Gameplay and design
The most striking aspect of Phantom Hourglass is how it moves the entire game onto the touch screen. The stylus in your hand serves as both Link's sword and his feet. Tap anywhere on the screen and Link walks there; tap an enemy and he swings his sword; draw a circle and the boomerang flies out. This control scheme was a first for the Zelda series at the time, and it felt fresh to many players encountering it for the first time.
Beyond combat and movement, the stylus handles a number of puzzle mechanics. For instance, some doors require you to trace a shape shown on the wall by drawing it on the screen; some mechanisms require you to blow into the DS's microphone. When sailing, you can chart a course directly on the sea chart, and your ship follows the route you draw. These designs make the touch screen not just a display, but a true part of the game.
The game's central dungeon is the Temple of the Ocean King, a large dungeon you must enter repeatedly. Link is cursed, so each time he enters, he can only rely on the sand power of the Phantom Hourglass for a limited time; when time runs out, he is forcibly expelled. The temple is patrolled by enemies called Phantoms, which are nearly invincible, so you must avoid them. Fortunately, there are safe zones within the temple where you can catch your breath, and with each visit you unlock new routes, allowing you to progress deeper step by step.
The sailing segments are also engaging. You pilot the steam ship S.S. Linebeck across a vast sea chart, visiting different islands to explore. The ship is equipped with cannons for firing at enemies or obstacles, and you can use a jump function to cross certain special terrain. Sailing and island exploration alternate: you navigate the sea, fight sea monsters, then disembark on islands to solve puzzles and tackle dungeons. This interweaving of two gameplay styles keeps the pace from becoming monotonous.
The game also includes a multiplayer versus mode, which is uncommon in the Zelda series. One player controls Link, while another controls three Phantom guards, and both sides compete in a small arena to collect Force Gems. This mode supports local play and online play via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Though the feature is simple, the thrill of chasing and being chased when playing with friends is quite entertaining.
Background and release
Phantom Hourglass's story picks up right after the ending of The Wind Waker. At the end of that game, Link and Tetra set sail with their crew to find new lands. At the start of this game, Link and Tetra encounter a mysterious ghost ship, and Tetra is taken aboard; Link falls into the sea and is rescued by an old man named the Ocean King. To save Tetra, Link teams up with the captain Linebeck and sets out on a journey to track down the ghost ship.
The game was released in Japan on June 23, 2007, and in North America and Europe in October of the same year, with a Korean release on April 3, 2008. As the 14th installment in the Zelda series, it is also the third game in the series to feature a multiplayer mode, following Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures. However, the multiplayer mode here is just an extra; the main story is single-player.
As a direct sequel to The Wind Waker, this game attracted attention even before release. Although The Wind Waker was well received critically on the GameCube, its sales were not particularly strong. Many did not expect Nintendo to continue with a sequel, especially on a handheld. This continuity is evident not only in the story but also in the visual style, which uses the same cel-shaded 3D graphics, with Link and Zelda resembling their Wind Waker counterparts.
The game was re-released on the Wii U Virtual Console, in PAL regions in November 2015, in North America in May 2016, and in Japan in August 2016. This version is essentially a direct port with no new content. Still, for those who missed the DS original, it offered a convenient way to catch up on the game.
Although the story and world continue from The Wind Waker, the setting is entirely new. The sea in this game is called the World of the Ocean King, dotted with many islands, each with its own puzzles and stories. The antagonist, Bellum, is the mastermind behind the ghost ship, and his identity and motives are gradually revealed over the course of the game. The overall tone is lighter than The Wind Waker, but it still has its tense moments.
Development
Development of Phantom Hourglass began in May 2004, more than two years after The Wind Waker's release. The team was the same as that of Four Swords Adventures, and their initial idea was to create a multiplayer cooperative game similar to that title. However, they soon realized that the DS's touch screen was something new and that the game should be designed around it, so they scrapped the original concept and began exploring the possibilities of touch controls.
A key decision during development was the screen layout: the initial prototype placed action on the top screen and the map on the touch screen. But later they swapped the screens, putting the action and primary interactions on the bottom screen, with the top screen used only for maps and auxiliary information. This change allowed players to control the character more directly with the stylus and made the division of labor between the two screens clearer. This design later became a reference for many DS games.
Producer Eiji Aonuma mentioned in interviews that the poor sales of The Wind Waker had left him somewhat disheartened, but he still wanted to continue that cel-shaded style. He felt that the DS's touch controls could make the game simpler and more intuitive, potentially attracting casual players who had not played Zelda before. His thinking proved correct, as this game is widely considered the first Zelda to appeal to casual gamers.
The development team put considerable effort into the interface design. They believed that a simple interface would appeal to Japanese players, and to attract American players, they added the Wi-Fi versus mode. This consideration of different market preferences was uncommon in Nintendo games at the time. However, the Wi-Fi functionality became unusable when the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service was shut down in 2014, so online play is now only possible via local wireless.
The game is full of small stylus-based designs, such as drawing shapes to open doors, charting courses for sailing, and blowing into the microphone to extinguish flames. These ideas came from the team's repeated experimentation. They wanted players to feel that the stylus was not a stopgap replacement for buttons but a genuine way to deliver new gameplay experiences. In the end, these designs indeed made Phantom Hourglass unique on the DS.
Reception and legacy
Phantom Hourglass received very positive reviews upon release, with a Metacritic score indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Critics and players alike praised its touch controls, world design, and visual presentation. Many found that using the stylus to control Link's movement and combat was more intuitive than expected, and the mechanics of drawing sea charts and shapes were seen as creative. However, there were criticisms, mainly regarding the game's more casual leanings and the simplicity of its online features.
Commercially, the game was a success. In Japan, it sold 302,887 copies in its first month, making it the best-selling game of that month. In North America, first-month sales were 262,800 units, ranking fifth for the month. By March 2008, worldwide sales had reached 4.13 million copies, with Japan contributing 910,000. For a handheld Zelda, this was a strong performance.
The game also garnered several awards. GameSpot, GameSpy, and IGN all named it DS Game of the Year for 2007, and in 2008 the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) awarded it Handheld Game of the Year. While awards don't tell the whole story, they reflect the industry's recognition of the game at the time.
Phantom Hourglass also influenced later Zelda games. It proved that touch controls could work in Zelda, and it provided a reference for later titles like The Wind Waker HD on Wii U. More importantly, it showed Nintendo the potential of the cel-shaded style; despite The Wind Waker's modest sales, the success of Phantom Hourglass allowed that style to continue.
As a sequel to The Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass holds a special place in the series. It inherits the style and story of its predecessor while boldly experimenting with new controls. Although its own sequel, Spirit Tracks, was released in 2009, this game remains for many players one of the most worthwhile Zelda games on the DS.
