Nintendo announced a new top-down Legend of Zelda title at today’s Nintendo Direct called Echoes of Wisdom. The new game stars none other than Princess Zelda herself, on a quest to stop the spread of mysterious portals that have stolen several of Hyrule’s citizens — including Link. She does so with the help of a small spirit called Tri. The game launches on September 26 alongside a new Hyrule Edition Switch.
Echoes of Wisdom is another top-down entry in the series. The titular echoes are the main mechanic of the game — by using the Tri-rod staff provided by Tri, she can create an “echo” of any object she finds. She can then use those echoes in multiple ways to solve puzzles, reach new areas and defeat enemies. Unlike in previous entries, where she’s the person requiring rescue, Link vanishes while trying to rescue her.
The new game, which shares a similar art design as the Link’s Awakening remake, is one of a relatively small list of titles that put the Princess in a starring role. Eiji Aonuma said during the presentation that the developers wanted to create something different than previous top-down Zelda titles, and said the echo mechanic was a showcase of Zelda’s wisdom. He added the echoes system ensures each player’s experience is different.