Summary
Game Maker’s Toolkit on YouTube redesigned the Echoes selection UI fromThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomto address complaints that fans had about its state in the official release. Although proud of these redesigns, GMTK stresses that he doesn’t believe these designs are truly “fixes,” emphasizing his respect for the choices made by the developers ofEchoes of Wisdom.
Fans have had issues abouthow item selection functions inEchoes of Wisdom, pointing to the single-line menu in the game as a repetition of a problem fromTears of the Kingdomthat has persisted in following games. Players have voiced that they’d like their menus to prioritize simplicity and convenience in approach, championing a minimalistic design that meshes with the feel of the rest of the UI.
YouTube channel Game Maker’s Toolkit published a video focused on “fixing” the UI forgameplay inThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomby reorganizing how Echoes can be selected. To redesign the menus in Unity, GMTK went through the fandom wiki forThe Legend of Zelda, collecting pictures of every Echo, then replicating the original menu UI fromEchoes of Wisdomto establish a basic template. After that, he presented four different redesigns with some tweaks to the general experience. First, GMTK started by implementing acceleration within the Echo selection process so that the longer a player moves in any direction, the faster the selector sifts through Echoes.
Echoes of Wisdom Menu Gets a Redesign
The first redesign by Game Maker’s Toolkit was inspired by theXrossMediaBar from the PS3 era of PlayStation, starting with a horizontal menu to allow the selection of Echo Types, such as a Boomerang Boarblin, then creating a vertical menu for type and level selection. By simplifying Echo selection with this method, GMTK shaved the horizontal menu down from 100 to 55 Echoes. The next design is a grid with five tabs: one for objects, another for birds and ghosts, one for water and ice monsters, one for creatures, and finally, a tab for soldiers and similar beings.
Option three is a radial “favorites” menu, allowing for a ring of 16 items set from a menu so users can open it with one button and select their Echo by resting the joystick on their choice. GMTK noted that although this idea would satisfy plenty of fans, it’s not what the developers wanted the fans to experience. GMTK citedEchoes of Wisdomco-director Satoshi Terada, who wished for players to come across Echoes they’ve never used during the selection process and try them out for fun. To align with that vision, GMTK created a “spiral staircase” design menu inspired byBeyond Good and Evil’s keyboard system, allowing players to use the radial design to scroll through all 100 Echoes with increased speed and freedom.
