Key Takeaways
- Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom originally started as a dungeon editor game with Link as the main character.
- Zelda takes on a prominent, playable role in the game with unique abilities like copying items and monsters.
During a recent Nintendo Q&A, the developers behind Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom discussed how the game started out with a different idea in mind. If things had turned out differently, players could have found themselves with a Zelda game more similar to Super Mario Maker more than anything else.
Zelda fans have been asking for a game that gives the princess a more prominent role – and preferably a playable one – for years. Nintendo surprised everyone by announcing Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, the first main series game to put Zelda in the main playable role. Just about every Zelda game has unique skills, items, and techniques, and this one is no different, with Zelda able to copy items and even monsters to help her explore and fight. This ability is where the game really got its start, but it wasn’t intended to be used this way.
In a Q&A with the development team, including Eiji Aonuma, the developers discussed how the game began its development as a dungeon editor of sorts. Initially, Link was the sole playable character, and could copy items to create a custom dungeon, which others would then be able to play through. While Aonuma thought it was an interesting idea, he was the most intrigued by the notion of copying items and using them creatively. The original “edit dungeon” idea was in the works for a year before it was upended and redirected into the concept that it has today.
Zelda’s “Echoes” Were a Matter of Concern
Aonuma admits that it was his idea to “upend the tea table” and change the focus of the game significantly a year in. He says that he wanted to be able to verify the features “and their feel,” so he allowed development of the original premise to continue. He also admitted that he’d initially had concerns that the game could become laggy or even crash if players pushed Echoes object cloning too far, so that needed to be addressed as well.
With Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom‘s release date landing on September 26, players will soon be able to learn for themselves if this particular gamble was worth it. As Zelda’s first playable outing in a main game, fans will likely have high expectations and hopes for it. Of course, it’s also possible that some fans may want to see the “edit dungeon” concept revisited at some point in the future. While it might have to be a bit more complex than Super Mario Maker, the notion of hand-building a Zelda dungeon could be an interesting refresher for the series.
