The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakeningwas only the fourth game in the series. It was packed with references to other Nintendo games, which seemed bold at the time. One of the first ones players saw was the Chain Chomp from theMarioseries, and the game had plenty of great cameos.
Unfortunately, the latest adventure,The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, does not have a bunch of Nintendo cameos. Still, there are quite a few Easter Eggs that will titillate fans oftheZeldaseries. Some of them may be a bit spoiler-filled too, so let’s keep that in mind before moving on.
6Pols Voice
A Nod To One Of The Franchise’s First Monsters
The Pols Voice is a monster that appeared in the firstZeldagame on the NES. North American players fought it like all other monsters, with a sword, but Japanese players had a unique way of disposing of them. Built into their NES equivalent, the Famicom, was a microphone. Thanks to their long ears, the Pols Voice would die if Japanese players spoke or made noise into their microphones.
While North American players couldn’t do this, the music weakness persisted throughout the series, includingLink’s Awakening, which allowed all users to dispose of the monster using an instrument. History aside, players can’t make anEcho out of a Pols Voice inThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, but they can see a stuffed animal of one within an NPC’s house in Hyrule Castle Town.
5Wart Lives On Through Echoes
A Hidden Connection To Mario
As stated in the intro,The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakeningis filled with Easter Eggsvia cameos. One of those cameos was from Wart, a toad-like villain who was the final boss of Super Mario Bros. 2. He appeared inThe Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakeningto sing a song for Link to progress an overarching side quest.
Wart is not inThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom,but he has inspired cousins within it. In the Faron Wetlands, players can find Ribbitune and Drippitune, who are toad monsters that can sing. Ribbitune’s song can attract enemies towards it, while Drippitune’s vocals will make it rain so long as it is alive and singing. While not a 1:1 reference, it’s possible the developers at Grezzo created these monsters forThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomas an homage to Wart.
4Attack The Cuccos
A Classic Kakariko Guardian
Fans ofA Link to the Pastwill remember that ONE moment when they discovered Cuccos can fight back. These chicken-like birds will come from out of nowhere and flood the screen if players hit them enough with their swords in Kakariko Village. It’s a trope that keeps happening in the series, and it even happens to this seemingly peaceful princess.
InThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, there’s a side quest called Cuccos on the Loosein Kakariko Village. Once players gather this NPC’s missing Cuccos, she will present them with a Fairy Bottle as a reward. After that, players can transform into the Swordfighter form and give these birds a few good whacks before the Cucco storm erupts.
3Further Links To The Past
Where Does This Game Take Place In The Timeline?
Besides the Cucco revenge streak, there are a lot of other nods toA Link to the Past. It seems like the two maps are very similar, almost like this either takes place before that game or after. For example, players can discover the ruins of the Desert Palace in the Gerudo Desert.
There is also the Eastern Temple, which isn’t even tied to the main story, so players can easily miss it, along with the related side quest thatdishes out a pretty goodEchoes of Wisdomaccessoryas a reward. Finally, players can discover the lot of land that Link and his uncle use inA Link to the Past; inEchoes of Wisdom,though, he lives alone in Suthorn Village.
2The Cow Goes Moo
Grezzo Showcases Its Nosey Changes
For whatever reason, Nintendo decided to call their chickens Cuccos but other animals, like cows, are just that, cows. For example, they appear inOcarina of TimeandMajora’s Mask,which makes sense given that the two share so much of the same engine.Grezzo has worked onseveral otherZeldagames, including the 3DS ports of the aforementioned N64 classics.
In those ports, Grezzo added a septum piercing to those cows for whatever reason. That change can be seen in the basement of Lueburry, the game’s weapon smith, who has a figure of a cow with a nose ring attached on his shelf. It’s an Easter Egg inside another Easter Egg, which is fun.
1Hyrule Castle Secrets
From Windows To Statues
There are two major references players can spot in Hyrule Castle other than the typical Hyrulecrest with the Triforcethat appears in mostZeldaentries. First, in the dungeon of the castle, players can see a broken Goddess Statue as it appears inBreath of the Wild. For those unaware, players can pray to these statues to give Link upgrades for stamina or health.
The other mod is given to the Loftwings ofSkyward Sword. The inside windows of the castle are decorated with birds that look a lot like Loftwings. Loftwings were giant birds that flew players around sky islands, taking over the role of classic horses like Epona.
