The start of a new year is very nearly upon us, and a number of companies are celebrating around the world. Nintendo is no exception, and the company’s official X/Twitter account has done so with the debut of a new piece of artwork based on The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. The art features a never-before-seen image of Zelda as she appears in the game, alongside her partner Tri and a pair of Zols. They all sit under a star-filled sky at dusk, gazing ahead. The caption on Nintendo’s post reads “looking forward to another year and all the wisdom it brings.”
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The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom was an appropriate choice to celebrate the end of 2024. After all, the game was arguably Nintendo’s biggest first party release for the year. The Grezzo developed adventure finally gave Zelda a starring role in a main series game, as well as unique abilities that set her apart from Link. Zols are normally a type of enemy in the Legend of Zelda franchise, but their place in the newly released art is due to the fact that players can create Echoes of enemies. These Echoes can then be sent into battle, or to complete puzzles.
Outside of Zelda, 2024 was largely a quiet year for Nintendo. While the company continued to release a steady stream of games for Switch, those games were largely remasters and ports of existing titles, such as Another Code: Recollection, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, and Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD. We did see some original games like Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition, Endless Ocean Luminous, and Mario & Luigi: Brothership, but nothing quite on the scale of 2023’s Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Pikmin 4, or Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
By all accounts, 2025 should be a much bigger year for the company. So far, four first-party games have been confirmed for next year: Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Metroid Prime 4, and Pokemon Legends: Z-A. In any given year, those last two games would already be big enough, but we also know that the successor to the Nintendo Switch will be announced at some point before the end of March. No one quite knows exactly when the so-called “Nintendo Switch 2” will be released, but it’s expected at some point in 2025.
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A new Nintendo console is always cause for excitement, and it will be interesting to see how things get started. Nintendo has kept a tight lid on what games we can expect, but some third-party developers have already offered hints about the software they’ll be bringing over. After years of rumors, hopefully Nintendo can deliver a 2025 very much worth celebrating!
Are you looking forward to seeing what Nintendo has in store for 2025? When do you think the company’s new system will be released? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter atย @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky atย @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram atย @Dachampgaming!
