Echoes of Wisdom makes a case to revisit the black sheep of the franchise

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The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom sits comfortably among the more unique and newer entries in the Zelda the franchise. Although it certainly revolutionizes certain elements of Zelda formula, Echoes of wisdom is particularly interesting because of how it mixes and repeats over already existing mechanics and features like cooking BOTW and EVERYTHINGor the chibi-influenced cartoon art design Link's Awakening redo




It speaks to a broader design trend in modern Zeldathis being the show's willingness to embrace change while still being tied to the fundamentals that have been around for decades. For example, the first The Legend of ZeldaIts open exploration with minimal hand-holding, while obviously rudimentary compared to today's games, seems to be a clear precursor to its “outdoor” world design. Breath of the Wild. A slightly more unexpected parallel between new and old Zelda can be seen in Echoes of wisdomwhose side-scrolling sections feel strangely similar to Link's Adventurethe true black sheep of the show's early days.

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Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom hints that strong 2D action could be in the series' future

Buried in the middle of many classics Zelda mechanics who Echoes of wisdom Renovations are multiple side-scrolling sections, often integrated into dungeons or serving as smaller excursions into the overworld. During these perspective-shifted encounters, the core gameplay is virtually unchanged, with the only real change being the removal of an axis of movement, making the transition smooth and familiar without losing its sense of variety and surprise.

Often these 2D side-scrolling bits can be among the most enjoyable parts of Echoes of wisdomrecontextualizing its core combat and puzzle-solving mechanics, literally offering another perspective and opening the door to different routes of experimentation. This success makes one wonder why there aren't more side scrollers Zelda games. In general, the franchise will adhere to either a top-down approach such as a Echoes of wisdomor a more traditional (at least in the AAA space) 3D, third-person format. But countless successful platformers, Metroidvanie, and adventure games, including many from Nintendo itself, prove that the side-scrolling perspective doesn't have to be a limitation. Indeed, it can often lead to strong gameplay, narrative and artistic opportunities.


Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link it is usually considered one of the worst games in the series. While some fans appreciate its bold departures from its best-selling predecessor, there's also the feeling that it may have thrown the baby out with the bathwater by implementing changes at the expense of the core design elements that made the first Zelda the game works so well. The great creative and commercial success of the original Zelda compared to Link's Awakening is reflected by the modus operandi of the series in the following decades; Zelda eschewed 2D side-scrolling in favor of a more open-world design, mixing the concept just for the sake of short-lived experimentation and varied gameplay.


But it doesn't have to be that way. The Zelda series has shown steady improvement over the years, and the side-scrolling aspects of Echoes of wisdom are proof of that: Zelda's Echo skills can take on entirely new functionality and utility in these sections, as can her lower platforming abilities. Maybe a remake of Link's Adventure could borrow some of these broad philosophies, learning from Echoes of wisdom and leveraging its unique presentation for effective combat and puzzle-solving systems. Such a creative decision could serve as an excellent way of redemption Zelda 2taking its good elements, such as RPG features, and fitting them into a more mechanically engaging framework.

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