The Legend of Zeldahas always been an iconic gaming franchise—that much should be clear to anyone with even a passing interest in the industry. But while it’s been far more consistent in terms of quality and success compared to other long-running series, it’s still had its high and low points. TheNintendo Switch era, now reaching its end, has been an undeniable high point.
Such success has only visitedThe Legend of Zeldafranchise on a few different consoles. The GameCube, for example, was the home of bothTwilight PrincessandWind Waker, not to mention solid ports ofOcarina of TimeandMajora’s Mask. By comparison, theWii Usaw something of a drought for the franchise, with the only new, non-remasteredZeldareleases beingHyrule WarriorsandBreath of the Wild. However,BOTWwould go on to be more definitive of the Nintendo Switch, with many not even aware that it’s a cross-platform release. AfterBreath of the WildcameTears of the Kingdom, and after that,Echoes of Wisdomand, combined with the well-receivedLink’s Awakeningremake, these games have come together to form one of the strongest lineups ofZeldagames on a single console. Indeed, this assortment of releases is a tough act to follow.
Zelda On the Switch Has Been a Landslide of Success
Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom Redefined Zelda, and Open-World Design as a Whole
There are certainZeldagames, such asSkyward Sword, that are seen as great despite their issues. Even something likeTwilight Princess, which has a far more dedicated following thanSkyward Sword, isn’t generally thought of as a revolutionary or innovative release, at least when it comes to major design pillars. It’s far rarer, naturally, for aZeldagame to reinvent not just the franchise’s identity, but the world of action-adventure games at large.
Breath of the Wilddid precisely that. It’s “open-air” world design philosophy and open-ended narrative structure make it a singularly liberating gaming experience, where discovery is endlessly, intrinsically rewarding, not just a tool for progression or gear-grinding. In the years followingBreath of the Wild, other open-world games have attempted, with varying degrees of success, to learn from its design tenets, but while these developers were still taking notes,Nintendo sprung forth withTears of the Kingdom, which would innovate even further. The world design, puzzle design, and structure of this duology makes it the most influential pair ofZeldagames sinceOcarina of TimeandMajora’s Mask.
Link’s Awakening and Echoes of Wisdom Offer Nintendo a Bifurcated Approach to Zelda
TOTKandBOTWare the big, shiny flagship games, butLink’s AwakeningandEchoes of Wisdomare nothing to scoff ateither. For its part,Link’s Awakeningis one of the best, most passionately crafted remakes of the last several years, andEchoes of Wisdombuilds on its deceptively complex mechanics with wild ideas of its own. These games are nothing if not further evidence of the relentless creativity and ingenuity coming out of Nintendo’sZeldateams, and they could be just as important as their larger open-world cousins down the road, depending on how Nintendo chooses to handle its 2DZeldatitles.
Thus, theLegend of Zeldaseries is poised for great successmoving forward, but only if it maintains this intense and passionate energy. Rather than resting on its laurels after the Earth-shaking success ofBOTW, Nintendo continued to innovate, experiment, and take risks withTOTK. One can only hope that the company retains this philosophy during the era of the Switch 2, striving to not only keep the series' equilibrium, but elevate it with each new entry.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
WHERE TO PLAY
Save Hyrule—this time with the wisdom of Princess Zelda!The people of Hyrule are being stolen away by strange rifts—and with a certain swordsman among the missing, it’s up to Princess Zelda to save her kingdom in the latest adventure in The Legend of Zelda™ series!Team up with the ethereal creature Tri and use the Tri Rod to create “echoes,” which are imitations of things you find in the environment—then recreate those echoes whenever you like to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. Use echoes like water blocks to reach new heights, make bridges out of old beds, throw rocks at foes, or find your own combination of echoes to do things your way. you’re able to even make echoes of monsters to fight at your side in combat!
