The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

Last updated

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
The Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass Game Cover.jpg
North American box art
Developer(s) Nintendo EAD
Publisher(s) Nintendo
Director(s) Daiki Iwamoto
Producer(s) Eiji Aonuma
Designer(s) Michiho Hayashi
Programmer(s) Shiro Mouri
Writer(s) Hidemaro Fujibayashi [1]
Composer(s)
Series The Legend of Zelda
Platform(s) Nintendo DS
Release
  • JP: June 23, 2007
  • NA: October 1, 2007
  • AU: October 11, 2007
  • EU: October 19, 2007
Genre(s) Action-adventure
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass [a] is a 2007 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It is the fourteenth installment in The Legend of Zelda series and the direct sequel to the 2002 GameCube title The Wind Waker . Phantom Hourglass was released worldwide in 2007, with the exception of South Korea in April 2008. The game was re-released for the Wii U via the Virtual Console service in the PAL region in November 2015, in North America in May 2016, and in Japan in August.

Contents

The game features 3D cel-shaded graphics with an overhead camera perspective, employs controls involving the console's touchscreen and microphone, and took advantage of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for online play until the service was discontinued in 2014. The game's story follows that of The Wind Waker, focusing on series main protagonist Link's journey to save his friend Tetra from the story's main antagonist, Bellum, with the help of Captain Linebeck and his ship, the S.S. Linebeck.

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 . Phantom Hourglass 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 of Phantom Hourglass were sold worldwide by March 2008. [2] A sequel, Spirit Tracks , was released in December 2009. [3]

Gameplay

When sailing in Phantom Hourglass, a path can be drawn on the map using the stylus, creating a blue line for the ship to follow. Sailing in Phantom Hourglass.jpg
When sailing in Phantom Hourglass, a path can be drawn on the map using the stylus, creating a blue line for the ship to follow.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is an action-adventure game [4] with gameplay similar to the other games in The Legend of Zelda series. The player controls Link, the protagonist, and explores the world to find new items, information, and allies to help him save his friend Tetra and defeat the antagonist Bellum. The game is divided into two gameplay types: sailing between islands, and exploring the islands and their dungeons on foot. While on land, Link discovers and utilizes many items, including the classic boomerang, bow, and bombs. [5] [6] When sailing, the game shows a map of the area on the Nintendo DS's top screen, and a 3D top-down view of Link and his nearby surroundings on the lower touchscreen. The player can bring down the map from the top screen to the lower screen to make notes. During certain events, including most boss battles, a 3D view is shown on both screens, allowing the player to have a wider view of their surroundings. The player controls Link with the stylus, moves him by pointing to the sides of the screen, and uses the stylus to interact with objects and people or attack foes by pointing at them. To travel between islands on the Great Sea, the player controls a paddle steamer called the S.S. Linebeck. The player can plot a course by drawing on a sea chart, redraw the course to make any necessary alterations, shoot at enemies that attack the ship using a cannon, and jump to avoid obstacles. [5] [6] [7]

The game includes a one-on-one multiplayer battle mode. In an arena, one player controls Link, while the other player, on defense, controls three Phantom Guardians. Players of both sides are aided by power-up items that appear on the playing field. Link's goal is to grab a Force Gem and carry it to his base. The other player, controlling the three Phantom Guardians, must find and catch Link before he returns any Force Gems. When Link is caught, or if the round is over, players switch sides. Each multiplayer game consists of three rounds, and in each round, each player takes a turn at both sides. The maximum length of a multiplayer game is 12 minutes, assuming Link does not get caught. The game supports multiplayer both locally and online through the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, as well as Download Play. The game is the third The Legend of Zelda game to include multiplayer, following Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures . [5] [6] [7] [8]

Phantom Hourglass introduces the game mechanic of a large dungeon central to the game's story, in this case the Temple of the Ocean King. Link visits the Temple multiple times during the course of the game's story, in order to obtain sea charts that allow him to sail to other parts of the ocean. Throughout the game, the Temple has a curse placed on it that drains Link's life whenever he is inside, but upon obtaining the Phantom Hourglass, Link is able to explore the Temple without being affected by the curse for a limited amount of time. In addition to the curse, Link must contend with Phantoms, a type of enemy exclusive to the Temple. Phantoms are invincible for the most part, necessitating the use of stealth in order to get past them. "Safe zones" are scattered throughout the Temple, and allow Link to avoid both the Phantoms and the Temple's curse. As Link progresses through the game, he is able to access deeper levels of the Temple and stay inside for longer. The Temple, including the puzzles within, will reset whenever Link leaves, but as he obtains new items, he can unlock new routes and shortcuts that enable him to travel through the Temple quicker. All this is done similarly to a dungeon crawler.

Plot

Following the events of The Wind Waker, [b] Link and Tetra travel the Great Sea aboard Tetra's ship to find new land, when they encounter the Ghost Ship. Tetra enters it and is heard screaming. Link fails to come to her help and falls into the ocean. Washed ashore on Mercay Island, Link meets Ciela and her grandfather Oshus, and both agree to help him rescue Tetra. Link enlists Captain Linebeck, who reluctantly agrees at the condition of a treasure. The group sails the Great Sea and learns the Ghost Ship can be found by collecting the three Spirits of Power, Wisdom, and Courage. After freeing the Spirit of Power, Link obtains the Phantom Hourglass, which helps him explore the Temple of the Ocean King and find the remaining Spirits.

While rescuing the Spirit of Courage, the group notices a similarity to Ciela. Oshus arrives and reveals Ciela suffers amnesia after being attacked by Bellum, a Demon Monster who consumed life and Oshus, as the Ocean King, banished him in his Temple's slums; Bellum then created the Ghost Ship to trap his preys. With the three Spirits rescued, Link locates the Ghost Ship and rescues Tetra, only to find her lifeless and petrified. the Ocean King then task Link to craft the "Phantom Sword", the ultimate weapon capable of defeating Bellum and rescue Tetra. Sailing the sea, Link finds the pure metals and, fused with the Phantom Hourglass, gains the Phantom Sword.

In the Temple's slums, Link defeats Bellum and is teleported out to Linebeck's ship, where Tetra is freed. When Link and Tetra are about to hold hands, Bellum arrives and take Tetra away to the Ghost Ship, and apparently kill the Ocean King. While confronting him, Link is knocked unconscious, and Linebeck injures Bellum. However, Bellum possesses Linebeck, becoming the Phantom Knight and Link is forced to fight him in the Ghost Ship destroyed. Link kills Bellum to free Linebeck and rescues Tetra. The Phantom Hourglass's sand then whisk away in the sea. the Ocean King, having survived, reveals his true form as a white whale and leaves with the spirits. Link and Tetra are teleported away to the Great Sea, but not seeing Linebeck, when Tetra's crew insists their adventure was only a ten minutes long dream. Link is then confused when he notices the Phantom Hourglass in his hands, and see Linebeck's ship afar. [6]

Development

The Gold edition Nintendo DS Lite is emblazoned with The Legend of Zelda's signature Triforce logo. Zeldagold ds closed.jpg
The Gold edition Nintendo DS Lite is emblazoned with The Legend of Zelda's signature Triforce logo.

Development started in May 2004, at which point the game still had gameplay similar to Four Swords Adventures. [9] At a press conference in Japan for the Nintendo DS in October, Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo said that they were thinking of bringing Four Swords to the DS, [10] which was later confirmed by Eiji Aonuma at E3 2005. [11] In 2006, Nintendo presented the keynote address at the annual Game Developers Conference, where they also revealed Phantom Hourglass for the first time and presented a demo. Nintendo also revealed that the game would be released in late 2006. [12] For the holiday season, Nintendo launched two special edition Nintendo DS bundles, each in a different color, on November 23, 2007. One of the bundles, the Gold edition, was emblazoned with The Legend of Zelda's signature Triforce logo and sold alongside Phantom Hourglass. [13]

The same development team that worked on Four Swords Adventures also worked on what would become Phantom Hourglass. In the game's first prototype, the action took place in the upper screen while the touchscreen was a flat map that allowed Link to be controlled. However, the developers believed that this interface caused the player to be too disconnected from the game's action, thereby prompting them to switch the two screens. They felt that this interface would appeal to Japanese players, who they said prefer simple interfaces. The developers added a battle mode that was played over Wi-Fi to appeal to American players. [14]

The game takes advantage of the Nintendo DS's stylus in several different ways. The player can draw shapes to open certain doors and plot out the path of ships on the ocean, among other tasks. The device's touchscreen can also be used to direct Link's boomerang. [12] Phantom Hourglass features cel-shaded graphics similar to those of The Wind Waker, with some influence from Four Swords Adventures. Link and Zelda's appearances in Phantom Hourglass resemble those from The Wind Waker. [12]

At E3 2007, Aonuma said that Phantom Hourglass "opened up the [Zelda] series and [gave] a fresh, new control scheme to the aging Zelda formula". [15] He also said that, despite the disappointing sales of The Wind Waker affecting him personally, he still wished to continue the game's style in another Zelda iteration, leading to the inspiration for Phantom Hourglass. Aonuma believed that the game's simple controls, with the help of the Nintendo DS's touchscreen, helped make Phantom Hourglass the first Zelda game to attract casual gamers. [15]

Reception

Phantom Hourglass was released in Japan on June 23, 2007, in the rest of the world in October, and in South Korea on April 3, 2008. [33] According to Metacritic, it received "universal acclaim". [17] Praise focused on the use of the Nintendo DS features, while criticism targeted its more casual gameplay compared to the previous games in The Legend of Zelda series. [17] Phantom Hourglass was the best-selling game in its debut month of June 2007 in Japan, selling 302,887 copies. [34] In the United States, Phantom Hourglass was the fifth best-selling game in its debut month of October 2007, selling 262,800 copies. [35] As of March 2008, 4.13 million copies of the game have been sold worldwide, with 910,000 of those copies in Japan. [2]

Computer and Video Games called Phantom Hourglass one of the few "masterpieces" on the Nintendo DS, which made it "worth every penny". [19] Believing that Phantom Hourglass improves on everything that was great about its predecessor, The Wind Waker, GamePro predicted that the sequel would be another successful game in the franchise. [22] Although feeling that the game does not live up to the standards set in Twilight Princess , Game Informer still felt that the adventure is worthy of The Legend of Zelda series, and noted that it "has enough great stuff going for it" for them to consider it one of the year's best video game adventures. [21] GameZone enjoyed the "spectacular blend of touch-screen combat, brilliant puzzles, and Wind Waker beauty" in Phantom Hourglass, calling it a "can't-miss adventure" and one of Nintendo's and the year's best games. [27] Hyper 's Jonti Davies commended Phantom Hourglass for its "perfect controls and supreme world and dungeon designs", but criticized the game for only giving around 30 hours of gameplay. [36]

GameRevolution appreciated the game's graphics, and noted that it uses the Nintendo DS's features better than any other game for the console. [23] Praising its "innovative" and "fun" control scheme, GameSpot felt that Phantom Hourglass gave a new life to several of the series' age-old concepts. [24] X-Play wrote that Phantom Hourglass definitely felt like a The Legend of Zelda game, calling it another successful video game for the franchise and a "must-have" for anyone that owns a Nintendo DS. [31] The Onion 's entertainment newspaper The A.V. Club remarked that Phantom Hourglass exploits the Nintendo DS's touchscreen to the fullest extent in an imaginative and genuinely fun way. [32] In a perfect 5-star review, Empire stated that Phantom Hourglass is one of Nintendo's greatest achievements and a contender for the best handheld adventure in console history. [37]

Issues that were mentioned in reviews regarding the game included its more casual gameplay compared to the previous The Legend of Zelda games, which was not well received by some. GameSpy felt that the game was both easy and approachable enough for casual gamers to play, but sufficiently rewarding and challenging to satisfy hardcore fans of The Legend of Zelda series. [25] IGN believed the game to be "more casual than we'd like", but still found it captivating, entertaining, and "a true adventure worthy of the Zelda name", calling it "different, but it's still the real deal". [28] GameTrailers stated that the short dungeon levels and hand-holding exploration are "outright disappointing", but when comparing Phantom Hourglass to the other Nintendo DS games, they conceded that it was still an impressive game, but just a good game when compared to The Legend of Zelda standards. [26] 1UP.com pointed out that the biggest problem with Phantom Hourglass is that it falls back on using innovations from the previous The Legend of Zelda games, rather than including new and original ideas. [18]

Finding it difficult for hardcore gamers to fully enjoy Phantom Hourglass, Nintendo World Report claimed that the game's lack of alternative control schemes was a telling sign that Nintendo did not have The Legend of Zelda fans in mind when creating the game. They still described the game as "decent", but felt that it departs from the rest of the series and that Nintendo should have taken the risk in creating innovations for this game. [30] The American newspaper The New York Times enjoyed Phantom Hourglass for the most part, but complained about the timer in the Temple of the Ocean King as unnecessary and gimmicky, remarking that the game's dungeons are only "fun to go through once, but none of them are fun enough to go through 20 times". They noted that the time spent traveling through dungeons "removed all thoughts of it being perfect". [38]

Several websites named Phantom Hourglass the 2007 DS Game of the Year, including IGN [39] and GameSpy. [40] It was also mentioned in Best of the Year lists from Wired , [41] Time , [42] and Edge . [43] The game received Editor's Choice awards from GameSpot and IGN. [24] [28] It was also named Best Adventure Game by 1UP.com. [44] The game was designated the Best Handheld Game at the 2008 Golden Joystick awards, [45] the 2008 Game Developers Choice Awards, [46] the 2007 GamePro Editors' Choice awards, [47] and the 2007 Spike Video Game Awards. [48] At E3 2006, Phantom Hourglass was designated as the Best Nintendo DS Game by GameSpot [49] and the Best Handheld Game at the Game Critics Awards. [50] In 2008, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences awarded Phantom Hourglass with Handheld Game of the Year, [51] along with a nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Gameplay Engineering. [52] The game placed 38th in Official Nintendo Magazine 's 100 Greatest Nintendo Games of All-Time. [53]

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: ゼルダの伝説 夢（む）幻（げん）の砂（すな）時（ど）計（けい）, Hepburn: Zeruda no Densetsu: Mugen no Sunadokei, lit. "The Legend of Zelda: Hourglass of Dreams"
  2. ↑ The Wind Waker ends with Ganondorf petrified into the now-flooded Hyrule, called the Great Sea.

Related Research Articles

<i>The Legend of Zelda</i> Video game series

The Legend of Zelda is a media franchise created by the Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo; some portable installments and re-releases have been outsourced to Flagship, Vanpool, Grezzo, and Tantalus Media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shigeru Miyamoto</span> Japanese video game designer (born 1952)

Shigeru Miyamoto is a Japanese video game designer, producer and game director at Nintendo, where he serves as one of its representative directors as an executive since 2002. Widely regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential designers in video games, he is the creator of some of the most acclaimed and best-selling game franchises of all time, including Mario,The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, Star Fox and Pikmin. More than 1 billion copies of games featuring franchises created by Miyamoto have been sold.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time</i> 1998 video game

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a 1998 action-adventure game by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan and North America in November 1998 and in PAL regions the following month. The game is the first in The Legend of Zelda series with 3D graphics.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: Majoras Mask</i> 2000 video game

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is a 2000 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was the second The Legend of Zelda game to use 3D graphics, following Ocarina of Time (1998). Designed by a creative team led by Eiji Aonuma, Yoshiaki Koizumi, and Shigeru Miyamoto, Majora's Mask was completed in less than two years. It features enhanced graphics and several gameplay changes, but reuses elements and character models from Ocarina of Time, which the game's creators called a creative decision made necessary by time constraints.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker</i> 2002 video game

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. An installment in The Legend of Zelda series, it was released in Japan on December 13, 2002, in North America on March 24, 2003, and in Europe on May 2, 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Zelda</span> Video game character

Princess Zelda is a character in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda video game series. She was created by Shigeru Miyamoto for the original 1986 game The Legend of Zelda. As one of the central characters in the series, she has appeared in the majority of the games in various incarnations. Zelda is the elf-like Hylian princess of the kingdom of Hyrule, an associate of the series protagonist Link, and bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom.

Link (<i>The Legend of Zelda</i>) Protagonist of The Legend of Zelda

Link is a fictional character and the protagonist of Nintendo's video game franchise The Legend of Zelda. He was created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Link was introduced as the hero of the original The Legend of Zelda video game in 1986 and has appeared in a total of 21 entries in the series, as well as a number of spin-offs. Common elements in the series include Link travelling through Hyrule whilst exploring dungeons, battling creatures, and solving puzzles until he eventually defeats the series' primary antagonist, Ganon, and saves Princess Zelda.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures</i> 2004 video game

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is the eleventh installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was released in 2004 in Japan on March 18, and in North America on June 7. In 2005, the game was released in Europe on January 7, and in Australia on April 7. The Game Boy Advance handheld game console can be used as a controller when using the GameCube – Game Boy Advance link cable bundled with the game in North America and Europe.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap</i> 2004 video game

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap is an action-adventure game and the twelfth entry in The Legend of Zelda series. Developed by Capcom and Flagship, with Nintendo overseeing the development process, The Minish Cap was released for the Game Boy Advance in Japan and Europe in 2004 and in North America and Australia the following year.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess</i> 2006 video game

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is a 2006 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the GameCube and Wii. Originally planned for release exclusively on the GameCube in November 2005, Twilight Princess was delayed by Nintendo to allow its developers to refine the game, add more content, and port it to the Wii. The Wii version was a launch game in North America in November 2006, and in Japan, Europe, and Australia the following month. The GameCube version was released in December 2006 as the final first-party game for the console.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eiji Aonuma</span> Japanese video game designer and producer (born 1963)

Eiji Aonuma is a Japanese video game designer, director, and producer at Nintendo. He is a senior officer within their Nintendo EPD division and serves as the producer of The Legend of Zelda franchise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tingle (character)</span> Fictional character

Tingle is a recurring character in The Legend of Zelda series, designed by Takaya Imamura. He first appeared in Majora's Mask, where he is a map salesman who wants to become a fairy. He has since appeared in several installments, including The Wind Waker, where he provides maps to help Link find pieces of the Triforce. He has gone on to be the star of Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, where his origin as Tingle is shown as him tasked with collecting as many Rupees as possible. He also appears in its sequel Irozuki Tingle no Koi no Balloon Trip, where he is transported into a storybook and has to enter into relationships with women in order to escape.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past</i> and <i>Four Swords</i> 2002 video game

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four Swords is a compilation of two action-adventure games co-developed by Nintendo R&D2 and Capcom and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. The game was released in December 2002 in North America and in March 2003 in Japan and Europe. The cartridge contains a modified port of A Link to the Past, originally released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1991, and an original multiplayer-only game titled Four Swords, which serves as the 9th installment in The Legend of Zelda series.

<i>Marvelous: Mōhitotsu no Takarajima</i> 1996 video game

Marvelous: Mōhitotsu no Takarajima is a video game for the Super Famicom. It is the first title directed by Eiji Aonuma, and was published and released exclusively in Japan by Nintendo. Two special versions of the game, BS Marvelous: Time Athletic and BS Marvelous: Camp Arnold were released for the Satellaview.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword</i> 2011 video game

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is a 2011 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii. A high-definition remaster of the game, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, was co-developed by Tantalus Media and released for the Nintendo Switch in July 2021.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks</i> 2009 video game

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is a 2009 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. Set a century after The Wind Waker and its sequel Phantom Hourglass, the storyline follows the current incarnations of Link and Princess Zelda as they explore the land of New Hyrule to prevent the awakening of the Demon King Malladus. Players navigate New Hyrule, completing quests that advance the story and solving environmental and dungeon-based puzzles, many requiring use of the DS's touchscreen and other hardware features. Navigation between towns and dungeons is done using a train, which features its own set of mechanics and puzzles.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds</i> 2013 video game

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is a 2013 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. The game is the 17th in The Legend of Zelda series and is a sequel to the 1991 title The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Announced in April 2013, A Link Between Worlds was released in Australia, Europe, and North America in November, and in Japan a month later.

<i>Hyrule Warriors</i> 2014 video game

Hyrule Warriors is a 2014 hack and slash game developed by Omega Force and Team Ninja and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. The game is a collaboration between Koei Tecmo and Nintendo, mixing settings and characters from Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda with the gameplay of Koei's Dynasty Warriors series. Hyrule Warriors was released in Japan in August 2014, and worldwide the following month. It became one of the best-selling games on the Wii U. An updated port, Hyrule Warriors Legends, was released for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan in January 2016 and worldwide in March of the same year. A second enhanced port, Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2018. A successor, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, was released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch in November 2020.

Water Temple (<i>Ocarina of Time</i>) Fictional location in The Legend of Zelda

The Water Temple is an area from the 1998 Nintendo 64 video game The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It is the sixth dungeon encountered in the game. It was created by Ocarina of Time director Eiji Aonuma, who was inspired by his love of diving. It has players raising and lowering water levels to access different areas while utilizing a pair of Iron Boots to sink to the bottom. The difficulty of navigation combined with the cumbersome nature of using the Iron Boots led to several changes to the dungeon to assist players in the 2011 remake of Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. The difficulty players faced also caused Aonuma to apologize for the issues, while noting that the dungeon was not difficult so much as it was frustrating. Despite the criticism, some critics have been more forgiving, praising the Water Temple for its complexities.

References

  1. ↑ "The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass development staff interview". nindori.com. Nintendo DREAM. August 2007. Archived from the original on September 13, 2007. Retrieved May 30, 2010. だから今回は、ストーリーを書いた藤林がいちばん苦労したかも？/ So this time, it might have been very hard for Mr. Fujibayashi who wrote the story.
  2. 1 2 "Financial Results Briefing for the Fiscal Year Ending March 2008" (PDF). Nintendo. April 25, 2008. p. 6. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 10, 2008. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
  3. ↑ Cardoso, Jose (May 12, 2016). "The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass joins the Wii U Virtual Console lineup". GameZone. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Nintendo.com – Games – The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass". Nintendo. October 1, 2007. Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. Retrieved April 5, 2008.
  5. 1 2 3 Stratton, Stephen (October 1, 2007). Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Prima Official Game Guides) . Prima Games. ISBN   978-0-7615-5647-3.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development (October 1, 2007). The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo DS). Nintendo.
  7. 1 2 The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass instruction manual. Nintendo. October 1, 2007.
  8. ↑ Berghammer, Billy (March 9, 2007). "GDC 07: Zelda's Link To The Past And Future – The Eiji Aonuma Interview". Game Informer. Archived from the original on February 14, 2008. Retrieved April 1, 2008.
  9. ↑ "The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass development staff interview". nindori.com. Nintendo DREAM. August 2007. Archived from the original on September 13, 2007. Retrieved June 9, 2010. Nintendo DREAM: そもそも開発は、いつごろスタートしたんですか? / Now, about when did development start? Daiki Iwamoto: 04年の5月くらい、『4つの剣＋』が終わってすぐでしたね。/ About in May 2004, right after we were finished with "Four Swords Adventures".
  10. ↑ Gantayat, Anoop (October 7, 2004). "Miyamoto Speaks to Final Fantasy Producer". IGN. Archived from the original on February 5, 2012. Retrieved February 9, 2009.
  11. ↑ Berghammer, Billy (May 25, 2005). "Zelda's Twilight Prince: The Eiji Aonuma Interview". Game Informer. Archived from the original on June 29, 2008. Retrieved February 9, 2009.
  12. 1 2 3 Gerstmann, Jeff (March 23, 2006). "GDC 06: Zelda DS-bound". GameSpot. Archived from the original on December 14, 2014. Retrieved February 8, 2009.
  13. ↑ "Nintendo Kicks Off The Holidays With Two New Nintendo DS Bundles". Nintendo. November 20, 2007. Archived from the original on February 28, 2009. Retrieved February 8, 2009.
  14. ↑ Parish, Jeremy (March 8, 2007). "GDC 2007: Eiji Aonuma and the Reinvention of Zelda". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved February 9, 2009.
  15. 1 2 GamerNode Staff (July 13, 2007). "E3 '07: The Director, Phantom Hourglass and Zelda's Future". GamerNode. Archived from the original on February 19, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2009.
  16. ↑ "The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass – DS". Game Rankings. Archived from the original on February 17, 2009. Retrieved February 9, 2009.
  17. 1 2 3 "Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, The: Reviews". Metacritic. October 1, 2007. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved September 24, 2007.
  18. 1 2 Mielke, James (October 2, 2007). "The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo DS)". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2007. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
  19. 1 2 "Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass". Computer and Video Games. July 4, 2007. Archived from the original on June 8, 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
  20. ↑ "Zelda: Phantom Hourglass review". June 20, 2007. Archived from the original on April 5, 2016. Retrieved February 8, 2009.
  21. 1 2 Reiner, Andrew. "The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass". Game Informer. Archived from the original on June 11, 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
  22. 1 2 "The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass". GamePro. October 2, 2007. Archived from the original on September 16, 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
  23. 1 2 Parker, Tom (October 10, 2007). "The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass – DS Review". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on July 4, 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
  24. 1 2 3 Navarro, Alex (October 1, 2007). "The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on September 21, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
  25. 1 2 Joynt, Patrick (October 2, 2007). "The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS)". GameSpy. Archived from the original on February 1, 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
  26. 1 2 "The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass". GameTrailers. Archived from the original on October 5, 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
  27. 1 2 Bedigian, Louis (October 5, 2007). "The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass". GameZone. Archived from the original on November 5, 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
  28. 1 2 3 Bozon, Mark (September 25, 2007). "The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass Review". IGN. Archived from the original on August 13, 2012. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
  29. ↑ "Phantom Hourglass review". November 23, 2007. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved November 23, 2007.
  30. 1 2 Miller, Zachary (October 5, 2007). "The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on August 25, 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
  31. 1 2 Smith, D. F. "The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass". X-Play. Archived from the original on March 2, 2018. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
  32. 1 2 Mastrapa, Gus (October 15, 2007). "The Legend Of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on February 27, 2010. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
  33. ↑ "Release Summary". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved February 1, 2009.
  34. ↑ "Japan Software Sales: June 18th–24th". Media Create. June 24, 2007.
  35. ↑ Carless, Simon (November 16, 2007). "NPD October Surges As Wii, DS, Guitar Hero III Rule". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
  36. ↑ Davies, Jonti (September 2007). "Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass". Hyper (167). Next Media: 56, 57. ISSN   1320-7458.
  37. ↑ McComb, David, "The Legend Of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass review", Empire.
  38. ↑ Herold, Charles (October 11, 2007). "Finding Fun, Even When Perfection Isn't Achieved". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 5, 2015. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
  39. ↑ "DS Game of the Year". IGN. Archived from the original on December 25, 2007. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
  40. ↑ "DS Game of the Year". GameSpy. Archived from the original on January 29, 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
  41. ↑ "Top 10 Games of 2007". Wired. December 18, 2007. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
  42. ↑ "Top 10 Video Games". Time. December 9, 2007. Archived from the original on December 12, 2007. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
  43. ↑ "Next-Gen's Best 30 Games of 2007". Edge. Archived from the original on September 6, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
  44. ↑ "1UP Network Announces Winners of 2007 Reader's Choice Awards". Reuters. February 20, 2008. Archived from the original on July 3, 2012. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
  45. ↑ "Joystick gold for action shooter". BBC. October 31, 2008. Archived from the original on March 19, 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
  46. ↑ "Portal Takes Game Of The Year At 2008 Choice Awards". Gamasutra. February 21, 2008. Archived from the original on January 25, 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
  47. ↑ "GamePro Editors' Choice *2007*". GamePro. January 25, 2008. Archived from the original on December 16, 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
  48. ↑ "Spike TV Announces 2007 Video Game Award Winners". Spike. December 7, 2007. Archived from the original on February 13, 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
  49. ↑ "E3 2006 Editors' Choice Awards". GameSpot. Archived from the original on September 1, 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
  50. ↑ "2006 Winners". Game Critics Awards. Archived from the original on October 24, 2018. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
  51. ↑ "Did You Know? Nintendo Wins Two Interactive Achievement Awards". Nintendo. February 8, 2008. Archived from the original on February 13, 2008. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
  52. ↑ "2008 Awards Category Details Outstanding Achievement in Gameplay Engineering". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences . Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  53. ↑ "40–21 ONM". Official Nintendo Magazine. Archived from the original on February 26, 2009. Retrieved February 24, 2009.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.