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The Legend of Zelda:
Phantom Hourglass

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Play OverviewPlay Overview

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (2007) is an action-adventure game where you help Link save his friend Tetra and defeat Bellum. The play combines exploring and sailing around the world with the classic Zelda dungeons that are solved with a specific item. It stands out for being controlled with the DS touch screen, and for the central dungeon that you slowly unlock and revisit many times.

Unlike other Zelda games you control Link with just the stylus: pointing to the sides of the screen, and using gestures for moves and attacks. You travel between islands in your upgradable paddle steamer and again direct its course by drawing with the stylus on a sea chart.

As you progress you return many times to the large central dungeon. Although at first, this can feel like repetition, each time you come back your equipment and progress let you shortcut through previous areas and delve further into this puzzling labyrinth. The real-world time influences the game so that new items are delivered each day and some events require you to wait until tomorrow. Also, the Masked Ship that offers rare items only appears during certain daily hours.

The result is a Zelda game that plays to the strengths of the Nintendo DS handheld. The further innovation of the central dungeon and the strong link between the items you find and the dungeon puzzles you solve, make this a really strong experience. It's a particularly good Zelda game for young players.

Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass 10 months ago. It was re-examined by Ellen Robertson and updated 2 weeks ago.

Play StylePlay Style

This is an Adventure, Brain Game and Traversal game with Action, Point-and-Click, Puzzle and Role-Play elements. This is a single-player game.

 
You can play this game in the following styles:

DurationDuration

Play Time: This game will take between 18 hours and 21 hours to complete.

Age RatingsAge Ratings

Content Rating

Rated PEGI 7 for violence.

Rated for younger players in the US. Rated ESRB EVERYONE for Fantasy Violence.

Skill Level

7+ year-olds usually have the required skill to enjoy this game. You need to be able to use the touch screen controls to get around the game world. There's quite a bit of reading and puzzle solving. You need to persist to find aspects of the game and have resilience in dungeons when you are stuck. You are on the clock in the central dungeons which makes it pressured.

CostsCosts

You can only play this on older systems (Nintendo DS) but can usually find it second hand on eBay. There are no additional in-game purchases, loot boxes, adverts or subscription costs.

DetailsGame Details

Release Date: 01/10/2007

Out Now: DS

Skill Rating: 7+ year-olds

Players: 1

Genres: Adventure, Brain Game, Traversal (Action, Point-and-Click, Puzzle and Role-Play)

Accessibility: 0 features documented (Tweet Developer )

Components: 2D Overhead and Cartoon

Developer: Nintendo (@Nintendo)


Taming Gaming Book Written by parents for parents, the database complements the in-depth discussion about video game addiction, violence, spending and online safety in the Taming Gaming book. We are an editorially independent, free resource without adverts that is supported by partnerships.

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