Former Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aimé says he's "incredibly touched" by the possibility of a Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom easter egg that may reference his friendship with late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata.
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If the developers did indeed reference the friendship between Mr. Iwata and me, I am incredibly touched.— Reggie Fils-Aimé (@Reggie) October 9, 2024
The potential easter egg, first spotted by TheGamer and subsequently circulated online, appears to reference Fils-Aimé and Iwata with two Zora characters named Inawa and Rogma. Inawa supports the leader of the river Zora, and Rogma assists the ocean Zora. A big stretch? Maybe. But it was still enough to prompt Fils-Aimé to express his gratitude on X/Twitter.
"If the developers did indeed reference the friendship between Mr. Iwata and me, I am incredibly touched," Fils-Aimé wrote.
Several fans responded with nostalgic posts referencing Fils-Aimé and Iwata time together, including the famous puppet skit that they made to promote Star Fox Zero. The pair were well-known for their close partnership up until Iwata's death in 2015, which Fils-Aimé later described in his book released in 2022. Fils-Aimé retired from his role as Nintendo of America president in 2019 and was succeeded by Doug Bowser.
If the easter egg was indeed intended (we reached out to Nintendo just to see), it wouldn't be the first time Nintendo paid tribute to Iwata in a Zelda game. Both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom featured the Satori Mountain, home to a beautiful spectral deer called the Lord of the Mountain. Star Fox Zero was dedicated to Iwata as a "wingman who fell in battle."
Elsewhere, there are plenty of other Echoes of Wisdom cheats and secrets, including the revenge of the Cuccos and more. And if you're feeling lost, you can check out our big Echoes of Wisdom map. All in all we loved Echoes of Wisdom when it released it September, saying in our review that it's "far greater than a gimmicky spinoff led by Zelda instead of Link."
It's available now on Nintendo Switch.
Kat Bailey is IGN's News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
