Not since the 1995 Philips C-Di “compact disc interactive” game, Zelda’s Adventure has the Zelda series let fans play as the princess of which the games are named. Nintendo’s Switch exclusive, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, seeks to right that wrong, where Zelda is instead the hero that Link needs to save him and all of Hyrule from the widespread rifts threatening to swallow its inhabitants.

This particular adventure takes place in Hyrule but on a much smaller scale, reminiscent stylistically and scale-wise of the 2019 Link’s Awakening remake rather than the massive worlds of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Like all Zelda titles, though, it’s constantly mixing up the formula, retelling elements of the same story, each time with a shiny, fresh coat of paint. In this case, a gleaming coat of paint, with adorable, rendered toy-like 3D environments and characters and a glorious, colourful top-down view for that classic RPG feel.

We begin with Link slashing through various enemies in his usual heroics until he ultimately confronts this iteration of Ganon, with Zelda encased in a gem in the background. Amid the battle, the tides turn, and our boy Link is sucked into a dimensional rift leaving behind the princess. But not before firing off an arrow at the gem that Zelda is trapped inside before he’s dragged into the Still World.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Zelda bursts out. She is immediately hit with an incredibly tense chase scene, trying to outrun the fast-approaching rift. If you’re nimble enough, Zelda escapes, emerging from the dungeon to overlook the stunning view of Hyrule.

It was clear this was going to be an epic journey, with an ominous threat on the horizon as rifts formed, enemies emerged from the voids, and residents of Hyrule disappeared into their depths. 

Zelda continues her princess-becomes-prisoner storyline when the king and his loyal subjects are possessed by darkness, and the imposters imprison her in the dungeon. But after encountering the tiny glowing orb-like fairy, Tri, Zelda can wield the Tri Rod and harness the power of Echoes. Echoes allow Zelda to copy the form of objects and enemies, which is my first magic trick—escaping the castle by summoning beds, pots, tables, and trees. The super-effective magical ability to manipulate furniture turns Zelda from a prisoner to an adventurer. 

Echoes are intriguing. With 127 objects and enemies to “learn” and a limited number of Echoes able to spawn at a time, there’s a massive collect-a-thon. These can be discovered while exploring the adorable, top-down map, killing enemies, and dungeon delving. Practical applications for furniture, like the humble bed, cannot be understated; being able to take a nap out in the field to recover hearts, I used it as a makeshift floating device (beds can float) and as a staircase on the field made it a must-have.

In the world map, I was very early on able to venture to almost anywhere on the world map by using the Bind ability to tether to a Crawltula to quickly scale cliffs or latch onto a flying-type Echo to get quite a ways away swiftly, making exploration a breeze. The great thing about Echoes is their potential when exploring the world with many opportunities to push the boundaries of what’s possible.

In general, testing unconventional ways to use Echoes to get around and solve puzzles was super entertaining. Most puzzles are easy, but some dungeons involve more thinking power. There’s a lot of satisfaction in figuring out how to best manipulate crates onto a button from the other side of a fence or get through a cavern full of hostile enemies and obstacles unscathed. But with exploration comes various enemies, and thus combat, or at least, a form of it. 

Zelda’s combat style is hands-off; instead of hacking and slashing, she relies on the Echoes to fight for her. Choosing the best way to fight involves testing what Echo packs the most punch in any given scenario, especially when enemies get more powerful. Early on, Zelda and my summons were so weak I massively kept my distance. Combat can feel slow-paced and uninvolved until later when Zelda has more Echoes and abilities, including the Swordfighter Form, where Zelda gets access to the Sword of Might for a short-burst ultimate, allowing her to brandish Link’s weapon for a short time.

There are also excellent wind-up automaton companions that can be unlocked during side-questing. Once I started finding ways to get creative in combat scenarios, I enjoyed combat much more, from yeeting foes off cliffs with Echoes or using the Bind to manipulate the environment. When all else fails, there’s always the meat Echo to distract and sneak past enemies or, of course, the tried and true swift run away for the less courageous.

There’s plenty to do in Hyrule, including side quests, puzzles, and involved story quests. It feels distinctly Zelda, right down to the excellent, whimsical fantasy-RPG-style music, plenty of throwback to the iconic series scores, and the usual rewarding trills of opening a chest or the thrill of solving a puzzle. It still feels like an entirely new experience, with plenty of loving nods to fans.

It’s balanced in a way perfect for young and older gamers and family-friendly if you don’t mind seeing the occasional creature get squished. Controls are super simple, and tutorials are brief, with enough information to pick up and play. Scrolling through the massive list of Echoes could take some time, too; it can be filtered into most recent, most used, or by type, but it still takes a reasonable amount of time; thankfully, the game paused while in this menu, so at least it isn’t make or break.

Echoes of Wisdom is visually breathtaking—super crisp and vivid, making it a treat to play handheld or docked. I had minor frame drops in enemy-dense areas and occasional slow texture load-ins. Still, overall, performance issues were minimal, and they rarely took away from the beautiful gameplay and graphics.

The Zelda series has constantly evolved since its first release 38 years ago. Thanks to its twist on the typical Zelda stories and gameplay, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom finds its place amongst some of the best of the Zelda saga. It’s a lovely blend of nostalgia and modernity, ticking all the boxes for a light, wholesome adventure. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom summons a new take on the age-old tale; it doesn’t directly echo other games and stands out as a fantastical standalone in its own right.

Written by: Yasmin Noble