When the hero of Hyrule sinks into a shadowy abyss, it's time for the Princess of Hyrule to save the day.
Announced during today's Nintendo Direct, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is a new game in the style of the Link's Awakening remake. This time the roles are flipped, as Princess Zelda herself sets off to save Hyrule and rescue Link. But instead of wielding a sword and shield, she heads out with a completely different kind of weapon.
In Echoes of Wisdom, Zelda is joined by a fairy named Tri and totes around an item called the Tri Rod. You can use the rod to copy and create "echoes" of mundane objects like crates and beds, or use it like a Pokemon trainer to summon echoes of enemies you've defeated in the game.
Whether you call the Tri Rod a Pokeball when creating echoes of enemies is up to you, but I sure will.
The announcement trailer played up the ability to creatively solve problems in the game. Eiji Aonuma, the game's producer, said, "How you solve puzzles and battle enemies will change based on the echoes used. In short, we've created a game where every player's experience will be different." This reminds me of the mechanics of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, which gave players unprecedented freedom in how they explored Hyrule and how they solved problems. That freedom and creativity were huge parts of the interest in and success of those games, and hopefully it's just as fun here.
You can also create echoes of cubes of water, giving you the ability swim your way around obstacles.
I've been wanting to play as Zelda ever since Ocarina of Time, but outside of Smash Bros. and Hyrule Warriors, we've never gotten the chance. (No, I do not count the CD-i games.) I'm excited for the Princess to be more firmly in the spotlight, especially in a game that offers players avenues for creative problem-solving.
Echoes of Wisdom launches Sept. 26.