Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Already Cleared a Hurdle Link’s Awakening Missed

by

Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Already Cleared a Hurdle Link's Awakening Missed

Key Takeaways

  • Echoes of Wisdom will follow Link’s Awakening’s cute art style but aims to improve movement options for players.
  • The game draws inspiration from past Zelda titles, blending 2D and 3D elements to create a fresh experience.
  • To establish the future of 2D Zelda games, Echoes of Wisdom must correct design issues seen in Link’s Awakening like limited movement.

As someone who has spent countless hours traversing the vast and enchanting worlds of The Legend of Zelda series, I eagerly await the arrival of “Echoes of Wisdom” on the Nintendo Switch. While I’m thrilled to see it maintain the adorable art style of its predecessor, “Link’s Awakening”, I fervently hope that it corrects one glaring issue from the past – the limited movement options.

The Story of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom plans to continue the legacy of Link’s Awakening on the Nintendo Switch by adopting a similar charming visual aesthetic. However, while there may be more connections between Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom and Link’s Awakening than just their shared art style, one aspect of Link’s Awakening should not be emulated by Echoes of Wisdom. Although the Nintendo Switch has the capability, Link’s Awakening was rather restricted in terms of player movement options. This limitation can be circumvented by Echoes of Wisdom, as it aims to set a new standard for the 2D entries of the franchise, focusing on innovation instead of replicating the past.

With each new detail emerging about “Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom”, it’s evident that the game is richly influenced by various elements from its own history. It appears to be refining and expanding upon the classic top-down 2D approach found in games such as “Link’s Awakening”. Furthermore, the inclusion of abilities like Bind and Echo hints at the game also incorporating elements from 3D titles like “Breath of the Wild” and “Tears of the Kingdom”. With “Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom” aiming to combine the traditional with the modern, it’s crucial that it seems to have addressed some outdated design aspects from the past, such as the restrictive eight-directional movement seen in “Link’s Awakening”.

Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Seems to Feature Full 360-Degree Movement

Link’s Awakening Stumbled with its Movement Controls

In keeping with the original Game Boy version, the remake of Link’s Awakening on Switch adopts eight-way movement instead of providing a choice for 360-degree movement using the Joy-Con’s thumbstick. This decision preserves the authenticity of the original game, but it can be disconcerting to observe how restricted Link’s movements appear compared to the game’s stunning visuals. Consequently, some of Link’s walking animations may seem awkward as he abruptly changes direction without any intervening frames.

In essence, having eight-directional movement isn’t a major issue in itself, as numerous other Nintendo Switch games have managed well with this setup. However, in the case of Link’s Awakening, the game doesn’t offer the choice to use the Joy-Con’s D-Pad for movement, making it necessary to use the thumbstick to control Link instead. The broad range of motion offered by the thumbstick seems to suggest that Link should have more freedom in his movements than he currently does. Allowing players to control his movement with the D-Pad might have given the game a more nostalgic, retro feel in terms of control mechanics.

Echoes of Wisdom Course Correcting Movement Options is Important for the Series’ Future

In the context of “Echoes of Wisdom”, the gameplay, particularly combat, is heavily dependent on Zelda using Echoes to summon enemies. Therefore, the game may not need to offer 360-degree movement options. However, the future of top-down Zelda games following “Breath of the Wild” and “Tears of the Kingdom” relies on delivering a mechanically sound experience. To ensure this, “Echoes of Wisdom” must rectify the issues in “Link’s Awakening”, offer visually appealing graphics, and implement smooth controls for an improved gaming experience.

In the game ‘Echoes of Wisdom’, there may be instances where it’s crucial to have complete control over Zelda’s movement, such as when riding through Hyrule on horseback or precisely placing Echo-created items. As the series pushes boundaries with in-game physics, converting these dynamics into a top-down 2D layout with precise movement options should greatly enhance the gaming and puzzle-solving experience. The trailer suggests that Zelda will at least have smooth eight-directional movement, but it seems likely that the game already supports 360-degree movement, giving ‘Echoes of Wisdom’ an advantage over ‘Link’s Awakening’.

Read More

2024-08-27 18:33