Daily Debate: Should Echoes of Wisdom’s Dedicated Jump Button Become a Series Staple?
Posted on October 04 2024 by Nick Miller
Spoiler Warning: The comments on this article may contain spoilers for The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.
Echoes of Wisdom has thus far proven to be a truly unique entry in the Legend of Zelda franchise. The most notable factor is the series namesake, Princess Zelda, finally taking on the role of a playable character (no, the CD-I games don’t count). Bringing abilities like Echoes and Bind, that are in many ways similar to some of the Runes Link uses in Tears of the Kingdom, will also help Echoes of Wisdom forge a unique identity among its 2D peers.
There is, however, another unique ability in Zelda’s arsenal that has significantly shifted how players approach the game. It’s so simple and subtle that you may not have even given it attention. This ability is something new that we hadn’t seen in a mainline 2D Zelda game yet — a dedicated jump button.
This isn’t to say that Echoes of Wisdom is the first time jumping has made its way into a 2D Zelda game. In the past, this has been accomplished through items like Roc’s Cape or Roc’s Feather, mostly because limited buttons on the Game Boy necessitated as much. Echoes of Wisdom doesn’t place such restrictions on the player, allowing Zelda to jump freely from the start of the game without tying up an item slot.
Would you like to see a dedicated jump button become a series staple going forward? Would a jump button be useful in 2D Zelda games without Echoes to climb on? How would a dedicated jump button change how 2D Zelda worlds are designed? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments.
Nick is a writer for Zelda Dungeon and a longtime fan of the Zelda franchise. In his free time, he enjoys fishing, archery, skateboarding, and some good ol’ fashioned family time. He’s an advocate for physical media and an avid video game collector. His favorite Zelda game is Ocarina of Time, though Breath of the Wild and the Link’s Awakening remake are close contenders. His other favorite video games series include Kingdom Hearts, Fallout, and Ratchet & Clank.
