Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is a 2007 action-adventure game that is currently on the list of games that will be played on Butt Spectrum Club. Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is the thirteenth entry in the Legend of Zelda Series, following up Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and was followed up by Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks.
Game Info[]
Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS.
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. 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.
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.
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, Link and Tetra travel the Great Sea aboard her ship, 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 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. Oshus 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, where Tetra is freed. However, Bellum arrives and take Tetra and Ciela away, and apparently kill Oshus. 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. Link kills Bellum to free Linebeck and Tetra and Ciela are resued. The Phantom Hourglass's sand then whisk away in the sea. Oshus, 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 did not seeing Linebeck, when his 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.
