Subpar media bar! Circular menu! Spirals!
Undoubtedly, one of the primary criticisms we, along with the extensive Zelda community, had regarding Echoes of Information is its poor UI design for the echoes.
This is an unusual shortcoming in what is typically an exceptionally well-crafted Zelda game, where players are presented with a single row of echo abilities that merely expands progressively as you gather more throughout your gameplay.
Finding the specific one you need can be a frustrating test of patience, and even if you could categorize the echoes for quicker access to your favorites, many players would actually prefer to exit the game entirely and use the main menu instead.
Therefore, to ‘improve’ the UI of Echoes of Information, the YouTube channel Game Maker’s Toolkit has taken to Unity to propose some clever solutions.
Firstly, an attempt is made to simply add a bit of speed to the existing UI, allowing you to locate your desired echo in a somewhat quicker manner. If that isn’t sufficient, you might appreciate the inferior-media toolbar design, reminiscent of the PS3. In this approach, enemies and items are categorized, enabling you to keep the horizontal bar while allowing it to branch off into vertical sections.
Next, we’re offered the option of a straightforward grid system with tabs/pages, before progressing to a neat circular menu design. However, this would likely be limited to a ‘favorites’ function due to the vast number of echoes available within the game.
To counter this, a spiral design is proposed, somewhat akin to Ubisoft’s Beyond Good and Evil. It’s a cool alternative, and we somewhat wish that Grezzo and Nintendo had opted for something like this. Or perhaps we’ve just been influenced too much by Uzumaki.
No matter which style you personally prefer, we must commend Gamer Maker’s Toolkit for taking the time to explore new options for the flawed UI design of Echoes of Information. It’s unlikely to be officially changed now, let’s be honest, but you can certainly