Zelda embarks on her maiden adventure in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, and she owes it to Link's sword and shield. Nintendo disclosed that this iconic weapon combo "got in the way" of the Switch game's unique feature: copying and pasting items to solve puzzles and combat enemies. A recent Ask the Developer segment delved into how Link's sword and shield didn't align with using echoes to battle foes. Series producer Eiji Aonuma remarked, "the sword and shield got in the way." This is because they appeared more effective than copying and pasting other items. Consequently, this opened the door for Zelda to take the spotlight in Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.
"If that's the case, it must be someone who doesn't fight with a sword and shield, right? Who in the series would be a good fit for these powers and bring their insight to them? Well, that would have to be Princess Zelda," Aonuma explained.
This isn't the only first for the game. A previous Ask the Developer edition highlighted that Nintendo's Tomomi Sano is the first female director for The Legend of Zelda franchise. She has previously contributed to a trio of remakes: Ocarina of Time 3D, Majora's Mask 3D, and Link's Awakening.
Meanwhile, Aonuma hints that Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom might not fit into The Legend of Zelda timeline, which has become increasingly complex. "Even with this title, we had no intention of establishing any new theories in the series' lore," he stated.
Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom releases this Thursday, September 26. Be vigilant over the next few days as the game's ROM has reportedly leaked. For more insights, check out GameSpot's preview of the Switch exclusive, which plays like a mini Tears of the Kingdom.
