The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom's summer showcase success is undeniable, topping wishlist charts and surpassing major titles. This achievement is a significant win for the game, outperforming heavy hitters like Doom: The Dark Ages, Assassin's Creed Shadows, and even fellow Nintendo title Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
The excitement surrounding the game's reveal at the recent Nintendo Direct was palpable. While the event lacked a Switch 2 announcement, it delivered other highly anticipated reveals, including Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, alongside the surprise Zelda-centric title. For years, Zelda fans have clamored for a main series entry where they could play as Zelda herself, a desire seemingly overlooked by Nintendo until now. The new Switch title fulfills this long-held wish, generating considerable buzz.
Data from GamesIndustry.Biz, citing IGN Playlist (a game tracking platform analyzing activity from May 30th to June 23rd), confirms Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom's top spot. It beat out other 2024 summer showcase reveals, with Doom: The Dark Ages and Astro Bot trailing in second and third place, respectively. Rounding out the top five are Gears of War: E-Day and Perfect Dark.
Top Wishlisted Games (May 30th - June 23rd - 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 wishlist rankings don't guarantee sales success, the high demand suggests strong potential for Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. This marks a significant departure from previous Zelda games, where the princess was typically rescued or played a minor role, excluding spin-offs like Hyrule Warriors. While Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom increased Zelda's involvement, this new title fully delivers on fan desires for a playable Zelda experience.
The game's ability to meet the high expectations remains to be seen. However, its rapid ascent to the top of the wishlist, surpassing remasters (Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake) and new entries in established franchises (Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Dragon Age: The Veilguard), is incredibly promising. The coming months will reveal how Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom and its competitors perform against this initial wave of enthusiastic anticipation.
