The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom has already achieved remarkable success, topping the most wishlisted games list for the summer showcase season. This new Zelda title surpassed major contenders like Doom: The Dark Ages, Assassin's Creed Shadows, and even fellow Nintendo heavyweight Metroid Prime 4.
The recent Nintendo Direct generated immense excitement among Zelda fans. While the Switch 2 was absent, the Direct featured highly anticipated announcements, including Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and the surprising reveal of a Zelda-centric game. For years, Zelda fans have clamored for a main series title where Zelda is a playable character – a wish that seemingly went unheeded by Nintendo until now. This new Switch game is finally granting that wish, and the enthusiasm is palpable.
Data from GamesIndustry.Biz, based on IGN Playlist (a game tracking platform) from May 30th to June 23rd, shows Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom leading the pack of showcase reveals. It secured the #1 spot, followed by Doom: The Dark Ages and Astro Bot. Gears of War: E-Day and Perfect Dark complete the top five.
Top Wishlisted Games (May 30 – June 23, via IGN Playlist):
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (Nintendo)
- Doom: The Dark Ages (Bethesda)
- Astro Bot (Sony)
- Gears of War: E-Day (Xbox)
- Perfect Dark (Xbox)
- Mario & Luigi: Brothership (Nintendo)
- Assassin's Creed Shadows (Ubisoft)
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Kepler Interactive)
- Fable (Xbox)
- Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (Nintendo)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Activision Blizzard)
- Dragon Age: The Veilguard (EA)
- South of Midnight (Xbox)
- Lego Horizon Adventures (Sony)
- Life is Strange: Double Exposure (Square Enix)
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (Bethesda)
- Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater (Konami)
- Star Wars Outlaws (Ubisoft)
- Super Mario Party Jamboree (Nintendo)
- Mixtape (Annapurna Interactive)
- Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)
- Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake (Square Enix)
- Dragon Quest 1&2 HD-2D Remake (Square Enix)
- Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (Nintendo)
- Avowed (Xbox)
While this wishlist ranking doesn't guarantee commercial success, it strongly suggests high player anticipation. Prior to this, Zelda's playable role in main series games has been limited, often relegated to damsel-in-distress scenarios, despite appearances in spin-offs like Hyrule Warriors and Super Smash Bros. While Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom offered increased involvement, they didn't fully satisfy fans yearning to play as Zelda saving Hyrule.
Whether Echoes of Wisdom will meet these high expectations remains to be seen, but its early popularity is undeniable. Its success in topping the wishlist is noteworthy, surpassing remakes like Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, and new entries in established 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 compared to this initial wishlist ranking.
