Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Hits Popularity Peak

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom has already achieved a remarkable feat, topping the most wishlisted games of the summer showcase season. This new Zelda title has outpaced major contenders like Doom: The Dark Ages, Assassin's Creed Shadows, and even fellow Nintendo heavyweight Metroid Prime 4.

The recent Nintendo Direct fueled immense excitement among Zelda fans. While the Switch 2 was absent, the Direct delivered highly anticipated announcements, including Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and a major surprise: a Zelda-centric game featuring playable Zelda. For years, fans have clamored for a main-series Zelda game where the princess takes center stage, a request seemingly ignored by Nintendo until now. The enthusiasm surrounding this new Switch title is palpable.

A GamesIndustry.Biz report reveals Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom's dominance on IGN Playlist, surpassing all other major summer 2024 reveals. Based on data from May 30th to June 23rd, and focusing solely on showcase-announced titles, the IGN Playlist (a game tracking service) places Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom at #1, followed by Doom: The Dark Ages and Astro Bot. Gears of War: E-Day and Perfect Dark round out the top five.

Top Wishlisted Games (May 30 – June 23, via IGN Playlist)

1. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (Nintendo)
2. Doom: The Dark Ages (Bethesda)
3. Astro Bot (Sony)
4. Gears of War: E-Day (Xbox)
5. Perfect Dark (Xbox)
6. Mario & Luigi: Brothership (Nintendo)
7. Assassin's Creed Shadows (Ubisoft)
8. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Kepler Interactive)
9. Fable (Xbox)
10. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (Nintendo)
11. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Activision Blizzard)
12. Dragon Age: The Veilguard (EA)
13. South of Midnight (Xbox)
14. Lego Horizon Adventures (Sony)
15. Life is Strange: Double Exposure (Square Enix)
16. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (Bethesda)
17. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater (Konami)
18. Star Wars Outlaws (Ubisoft)
19. Super Mario Party Jamboree (Nintendo)
20. Mixtape (Annapurna Interactive)
21. Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)
22. Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake (Square Enix)
23. Dragon Quest 1&2 HD-2D Remake (Square Enix)
24. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (Nintendo)
25. Avowed (Xbox)

While this wishlist position doesn't guarantee commercial success, it strongly suggests significant player interest. Beyond spin-offs like Hyrule Warriors and appearances in Super Smash Bros., Zelda has historically been largely unplayable, relegated to a damsel-in-distress role. Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom offered increased involvement, but still fell short of satisfying fans' desire to play as the princess saving Hyrule.

Whether Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom lives up to the hype remains to be seen, but its early popularity is undeniable. Its climb to the top of the wishlist surpasses remasters like Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, as well as new installments in popular franchises such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Dragon Age: The Veilguard. The coming months will be crucial in determining how these games perform against this early indicator of success.