extra depth. We took on enemies, fought bosses, and overcame platforming challenges this way. Nintendo teases that it knows how to make a side-scrolling Zelda game, but it’s reluctant to go all the way.
But what do you think? Would you like to see another fully side-scrolling Zelda title, or is this style better left in the series’ past? You can share your answer in the following poll and then explain your choice in the comments.