The princess is locked away by a monstrous villain, and it’s up to a valiant knight to take up his sword and save her. It’s a tale as old as time, and one we’ve seen in countless video games — including every main entry of The Legend of Zelda. But now, the princess finally gets her chance to shine, and with her sword (and a legion of loyal monsters) at her side, proves she’s more than worthy of saving the realm this time around.
The giant, glowing marquee over The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is that it’s the first game to make Princess Zelda its protagonist. (We’re ignoring the CD-i games for this distinction.) That twist has been a long time coming, and it makes Echoes of Wisdom a fresh take on the classic series. Rather than making the game a standard Legend of Zelda adventure with a different star, Echoes of Wisdom takes a new approach with its combat and puzzle-solving to fit its change in perspective. That alone makes it one of the most exciting Legend of Zelda games in ages. While there’s plenty that could be improved if Nintendo continues making Zelda-starring games (which I hope it does), Echoes of Wisdom’s clever, incredibly versatile echo mechanic makes it the star debut Zelda deserves.
