The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
It was wonderful to see the princess, for the first time, take the starring role in a proper Zelda game instead of just being the series’ namesake (and no, we don’t count the CD-i games in which she was playable). Unfortunately, not unlike the aforementioned Princess Peach: Showtime existing in the shadow of Mario’s exploits, while Echoes of Wisdom has some novel ideas, it also can’t quite hold a candle to the kinds of adventures Link gets to headline. The one-two punch of B-tier, female-focused games in the span of six months had the unfortunate effect of making it seem like Nintendo really doesn’t think its leading ladies are ready for prime time. — Carolyn Petit
