#back to fun with eow

[gaylactic-fire]

Y'all: Because we can't physically go up to an enemy and press A to stab Nintendo are obviously trying to suggest Zelda is too dainty and feminine for combat

Nintendo: Here is Zelda killing things with a rock. Here is Zelda killing things while riding a giant beyblade. Here is Zelda killing things by using twisted clones of their fallen brethren. We have invented many new ways to kill

[joshuamj]

Been artblocked lately, so i decided to sorta reset by trying out other styles, so here's EoW!Zelda in my style and 3 others!

+ some style/process notes

[backspacedlc]

I cast fireball bombfish echos everywhere

[iiryebreadii]

ASJEAKHDAEJBEDLJAD. just finished the hyrule castle dungeon. link my friend my brother in arms he's been CRYSTAL'D

[thejolteonmastertj]

& then I get lost & am like… “Naaaviiii helppp you’re smart right? Give me a hint?”

Navi: “You can do it Link!”

Me: “Navi I’ve been wandering this area aimlessly for an hour” 😭🤣

absolutely nothing will top the video game experience of being SHIT at a video game but all the npcs you come into contact with are in awe of you for being the most amazing and talented person they’ve ever met

[autumnoakes]

i'm lowkey excited for the next 3D zelda game because i want to see where they go AFTER botw. will they keep some elements of the open world? will they include aspects of environmental storytelling? what will they do? i'm excited to see it

[petalsandpurity]

the new loz echoes of wisdom trailer has made me so excitedd

[linderosse]

Are you planning on redesigning Aurora now that you intend to fuse her and Echo?

Yes!!!

I’ve finished the redesign, and now all I’ve gotta do is complete the little minicomic that goes along with it. Expect those out sometime soon!

(Aurora’s game, AoL, is actually one of the two Zelda games I haven’t played yet— and now that I’ve finished EoW, I’m super excited to stream my first playthrough of AoL starting tomorrow— 10/16!)

I don’t think I’ve actually written out the full context anywhere, so I’m going to take this chance to lay everything out:

Echo (EoW Zelda) is being merged with Aurora (AoL Zelda) in the Wisdomverse, and Rhyme (Cadence of Hyrule Zelda) is now also canon, and is Echo’s second adventure. This gives Silent (EoW Link) another game as well by merging him with Rhythm (CoH Link).

Imo, Cadence of Hyrule is the perfect second adventure for Echo and Silent:

CoH has two-player mode, and both Link and Zelda are equally playable, which means Echo maintains her protagonist status and gets to fight alongside her Link for a whole adventure this time.

Their names, Echo and Silent, also kinda fit the musical theme of CoH.

CoH features the Gerudo as one of the main races, who aren’t in any of the other Downfall games except EoW. It also features the Deku Scrubs in the DLC, who aren’t properly a race in *any* games except for MM and EoW.

CoH’s main villain, Octavo, goes around putting people to sleep. Sounds a bit like what happened to Aurora… but I don’t think Octavo is the Wizard— Octavo is not that bad a guy.

Cadence herself, the third part of the protagonist trio in this game, fits well as their new friend.

CoH gives Echo and Silent time to get to know each other properly before they’re cruelly torn apart in the backstory of AoL, presumably (but not certainly!) forever.

(I have indeed 100%ed CoH, then went back and completed Octavo mode, then went back again and completed main mode deathless and 100%ed it again. CoH is a really fun game, guys.)

Anyways, this means:

Echo’s journey: Echoes of Wisdom —> Cadence of Hyrule —> (Great Decline: 400 year timeskip) —> Adventure of Link

Silent’s journey: Echoes of Wisdom —> Cadence of Hyrule

Hyrule’s journey: (Great Decline) —> The Legend of Zelda —> Adventure of Link

Dawn’s journey: (Great Decline) —> The Legend of Zelda

…This is getting rather complex, isn’t it. I should probably make another version of that timeline I made for the Links, but with all the updated info, and with the Zeldas instead. So many ideas, so little time!

Masterpost

[not-freyja]

New Zelda Game!

Okay cool, cool cool cool cool, I am calm, I am so fucking calm. Looks like Nintendo is staying true to their word that Wild is not getting another game, so now the questions are, what Link is this, where are we in the Timeline, and what information about the game itself can we pick out of these crumbs?

Whose Zelda is it anyway?

So two options:

New boy.

Legend. It’s fucking Legend again sucks to suck bro

Case for new Link and Zelda:

Less messy for the Lore

That’s it, that is the only argument

Case for Leggy boy and Fable:

LA animation style! While it can be fun to bring back older styles of animation for nostalgia/artistic reasons, that seems like a poor choice for *LOZ* games, which are always on the edge of what a game can do. Moving “backwards,” so to speak, in any aspect, would be a disservice to the franchise. However, doing it to maintain consistency for a particular character, and to use the animation style to make sure the audience knows this is the same character from LA is a very simple but effective tactic.

The map! So that shot was so BOTW and so fun, but the view we got wasn’t just recognizable as “Hyrule,” is was, down to the relative heights on the mountain cliffs against each other, the map from ALTTP/ALBW. Nintendo has never repeated a map without it being the same Link. So! Checkmate motherfuckers.

The character designs. That… that was just Legend and Fable, come on. Look at the dress. Every Zelda has a slightly different costume design, and that was hers. Look at Link. Baby boy!

I want this. Let me have it.

Timeline positioning

Okay so if we assume that this is in fact Legend, the next question becomes, “When is it?” Leggy boy currently has 5 games that are canonically his. (Triforce Heroes could be a random other Link, so while we like to say 6 we can’t *prove it.*) So. Let’s break it down.

ALTTP: canonically his first game, can’t be before this one.

Oracles: canonically happen after ALTTP, and he is very much still a child in here.

LA: the game this one is artistically modeled after. Narratively this fits nicely right after Oracles, and in the canon timeline, fits between Oracles and ALBW, so I think a whole new game being crowbarred prior to this one would be… not great for the narrative.

ALBW: This is trickier. No canon time between LA and ALBW is given, it could be a week, it could be years. It is entirely possible that Echoes of Wisdom occurs prior to ALBW, which would make it a direct sequel to LA, which makes the art style make even more sense. It could also be after?

…hang on a fucking minute, lets get the fucking map.

Left, ALTTP. Right, ALBW

Basically the same map! Duh, it’s the same Hyrule. But. BUT. Bottom right, in the lake. Do you see that?!

ALTTP: no log bridge. ALBW: Log bridge. Now, let’s look at the pretty picture from the EOW trailer.

NO FUCKING LOG BRIDGE!

This is before ALBW. Therefore, the game order for The Hero of Legend is

ALTTP, OOS, OOA, LA, EOW, ALBW, TH(maybe)

*cue manic laughter*

Lore Implications

Ganon.

There being a Ganon at all actually has me pointing my finger at the Oracle games and screaming. The TL;DR in those is that there was a plot to resurrect Ganon, each game Twinrova gets closer, but Link stops them. Now, there were also supposed to be three of those games, which means that it is entirely possible that the third unseen Oracle plot—please Nintendo let Link and Farore hang out, I am on my knees barking like a dog—could have resulted in his resurrection. This is the only explanation I have that doesn’t break the Lore or involve Time Shenanigans.

Also, Link does KO the bitch in that opening scene in the trailer. His presence is either just that—a set-up plot point—or him and Link are currently duking it out in the hole. Fun!

Link and Zelda

Now this game is going to put their relationship in the front in the “I have to save them because I love them” way that we usually see from Link’s POV.

Getting it from Zelda’s POV is going to be very interesting. We might be getting a look into her head, into her feelings and thoughts about the whole ordeal of the Legend itself. I hope so. But also, this isn’t just Link and Zelda, this is *Fable and Legend* specifically. The two that were meant to be be siblings but the dialogue that established them as such was cut from the final version of ALTTP. So. This game has the possibility to do three things

Canonize the Prince Legend thing, like they were going to do in the nineties.

Not address the topic at all, leave it nebulous.

Zelink.

None of these are bad choices, but option two is definitely the safest. Both options one and three will cause an uproar from part of the fan base. I can already see the ship wars. Please don’t do this people. Please.

The Holes 🕳️

What are they? Where did they come from? Ganon’s Trident Where do they go? No actually, where do they go? The Dark World (doesn’t make sense in the Lore)? Lorule (that would be a choice)? The Twilight Realm (I am convinced that Lorule and the Twilight Realm are the same place actually and you cannot change my mind)? Some new never seen before parallel dimension? A non-place, like a gap between realities (sexiest option)? I have no idea!

Fun!

That fucking “Fairy”

Tri? Don’t trust it. Will not trust it. Never trust that a companion in a LOZ game is what they first appear to be. Who does Nintendo take me for? A fucking amateur?!

Anyway, I am about 40% convinced that’s Link. I have evidence, but it is circumstantial.

I AM HANDLING THIS NORMALLY.

[zzeldaverse]

holy moly! a zzeldaverse post in the year of our lord 2024? this must be impossible!

it's been almost four whole years since i last posted--one of my last posts was about age of calamity! that came out november of 2020. yeesh. i would like to sincerely apologize for disappearing without a trace into the sunset (supposedly all-consumed by AoC, which I haven't even technically finished playing yet!)

and i think it's a bit silly that my next post is when another playable princess zelda game has released! i haven't gotten my copy of echoes of wisdom quite yet, but I'm super excited to play. games like EoW is why I made zzeldaverse in the first place--to have people realize there was a gap in the zelda series: a game solely revolving around princess zelda, and not the journey link takes to save her. that's the exact idea i had in mind when creating this webcomic.

so, with this post, you might be wondering: is zzeldaverse coming back in any capacity?

yes and no. i'm a full time college sophomore working my dream job, and i barely have time to play video games or draw anymore. i'm an adult now (YIKES!) and i have to allocate my time wisely, and right now, video games and art don't fit into my schedule most days.

keyword: most days! i still draw zzeldaverse and play zelda, just not as often as i used to. as i redesign and redraw some zzeldaverse pieces, i'll post them here for y'all to see. I'm unsure if i'll be making any more original comics other than silly meme doodle posts, but i still adore drawing these girls. if EoW zelda turns out to be Echo, and not Fable, i will 100% be adding her to this lineup.

tl;dr: i'll be posting doodles every now and then! don't expect any sort of schedule. college has me tied up as-is. thank you for sticking around if you have all these years and unconsciously helping me grow up. sorry you had to be subjugated to my old art style!

i love you all :) have fun with echoes of wisdom!

-annie <3

[headfullofgalaxies]

I want to write a review of Echoes of Wisdom, but I keep going into a tangent about where I think the game falls in the timeline. So, I'm going to write up my theory here and get it out of my system, because I have *~*~*OPINIONS*~*~* on this and I WILL BE HEARD.

Let's get one out of the way first before we delve deep into it.

I know that Nintendo doesn't really care about the timeline. Nintendo barely even cares about its own LORE. Even the basic stuff! There are literally the only two things every Zelda game has in common: the little gremlin named Link who wears a green tunic and the world's dumbest hat, and the quest to save the world from some evil force. That's it. Those are the only things! The Tri Force doesn't show up in every game. Ganon/Ganondorf doesn't show up in every game. ZELDA doesn't show up in every game! Hell, the Master Sword is only in, like, HALF of the games! So, yes , the canon timeline is nonsense but I'm going to play with it like the fun little toy it is.

Anyways... *pulls out conspiracy board* on to the fun stuff.

So, first and foremost, which branch of the timeline is Echoes of Wisdom on?

The Downfall Timeline.

How do we know this?

1) The map

Many parts of the map are copy-paste from the original ALttP/ALBW games. If you've played those games, you can find some fun Easter Eggs and stumble across side quests early by going to places from those earlier games. So, this game would take place in a similar Hyrule. And, as both these games are in the Downfall Timeline, it is the most logical choice.

2) Ganon

The Downfall Timeline is the only timeline that features exclusively Ganon (beast form Ganondorf).

hides Four Swords Adventures under the rug

THE ONLY ONE.

This is because, after successfully gathering the full Triforce with the Hero's defeat, Ganondorf fully transforms into the Demon King, leaving behind his human form entirely and taking on the name Ganon instead.

3) That stupid hat

Look, yes the old Game Theory Zelda Timeline video is kinda... stretching it at places, but the hat thing is a pattern. And one of the hats this Link has features a prominent, yellow stripe.

So now that we know WHICH timeline EoW is in, we need to figure out WHERE.

So the Downfall Timeline is split between three Heroes' eras:

The Hero of Legend (ALttP, LA, and OOA/OOS)

The New Hero of Hyrule (ALBW and TFH)

The Hero of Hyrule (LoZ and AoL)

why does the new hero of hyrule come before the hero of hyrule? idk your guess is as good as mine.

For simplicity's sake, I will be calling the eras Legend, New Hero, and Hyrule. We'll call EoW's era Echoes.

So the map is based off the Hyrule in Legend and New Hero. Hyrule's map has some things in common, but it's not nearly as similar. It makes the most sense to loop Echoes in with Legend and New Hero, putting it sometime BEFORE Hyrule.

Now the question is how before Hyrule? Is it before Legend, between it and New Hero, or after both of them?

The answer comes by taking a closer look at the similar land marks and temples on the map. In Legend and New Hero, the temples are in good condition. However, in Echoes, some of the temples are showing some wear. One of them is even broken down completely. With all that, it makes sense that it comes after both Legend and New Hero, but before Hyrule.

Another thing that lends credence to this theory is the Master Sword. The Master Sword is present in all three timelines, to varying degrees. In the Adult Timeline, Wind Waker Link stabbed Ganondorf with it and left the sword at the bottom of the ocean with the rest of Hyrule. In the Child Timeline, it's used by the heroes to challenge Ganondorf. kicks Four Swords Adventures back under the rug

However, its presence in the Downfall Timeline is weird. The Master Sword is present in both Legend and New Hero, but notably absent in Hyrule. Where did it go?

Well, if Null is as aware of the cycle of reincarnation as it implies (having specifically targeted children to catch the hero and princess before they could challenge it), then it stands to reason it would know about the Master Sword, too. And if it nommed the Master Sword with a rift, that would easily explain why the sword is no longer present in the Downfall Timeline.

So that concludes my theorizing on the location of Echoes of Wisdom's location in the timeline. Now that that's out of the way, I can actually write my review of the game without worrying about this tangent.

(side note: for the purposes of Links Meet AUs, I think it's perfectly acceptable to combine this Link and Zelda into another era. The Hero of Legend era is the funniest and my personal preference, but the New Hero of Hyrule era would probably be easier writing-wise.)

[joshuamj]

New EoW Trailer Thoughts!

- mentioned this in another post, but outfits!! Very excited for the outfits, character customization automatically makes it a 10/10 game 👍

- there are what appears to be wanted posters of Zelda, which are quite interesting, although a Goron is seen calling Zelda by name, so i wonder if she just isnt being careful about it or anything

- I loved getting to see the homes and areas of the different races! They are all quite pretty, and it was cool to see Gorons and different Deku Scrub appearances

- Also its just nice to see several different towns, as some top down/2d zeldas have had very few towns within them

- its cool to see the game have proper sidequests! Seems like this is a pretty sizeable game..

- the horse is cool!

- the rifts continue to be very cool and intriguing..

- while the Bind mechanic is cool, i have the feeling that it wont be something i use much unless forced to... my brain gets easily overwhelmed by so many ways to do things

- continuing my last point, thats my biggest (personal) issue w/ modern zelda and the focus on freedom. It just doesnt quite fit my gaming/thinking style?? Like i just recently borrowed a sib's copy of the Link's Awakening remake and dang, i miss old Zelda and its lack of freedom oddly enough 😅

[echoesofwisdomcountup]

16 Days Since Echoes of Wisdom Release. Sharing my playthrough again. Pretty much just got to the village near the Zora.

YOO GRASS CUTTER. This guy gets what Loz is all about. It's not about Ganon or the triforce or magic swords. It's about cutting grass.

NINTENDO!! FUCK YOU! You guys have no idea how I had to just pause and try not to tear up. This random village guy going tell Link that we are waiting for him to come home. Absolutely shattered my heart.

This little bastard. After accidentally destroying the fish several times on the way over (I flattened it with a plat boom ... oops), I finally the giant smoked fish to him AND HE JUST GOES TO BACK TO SLEEP. I just stood there like if I could use X and physically drag you back to your mother I would.

Hiya! That's a very Link phrase. Anyway, this little guy is pretty cute. Not sure why he's just gonna stay in this cave. It's pretty empty. I wonder if he actually met Link, given that he said this and is pretending to be an adventurer.

Yeah that's it. I haven't gotten any farther in eow (no time). But it's still been fun so far.

[leaperfr0gg]

Febuwhump Day 13, "I Don't Tust Anyone Else"

@febuwhump

Master List (click for better quality)

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Side Note,

I love EoW so much!! It was such a fun game, I haven't gone back to get all the heart pieces or echoes yet but I'll get around to doing it eventually. Also the trauma of almost getting executed by something that looked like your father but wasn't is insane.

[elstreem]

Enjoying smoothies under the sunshine, with friends.

I finished Echoes of Wisdom recently and it was very fun! As someone whose very first Zelda games were the Oracles duology, it made me so happy seeing some nods to it (froggy ring!) and just overall it was fun with a bite of challenge.

So I wanted to draw these three just enjoying their smoothies and talking as friends. I did want to push my skills further and decided to paint this rather than use line art - which, hm...well, it's better than what I've done, before, but it's still not what I want my art to look like. I especially feel unsure about the balance of colors...still need to study on that.

some details that might be spoiler-y, so I'll put them below the cut:

I don't think it completely comes across, but I intended Link to have this rather shy feel to him, I have this idea he's not used to using his voice to talk again and gets a little self-conscious about it, but Zelda puts him at ease. Also, headcanon that Link loves Floral Nectar in his smoothies since Suthorn Village sells it, so I assume it's made there and the taste reminds Link of home. I gave Zel a grape smoothie because it's readily available so I like to think she also has fondness for grapes for helping her in a pinch.

And yeah, if this happens after the game Tri can't be there, so feel free to interpret whether Tri is really there or just in spirit.

I also gave both of them scratches here and there because they had to be roughed up after everything they'd been through.

One last thing I want to talk about in EoW - I loved that it has the three goddesses come back, since Skyward Sword, BotW and TotK focused heavily on Hylia, so it was nice seeing the other goddesses come back. Not that I minded Hylia, I know some people have strong feelings about the establishing myth Zelda has set up with SS, but I did miss the other goddesses. Again, my first games were the Oracles duology, so I'm very fond of Din, Nayru and Farore (I know, I know, again, debatable if the Oracles are the same as the Goddesses or just women that were named after them, but I always chose to see it as the Oracles being aspects of them made manifest).

Other stuff I choose to see as throwbacks to Oracles were the River and Sea Zora both appearing, and of course the Smog boss fight. Annoying as ever, that cloud, but it feel sweet scoring victory with my Octoroks ahaha.

[yiga-hellhole]

Hi beariiiiie how is totk and eow goin?

eow is finished!!! i had so much fun with it!!!! i found it really refreshing and whimsical in how it went back to the old formula but with completely different puzzle styles. it was so cute and silly. i'm way more compelled to use echoes in new weird ways than i am with zonai devices ..... sorry they're so expensive....

totk i've been playing now and then. i'm making great strides in the depths and. basically nowhere else. HEEHEE! i may be the only person who genuinely really likes exploring the depths. maybe it's because i love being in the dirt. i have yet to head to gerudo desert though... i keep saying i'll do it... but then i notice a light node on my depths map and a shrine on my surface map are asymmetrical and i MUST find what i missed post-haste!!!!!