“Whirlwind” item to return in A Link Between Worlds?

Earlier this week Eiji Aonuma  posted a new A Link Between Worlds screenshot on Miiverse, revealing the game’s item shop. The  tantalizing tidbit did much to both excite and perplex fans. Although shops have appeared numerous times in Zelda games, many details about this particular one seem to depart from past tradition. Perhaps the strangest sight in the screenshot -besides the shopkeeper in a pink rabbit suit- is the lineup of items on sale. Instead of peddling re-stockable supplies, such as arrows and bombs, this shopkeeper’s wares include indispensable items like the Boomerang, Bow and… the Whirlwind from Spirit Tracks?

Hit the jump for more.

For those who don’t remember, the Whirlwind was an obtainable item in Spirit Track’s Forest Temple. Looking much like a pinwheel made out of leaves, it produced powerful gusts of air that could move keys and blow enemies away. Its leaf propeller top also allowed Link to navigate platforms across water and blow out torches. In many ways it echoed the functions of tools like the Deku Leaf from The Wind Waker, and the Gust Jar from The Minish Cap.

Why bring this up now, you ask? Well, a very similar item appears to be sitting atop a pedestal in the upper left-hand corner of the A Link Between Worlds shop. Even from afar, certain identifiable details -a green propeller-shaped top and stem-like handle- suggest it and the Whirlwind might be one and the same. The view of the item lying on its side , however, makes it difficult to say for sure.

In my opinion, there are countless more memorable items that Nintendo could bring back in A Link Between Worlds instead of the Whirlwind. To be honest, the thing never left a lasting impression on me personally. Perhaps this was because it was so similar in concept to items that already existed in Zelda. Why didn’t the developers just bring back the Gust Jar if they wanted an item that blew gusts of wind? Whatever the reason, soon after completing Spirit Tracks I had almost completely forgotten about the Whirlwind.

With that said, I don’t think the Whirlwind making a reappearance would necessarily be a bad thing. It would certainly help differentiate the game from A Link to the Past, which possessed no comparable item. As long as Nintendo can integrate it effectively, I’d be fine with it being included in Link’s latest arsenal.

Would you like to see the Whirlwind return in A Link Between Worlds? Are you eager to learn more about the game’s mysterious item shop? Let us know in the comments.