Echoes of Wisdom continues this exciting Nintendo trend

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom was released on September 26, the latest entry in the long-running, beloved Nintendo series. Similar in style to 2019’s The Legend of Zelda: Link’s AwakeningThis puzzle-based adventure has one important deviation from every other mainline game: People can actually play as Zelda. Despite being the titular character for decades, Zelda is only playable in spin-offs and ensemble games like Super Smash Bros.

Nintendo’s most popular series has traditionally focused on males in its leading characters, with Mario and Link fighting against the forces of evil (like Bowser and Ganon) to save their respective leading ladies. Recent years have seen a dramatic shift in this trendlike Now, both Princess Zelda and Princess Peach are taking the reins in their own adventures Along with the traditional main entries like Mario Odyssey And The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Realm.

The trend of female protagonists in Nintendo games

A new era of princess power

interesting, Echoes of wisdoms release Is not the first Nintendo game to turn the hero and dame dynamic in recent years, although it was not originally intended to star Zelda. In fact, this isn’t even the first game to switch roles in 2024. Princess Peach: Showtime!, Which came out in March 2024 along with a nice set of Pink Joy Cons, Gave the lead to Princess Peach instead of Mario.

In this title, Princess Peach must save a theater and its guardian from an evil grape-themed sorceress. Mario is never seen or even mentioned throughout the entire game, providing a uniquely Peach-y themed experience. in Princess Peach: Showtime!, like Echoes of wisdomThe The franchise’s most iconic female character is now in charge. But, unlike Echoes of wisdomThe male lead is completely absent from the story.

Echoes of Wisdom isn’t the first game to flip the script

A 2000s era game with peachy power

Nintendo has finally tapped into its huge catalog of iconic female characters As the two premier princesses get their own games. But the last two games aren’t the first to do so. The first game that truly pioneered this trend came out all the way back in 2005: Super Princess Peach.

Released on the Nintendo DS, Super Princess Peach featured Princess Peach on a quest to save Mario, Luigi and various toads from Bowser After he used a powerful weapon called the Vibe Scepter to push emotions across the Mushroom Kingdom and Vibe Island. The early August game also features a unique gameplay feature that revolves around Princess Peach’s emotions. Using joy, sadness, calm and rage, Peach must fight through eight worlds alongside a magical parasol named Peri.

Almost two decades after its release, an emotion-based gameplay system for the only Mario Bros Play headlined by Princess Peach at the time can certainly be looked at with a side-eye, however It was still the first to give Princess Peach her own game. The game is iconic and ahead of its time, viz More princess lead games are coming out now with financial and critical successEspecially The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.