Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Initially Planned as a Different Game

In a recent Nintendo Q&A, the creators of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom revealed that the game's initial concept was far from what players are getting today. Surprisingly, if things had gone as originally planned, Echoes of Wisdom would have resembled Super Mario Maker more than the classic Zelda experience fans are familiar with.

For years, Zelda enthusiasts have been asking for a game where Princess Zelda takes center stage, ideally as a playable character. Nintendo caught everyone off guard when they announced Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, marking the first mainline title where Zelda herself takes on the lead role.

Each Zelda game is known for its distinct abilities, items, and mechanics, and Echoes of Wisdom is no exception. In this game, Zelda has the power to copy items and even enemies, a skill that plays a key role in both exploration and combat. Interestingly, this unique mechanic was not originally designed for this purpose.

During the Q&A, Eiji Aonuma and the development team explained that Echoes of Wisdom started off as a dungeon creation game. In the early stages, Link was the sole playable character, and the focus was on his ability to copy items to craft custom dungeons that others could play through.

Aonuma found the idea compelling, but what intrigued him most was the creative potential of copying items. This idea captivated the team for an entire year before they shifted gears, transforming the project into the game fans are about to experience.

Concerns Over Zelda's "Echoes" Feature

Aonuma revealed that it was his decision to make a bold change a year into development, steering the game in a new direction. While he found the initial dungeon editor concept promising, he wanted to ensure the core mechanics felt right. He also shared that he was worried about technical issues, particularly whether the Echoes ability, which allows Zelda to clone objects, might cause lag or crashes if players pushed the feature too far. These concerns had to be addressed to ensure a smooth gameplay experience.

With the release of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom set for September 26, players will soon find out if this ambitious shift in development paid off. As Zelda’s first time in the spotlight in a mainline game, fans have high expectations. However, some players may still hold out hope that Nintendo revisits the dungeon editor concept one day. While it would need to be more complex than Super Mario Maker, the idea of handcrafting dungeons in a Zelda game could breathe new life into the franchise.