The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Direct sequel to The Wind Waker for Nintendo DS.
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is an action-adventure game for the Nintendo DS, released in 2007 by Nintendo. It is the fourteenth title in The Legend of Zelda series and follows directly after the events of the 2002 GameCube game The Wind Waker. The game uses 3D cel-shaded graphics and an overhead camera perspective. Players control the action with the DS touchscreen and microphone, and it originally supported online play through the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, which ended in 2014.
Link and Tetra are sailing the Great Sea after The Wind Waker, searching for new land, when a mysterious Ghost Ship appears in the fog. Tetra boards it and screams; Link falls into the ocean as the ship vanishes. He washes up on Mercay Island, where he meets the fairy Ciela. With the help of Captain Linebeck and his ship, the S.S. Linebeck, Link sets out to save Tetra from the main villain, Bellum.
Gameplay splits into sailing between islands and exploring islands and dungeons on foot. On land, Link uses classic items like the boomerang, bow, and bombs. While sailing, the top screen shows a map, and the lower touchscreen shows a 3D top-down view of Link and his surroundings. Players can pull the map down to the lower screen to make notes. During boss battles and some events, both screens show a 3D view. Link is controlled with the stylus—tapping to move, interact, or attack. To travel between islands, the player steers the S.S. Linebeck by drawing a course on the sea chart, can redraw it, shoot cannons at enemies, and jump to avoid obstacles.
A one-on-one multiplayer battle mode is included. One player controls Link, while the other controls three Phantom Guardians. Power-up items appear in the arena. Link must grab a Force Gem and carry it to his base; the Phantom player must catch Link before he returns any gems. If Link is caught or the round ends, players switch sides. Each game has three rounds, with each player taking a turn on both sides. A match lasts up to 12 minutes if Link isn’t caught. Multiplayer works locally, online via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, and through Download Play. It is the third Zelda game with multiplayer, after Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures.
A central mechanic is the Temple of the Ocean King, a large dungeon Link visits multiple times to obtain sea charts.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Nintendo EAD
- Publisher
- Nintendo
- Director
- Daiki Iwamoto
- Producer
- Eiji Aonuma
- Designer
- Hajime Takahashi, Yutaka Hiramuki
- Artist
- Michiho Hayashi
- Programmer
- Shiro Mouri
- Writer
- Hidemaro Fujibayashi
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game's story follows that of The Wind Waker, focusing on series main character Link's journey to save his friend Tetra from the story's primary antagonist, Bellum, with the help of Captain Linebeck and his ship, the S.S. Linebeck. After Tetra enters the Ghost Ship and vanishes, Link washes ashore on Mercay Island, where he meets the fairy Ciela and her adoptive grandfather Oshus. Link enlists Captain Linebeck, a miserly treasure hunter, and together they learn that the Temple of the Ocean King contains sea-glyphs guarded by Phantoms. To access them, Link must free the three Spirits of Power, Wisdom, and Courage. After freeing the Spirit of Power, Link obtains the Phantom Hourglass, a vessel for the Sands of Time that allows him to explore the Temple without his life force draining. Oshus later reveals he is the Ocean King and that Bellum is a demon who consumes all life. Link must seek three pure metals to forge the Phantom Sword, the only blade capable of defeating Phantoms and Bellum. After acquiring the sword, Link defeats Bellum in the Temple's depths, but Bellum possesses Linebeck and forces a final battle. Link kills Bellum, frees Linebeck, and rescues Tetra. Oshus returns to his true form as a white whale and grants Linebeck his wish to restore his ship. Link and Tetra are teleported back to Tetra's ship, where her crew insists their adventure was only a ten-minute dream, though Link holds the empty Phantom Hourglass and sees Linebeck's ship on the horizon.
Reader's Guide
Phantom Hourglass received critical acclaim, with praise for its control scheme, world design, and graphics, while some criticized its online features, which were considered too simple. The game received several video game industry awards, including the Nintendo DS Game of the Year award from GameSpot, GameSpy, and IGN. It was the best-selling game in its first month in Japan, with 302,887 copies sold. In the United States, it was the fifth-best-selling game in the month it debuted, with 262,800 copies sold. 4.13 million copies were sold worldwide by March 2008. The game introduced the mechanic of a large central dungeon, the Temple of the Ocean King, which Link visits multiple times. It also featured a one-on-one multiplayer battle mode where one player controls Link and the other controls three Phantom Guardians. Phantom Hourglass was the third The Legend of Zelda game to include multiplayer, following Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures. A sequel, Spirit Tracks, was released in December 2009.
Did You Know?
- Phantom Hourglass is the direct sequel to The Wind Waker.
- The game uses the Nintendo DS touchscreen and microphone for controls.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who developed The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass?
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass was developed by Nintendo EAD.
Who directed The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass?
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass was directed by Daiki Iwamoto.
Who designed The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass?
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass was designed by Hajime Takahashi and Yutaka Hiramuki.
Who composed the music for The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass?
The music for The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass was composed by Kenta Nagata and Toru Minegishi.
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