The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is a love letter to all players of the series, here’s why!

Game News The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is a love letter to all players of the series, here’s why!

If there is one game that Nintendo fans are waiting for at the end of the year, it is The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. First title that allows you to play the princess of the same name (You will notice the voluntary omission of The Wand of Gamelon and Zelda’s Adventure) seems to want this new work of the legendary Big N saga serve as a bridge between generations of fansthat combines the best of each formula in a single environment.

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No, the “classic Zeldas” are not dead

With the launch of Breath of the Wild and then Tears of the Kingdom, Many feared that the old franchise formula would disappear forever. A fear that has divided players in some ways and that seems to no longer exist this time. In fact, I look at the first trailersEchoes of Wisdom, Many elements serve as anchors for older titles in the seriesbe it through simple visual references (like the water medallion symbol from Ocarina of Time) or even through names, like “Waters of Jabul”, which is obviously reminiscent of the Jabu-Jabu from the flagship episode of the Nintendo 64 and his descendant in The Wind Waker.

Likewise, and as if to reassure the early fans, Echoes of Wisdom

anchors its story in a Hyrule that is anything but completely unknown. In fact, it is largely based on the map from A Link to the Past, the SNES installment in the series. Certain landmarks leave little doubt, be it the central plain around the citadel and castle, the rock formations to the east or even the desert to the southwest. However, in order not to give the impression that you are traveling through a 100% copied map like in A Link Between Worlds, The framework of the game is expanded in all directions this time, revealing areas never seen before.

Therefore, the desert in question, which was formerly called the “Mystery Desert”, is now much larger and is conquered by the Gerudo people. It even houses their city and is now inhabited by species that have never existed on Earth before.like the Malgyorgs, a species of sand shark that originally appeared in Spirit Tracks (and which undoubtedly inspired the Moldarquors of ). Breath of the Wild). So, Even if you are a veteran of the license, you will inevitably enjoy rediscovering more or less known places that will eventually take you beyond the ancient borders of the kingdom.

Other elements can also bring back good memories for nostalgics, be it the Return of the Mojo People except as simple enemies and whom we had not seen since Majora’s Mask, or at all the reappearance of the Zoras of the rivers in conflict with those of the seas – just like in Oracle of Ages – and who seem to be rather cordial towards Link this time around. In addition, throughout the trailer, it is possible to see various posters posted here and there in Hyrule, seemingly looking for Zelda like Wanted. A nice reference to A connection to the past This time it was Link who was being sought on Aghanim’s orders. Ganon also seems to be similar in every way to his counterpart from 30 years ago and even finds his famous trident again, a weapon that here seems to be the cause of the mistake that took the life of the hero in the green tunic.

So many little nostalgic touches that seem to aim Reassure the first players and encourage them to try the experiencealongside the new additions to the license. Maybe we will finally witness the reunification of the community?

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Mechanics not so new

But now let’s talk about what’s new. The big addition this episode revolves around the mysterious powers of Tris’s scepter.

This is given to the princess by Tri, a kind of little fairy, and allows her to record the data of almost anything and then reuse it at any time. Zelda can use these “echoes” to build temporary stairs or protective walls by stacking various objects. But this mechanism also applies to living beings! So, He is able to use different enemies to solve puzzles, such as a bat to fly over a chasm or even a mole to make his attackers fall into holes. So many possibilities that the player has to experiment to find innovative associations, just like Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom challenged us to utilize the full extent of Link’s abilities to overcome the various obstacles in his path.

But that’s not all! The Scepter contains another power called Synchronization, which allows you to apply the movements of any object or creature, including echoes. A mechanism that allows the princess, for example, to follow a bird flying over the kingdom or even Clinging to a Skulltula climbing a wall. But the real interest of this power is that it is also possible to take control of the target and move it to either sit in the desired place, or use them directly while walking! So if you take a sea urchin with you, it will use its sharp spines to repel anyone who is after you. A power that leaves a lot of room for creativity and imagination, but reminiscent of Emprise de Tears of the Kingdom or Polaris from Breath of the Wild.

A mechanic that there fore (haha) recalls the last episodes of the saga and to which the next game will gladly resort in terms of references

be it for example the Goron’s face carved in stone that overlooks the entrance to their village, or the presence of their famous stone legs, a culinary specialty of the same people.

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A Zelda between worlds

In Echoes of WisdomLink disappears into one of the interdimensional rifts that divide Hyrule, as does the king and his advisors, as seen in an exclusive video below Japanese gaming website. Two events that will most likely incriminate Princess Zelda and then throw her in prisonas seen in the Premiere trailer Broadcast during the last Nintendo Direct. An explanation that would justify wearing a hood that would allow him to conceal himself Refugee in his own kingdom.

To save her country, Zelda had to travel through various temples, but also Dive into the core of these errorswhich present themselves as a sort of fragmented world in which the laws of physics are absent, in the same genre as the Distortion World of Pokémon Platinum Edition. Another space-time that the princess seems to be the only one who can access, thanks to the powers of Tri, who can open breaches in it, and in different places, be it in the Lost Woods or even near the Gerudo town. The adventure would thus take place between two parallel worldsjust like in A connection to the past, Ocarina of Time or A connection between the worlds.

Needless to say, this initial postulate is more than attractive and is very similar to an assumption of creative freedom by developersreally remarkable in a work of retro codes. No further information has been revealed since then, and it is likely that Nintendo will not reveal any more information until then The game is scheduled to be released next Thursday, September 26th, exclusively on Nintendo Switch.