Even if Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom may be a first for the mainline series, it also seems to share plenty of similarities with what's come before. Of course, the core concept is practically the same as it is with all of them The Legend of Zelda game, except for the fact that it stars Princess Zelda this time. Along with that, players can also expect some features from the past Zelda games to appear here, including the stamp rally. But perhaps the biggest surprise is the fact that an entire boss seems to have come back from the dead for Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.
Introduced in Zelda: Ocarina of Timethe giant fire serpent Volvagia has made its grand return to wreak havoc on the hero in Hyrule all these years later. This time it appears as an echo found in another fiery temple in the Pacific World and will once again test the player's mettle. But while it may be the same boss, the actual fights couldn't be more different.
Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom and Ocarina of Time approach this boss very differently
Zelda: Ocarina of Time pitted players against the fiery volvagia
Players are first introduced to Volvagia during their adventures in Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Long ago, the serpent lived in the depths of Death Mountain, and it was there that a legendary hero defeated it. But Ganondorf ends up reviving it at the time of Ocarina of time so that it can protect the fire temple. So it's up to Link to head into that mountain to destroy it before it can escape and destroy Hyrule.
What follows is a pretty tough boss fight where Volvagia flies around the battlefield as Link tries not to fall into the holes in the ground. It works pretty much like a Whac-A-Mole game, where the dragon will pop out of various lava-filled holes and players have to hit its head while dodging its attacks. After players manage to hit it, Volvagia will fly into the air and act scary, allowing players to hit it with arrows before it heads back for more Whac-A-Mole. Sometimes giant rocks will also fall from the sky, and this process repeats until players can defeat it.
Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom brings Volvagia back better than ever
Volvagia makes its big return in Zelda: Echoes of Wisdombut this time the fight is very different. Players will encounter the dragon in the Temple of Eldin, where it serves as the primary boss of the dungeons. About as in Ocarina of timethe fight itself is filled with lava, and if the player is not careful, they can be burned to a crisp. But the battlefield and actual mechanics are extremely different.
Since Princess Zelda can't fight without using echoes, combat is built around that rather than the default The Legend of Zelda fight off Ocarina of time. There are several platforms for players to navigate, with Volvagia bouncing between them. Players will want to call ranged or flight echo to damage it, and use their bind ability to stun the dragon so it can't fly through the sky or between platforms. When stunned, they can strike it with their swords, arrows, or echoes, dealing massive damage.
Grezzo could have just copied and pasted Volvagia, but it went the extra mile by actually making the battles feel very distinct. The battlefield looks different, the dragon works differently, and the moves required to defeat it are unique to the game they're set in. Players will naturally debate which iteration is best for years to come. But the fact that they can do it is great to see, and hopefully more forgotten bosses will get their time to shine Zeldas future.
