Alongside the likes ofSuper MarioandPokemon, Nintendo loves thinking upLegend of Zeldaadventures. Since its inception in 1986, the franchise has been all over the place and evolved immensely. Recently, withthe release ofZelda: Breath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom, it went through its biggest changes yet. At the same time, theZelda: Link’s Awakeningremake andZelda: Echoes of Wisdomhave also reminded players how much has come before.
Developed by Grezzo, theZelda: Link’s Awakeningremake andZelda: Echoes of Wisdomharken back to the franchise’s past, as they have both reintroduced players to the top-down style the series was known for. Through a colorful and unique art style, the studio has been able to craft some thrilling adventures that many will not soon forget. However, although these titles may look extremely similar, the tales they have to tell could not be more different.
Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom and Link’s Awakening Are Vastly Different
Zelda: Link’s Awakening Brings Back a Classic
Back in 1993, players were taken on a journey with the acclaimedZelda: Link’s Awakening. Serving as the first title in the franchise to release on a handheld, this game took Link away fromthe confines of Hyruleto the beautiful island of Koholint. On this island, players had to fight their way through countless monsters and dungeons in hopes that they could escape.
In 2019, Nintendo surprised fans when it revealed that it would be revisiting that story througha fully-fledged remake developed by Grezzo. This remake would retain much of that original game, but with a whole new art style that gives the entire adventure a toy-like feel. Additionally, it introduced brand-new features like a customizable dungeon, Amiibo support, and a plethora of quality-of-life features. But at its core, it was still the same fantastic adventure players went on decades before.
Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Brings the Franchise to New Heights
Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomonce again whisks players away on an exciting journey within this fantasy world, yet this time, it is unlike anything that has come before. Instead of following Link, this title puts playersin the shoes of Princess Zelda, a first for the mainline series. Along with that, it introduces new features such as the power to create echoes of virtually everything within Hyrule, making the game feel truly special.
Grezzo headlined this title too, and because of that, it looks verysimilar to theLink’s Awakeningremake. The games share similar control schemes and that toy-like art style, and the way they are structured also feels familiar. Some players may even notice thatZelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s version of Link looks ripped straight fromLink’s Awakening. However, unlikeLink’s Awakening,Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomis an entirely new adventure within the franchise, and as such, the art style and some elements of structure are really where the similarities between the two games end.
With the release ofZelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Grezzo has now shown fans that it can both handle the classics and create its own newZeldaadventure. Because of that, there are likely otherLegend of Zeldatitles from the studio on the way, so it will be interesting to see just what that future entails. There are tons of classics that could do wonders with the toy-like art style, but after its successful innovations inEoW, maybe Grezzo wants to keep looking to the future. Whatever the case may be, fans of the series are surely in for something exciting.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
WHERE TO PLAY
Save Hyrule—this time with the wisdom of Princess Zelda!The people of Hyrule are being stolen away by strange rifts—and with a certain swordsman among the missing, it’s up to Princess Zelda to save her kingdom in the latest adventure in The Legend of Zelda™ series!Team up with the ethereal creature Tri and use the Tri Rod to create “echoes,” which are imitations of things you find in the environment—then recreate those echoes whenever you like to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. Use echoes like water blocks to reach new heights, make bridges out of old beds, throw rocks at foes, or find your own combination of echoes to do things your way. You can even make echoes of monsters to fight at your side in combat!
