What is Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom? Release date, trailer, gameplay, & more

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom announced at the June 2024 Nintendo Direct has the Zelda protagonist fans have been waiting for. If you're a fellow Zelda enthusiast, I'll explain the story and gameplay of Echoes of Wisdom and when you can expect it to be released.

Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom gameplay details - Tri Wand summoning, Ganon, & puzzles

The biggest and brightest part of the game is that Zelda is taking center stage as our heroine. After Link defeats Ganon in his beastly form, he approaches Zelda to free her. Unfortunately, Ganon's weapon performs a unique magic that opens up rifts throughout Hyrule. One of these rifts opens beneath Link, giving him just enough time to weaken Zelda's binds before he is swallowed up.

With Link gone, it is up to Zelda to protect Hyrule from this new threat. However, this does not mean she is alone! After all, every Legend of Zelda protagonist needs a fairy companion. Enter Tri, Zelda's personal fairy helper.

Tri provides Zelda with the Tri Wand. The Tri Wand is used to learn echoes of items so it can summon them later on for puzzles, fights, and more! Sometimes the process will be simple, like summoning a table to stand on to reach a new ledge. On other occasions, it may be more complex, like creating a staircase of beds.

Players will also be able to summon enemy monsters after picking up their echoes. This is particularly useful for fighting against other monsters, but will also be vital for solving certain puzzles. You'll need to have a good understanding of each monster and what they do well to use them efficiently. This knowledge will allow players to solve puzzles in various unique ways.

Personally, I'm really excited for the game and think it's going to be a smash hit. Not only did we get another Princess Peach game in 2024 after nearly 20 years, but Zelda is finally getting a standalone game. What is particularly enchanting is that it is not a Link game with Link painted over to look like Zelda. The developers have put in the effort to make the mechanics entirely different so that Zelda can shine as the protagonist.

Of course, the new style of gameplay looks like a lot of fun. The way players can summon and utilize the many different echoes reminds me a bit of Super Scribblenauts. Every puzzle and fight will have countless solutions that are limited only by what your mind can conjure up. While this should be fun in-game alone, it provides a lot of opportunities for community-building around the game. I believe that we'll see an online community forming over silly, wacky, and complicated solutions to even the simplest of puzzles.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom trailer brings Zelda into the spotlight

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom trailer released during the June 2024 Nintendo Direct comes in two parts. The first trailer serves as the announcement trailer, introducing us to the story behind the game. The second trailer provides a little more lore but focuses mainly on the mechanics of the game, from methods of fighting to puzzle solving.

When will Echoes of Wisdom be released?

Echoes of Wisdom is scheduled for release on September 26th, 2024 on Nintendo Switch. As far as Switch game releases go, this date places it between Ace Attorney on September 6th, 2024, and Fantasy Life i on October 11th, 2024. There are about two weeks before and after Echoes of Wisdom's release with no big Switch releases. This will leave you with plenty of time to focus on Zelda and her limitless wisdom!

New Limited Edition Hyrule Switch Lite releasing with Echoes of Wisdom

Nintendo is releasing a limited edition Hyrule version of the Nintendo Switch Lite alongside the game! This is one of the prettiest Switch Lites out there with a delicate gold color, one large Triforce on the back, and a small Triforce to the right of the front screen.

Looking for more Legend of Zelda content to tide you over until the release date? Check out Zelda Tier List – Best Legend of Zelda Games, Ranked on Pro Game Guides.