phantom hourglass is underrated

[@BigBossSalvo]

Howdy! If you happen to be watching this then thanks! And also it'd be crazy cool if you check out my channel and maybe sub if'n ya want! I'm working on new stuff all the time and I'd love to see ya around these parts again.

[@KarlButIWishIWasntMarx]

Where’s the wind water vid?

[@SinisterShrink]

There was one boss fight where the boss itself is invisible, but the top screen showed you the boss' POV as it moved around. I remember that blowing my mind as a kid and it was such a fun and unique fight. And then there was that puzzle with a map, where you actually had to close your DS and open it again to transfer details onto your map or something. They really made use of the medium the game was played on in such interesting ways.

[@BigBossSalvo]

100% they really thought outside the box with it man. This game rules

[@kwispy9932]

that boss was so amazing lmao

[@puppie569]

I solved the map puzzle by accident actually. I got frustrated with it so I took a break and closed my DS. When I came back, the puzzle was solved XD

[@paburopasillas7783]

that's chameleos from monster hunter 🤨🤨

[@utok_bulinaw6950]

Yo that sun shit i literally closed it giving up and after wanting to try it again cause an idea popped up my brain the seal was on the map

[@noisepollution4473]

Temple of the Ocean King is one of my favorite things in all of Zelda. I think it's just polarizing... but most people hate it. And unfortunately they're probably never going to revisit the idea in a major way again. But I personally love revisiting that place with new tools and trying to get through it more and more efficiently.

[@watchf]

Me too, people hated it too much but that doesn’t mean that it didn’t get a little annoying after a while

[@philharmonicestuary]

Finally, I see someone else appreciate it, probably my second favorite Zelda dungeon after stone tower temple

[@littlemoth4956]

@@watchf You go through it like 3, 4 times? With new floors and shortcuts nearly every time? It's not that bad.

[@watchf]

@@littlemoth4956 5 times

[@az-kalaak6215]

you visit the dungeon 5 times (one for each map + one for bellum) but you can actually visit it only 4 times. The last 2 maps can be retrieved during a single run if you already know the pattern, it's just hard af since you don't have the grappling hook

[@RedJoker200]

I played Phantom Hourglass before I got involved with the fandom. It’s a fantastic game when you don’t have some guy in your ear telling you it’s bad.

[@thechugg4372]

I didnt even know it was hated before this video, I thought people will see it as mid at best

[@tumultuousv]

Mostly it just being on the DS and the control scheme was hated. Which is fair enough. Some people have bigger hands and it would get in the way. Eat.

[@tumultuousv]

Ect

[@RZ_2K]

I fucking loved PH, it was my first zelda game and exposure to the series, i played ST and same thing, loved it from start to end (arguably more than PH), even playing some of the other zelda games i still have those fuzzy feelings more in the DS games than the more newer ones, i still have yet to play wind waker though so i will hop on that asap

[@DrsJacksonn]

Same here. I get that people might not like its control scheme after what previous handheld titles established. But just looking at the game itself, it's just a fantastic game and one of the best DS titles. And graphically impressive for the platform too.

[@Dana_N_Collects]

Great video! Phantom Hourglass was my first Zelda game, so with no previous Zelda experience, I was floored by the amount of freedom and exploration the game gives. Also, I was hoping Tropical Slacking would be your secret song. 😂

[@5ilverstreak854]

same! although to this day, even though I have never finished a single Legend of Zelda game, in phantom hourglass, I can proudly say I made it the closest to completion! might blow the dust off my cart and see if my file is still there so I can save Hyrule for the first time! heck, I even still have the custom gold ds lite that came with the bundle I got for Christmas! (albeit the top screen is broken and the stylus is missing...)

[@CyanStreakYT]

same i didnt even know what am i doin on a ship

[@cameroncole2695]

Same, I managed to beat the game due to exploring only because I couldn’t read

[@sammich1009]

The DS games were my first introductions to Zelda and hold such a special place in my heart. I agree they’re not the best in the franchise, but they deserve some love too haha. This video does that wonderfully

[@beccacroce7380]

Mine were a mix of that and Twilight Princess on Wii. Dad tried playing it, but didn't like playing as the wolf, so he just left the game in a closet until my sister found it.

[@dice5709]

@@beccacroce7380 Exactly the same with me. Played Hourglass and Twilight Princess. Especially Twilight Princess blew my mind. The Dungeons were the best of the franchise

[@roxasfrevr]

Big saaaame

[@VictorinoL42712]

I loved the game growing up, It’s not nearly as bad as people make it out to be.

[@joeytheboobear8032]

Better then spirit’s tracks

[@sirreginaldfishingtonxvii6149]

@@joeytheboobear8032 *spirit tracks nostalgia anger* ):

[@darkpendulumsystem]

@@joeytheboobear8032 I beg to differ

[@chimp9465]

ive only played it with the mod that makes it have actual controls... I dont like the touch screen controls as it originally was, but otherwise its not bad

[@arzfan29]

@@joeytheboobear8032 spirit tracks literally fixes every single issue phantom hourglass has, like the ocean king tower and the music

[@josephn1000]

I really love Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks. I still remember playing them on the train and having to subtly cough into my DS because the game wanted me to yell into the microphone but I didn’t want to be yelling like a madman on the train lol.

[@cyanknight2749]

As much as people don't agree, Spirit Tracks is my all time favourite Zelda game. (Yes I've played MM, BotW, WW and MC) The world, characters, soundtrack, presentation and story really stand out among the rest of the series in the best way possible. (The tower of spirits is one of the best dungeons in the series.) It's a fully underrated game similar to Phantom Hourglass, give it a re-visit when possible!

[@regretinglifechoices5519]

gotta agree with your take on how the story stood out among the rest of the series, spirit tracks is my all time favorite zelda game too and a big part of that is the fact that zelda is an actual companion and there's an actual bond forming throughout the whole game. you go through thick and thin with her, she quite literally saves your life taking over the phantom armor in the first segment of the tower of spirits and throughout the game there's a few fights where you need to team up with her, notably the 2 lizalfos battles, bryne and obviously the 2 last phases of the final boss. i feel like it's such a spin on the classical damsel in distress zelda or mario games always have that made the sequences where you fought with her or celebrated your victories simply were that much more charming and memorable.

[@nonenothingnull]

master cuest

[@chatdos9]

Simple question. Is it your very first zelda game you completed? Don’t get me wrong, I really like the DS games. Even if I was a little disappoint at the time (forgive the 12 years old me) because I finished it In 3 days. I ask you this because I think my favorites (at least, the games I have most feelings for) zelda are Link’s awakening for 2D games and Wind Waker for 3D. And they are respectively of their representation my first zelda games.

[@LexouDuck]

While I agree that Spirit Tracks really nails the "keep coming back to this one dungeon to progress a little further each time" aspect, which Phantom Hourglass kinda fails at. I would argue that this is very much because you have ghost-zelda who gives you a tool to work with in the dungeon, instead of feeling powerless to beat the knights littered all around. On the other hand though, lots of exploration/freedom is lost because of the titular train mechanic, which attempts to make world-traversal a slow-paced on-rails puzzle minigame rather than actual "free exploration" - i think the Phantom Hourglass boat handles this better. Also, Phantom Hourglass has a better inventory of items, in the sense that all of your items will be of use in many situations, outside of dungeons. I think it is not the mark of good game design when items are only used in the dungeon where you get them (remember the sand wand ??? its like Spirit Tracks didn't understand the lesson from Twilight Princess' mistakes...)

[@1800mexicano]

facts, spirit tracks has the story, it has the music. one of if not the best zelda games. got it formy 11th or 12th birthday

[@AmekDzbanek]

I looove how people started to make videos about PH and admit it was actally good recently! Really enjoyed watching yours, it's short but very on point. Phantom Hourglass is one of my fave Zelda games, I've enjoyed it at lot and Linebeck is my favorite Zelda character! PH was probably like the third zelda game I've finished and the second one I've did 100% of! I was very proud of myself lol I'm glad you came back to it after so many years!

[@Izelikestea]

Hourglass may not be the best, objectively speaking. But i think its noteworthy for how accessible it was. The entry level hardware, the stylus controls, ability to take notes, and plot routes made it a dream for a noob gamer kid like me who wasn't great at learning button combos. But it never felt dumbed down or kiddified either. Some of the puzzles still blow my mind. Granted its not for everyone. But It will always be my first zelda. And the first game I ever completed from beginning to end. And I love it dearly.

[@marcosmunoa6453]

I remember wanting this one specifically because my elementary school library had the manga adaptation and I would always check it out. This ended up being the first Zelda game I ever played.

[@hoot1106]

Phantom Hourglass and Spitit Tracks were my first Zelda games my 9 year old self loved them so so much and finished them multiple times, imagine my surprise when I eventually played TP, SS, OoT and then Wind Waker in particular! My then 12 year old mind couldn’t handle how different PH and ST were in comparison. I replayed them last year and I gotta say they have a lot of charm and remain very special to me. And while I think Midna is the best companion I believe Linebeck is the second best he’s so funny and his development is also great! So yeah PH underrated

[@blisslen]

This is a pretty old video, but I figured I'd leave a comment since phantom hourglass was one of the first Zelda games I'd played, as a kid, and still holds a special place for me. One of my favorite memories is of the puzzle where you had to transfer a mark from a stele on the top screen to the map on your bottom screen. My cousin and I had racked our brains for ages trying to figure it out, and eventually got called for lunch. We closed the DS, ate lunch, and went right back to the puzzle. The look on our faces when we open the DS and heard the jingle play... 😂

[@babythorgaming2166]

"Phantom hourglass is not anyone's favorite Zelda" Lies, its still my favorite. It was my first and it has all of the unfair advantages that comes with that. Super good video btw! Love hearing people's thoughts of one of my favorite games of all time

[@cactusrosi1409]

I'll never forget the day that a guy in my class was stuck on the temple part where you had to use the neat mechanic of closing the screen and opening the pathway. I remember feeling so amazed that I figured it out by myself as I told him that's what u gotta do and he was like "oh!"

[@anderssteen_]

Just finished replaying it probably 10 years after I first played it, and I agree on most of your points except I really like the Temple of the Ocean King (I enjoy optimizing). BUT HOLY SHIT WHY IS NOBODY TALKING ABOUT THE LINEBECK-BELLUM FIGHT. The entire game the player is taught to never over-extend and press their luck, that it is bad to blindly slash at large foes, and you'll probably end up taking damage if you do. At the same time, many large enemies make heavy attacks that allow the player to get a hit in afterwards. What are you meant to do against Linebeck-Bellum? Slash and slash and slash and you win. Why, at the very final phase of the game, when all you're left with is your sword and your know-how, are you forced to follow different rules than the ones that have been established? This caused me tons of frustration and left a bitter taste after finishing the game, and I haven't seen this opinion expressed elsewhere (hence the rant here). Great video!

[@BigBossSalvo]

That's super interesting! Definitely not something I've put a lot of thought into. I suppose I was so taken by the linebeck drama that it never occurred to me lmao Also definitely can understand why someone would enjoy the TOTOC, I think I just have a negative lean towards it because of my childhood experience Thanks for watching the video!

[@funny-guppy-gaming]

fun fact about phantom hourglass and linebeck: akin to links awakening, all of phantom hourglass takes place within a sort of alternate realm or dream, but come the end of the story, linebeck ends up leaving the realm with link through a deal made with the ocean king. he could have had anything from that wish, but instead chose to go with his friend. i love that about him. hes genuinely one of my favorite zelda companions because he actually has a character arc where he grows as a person and ends up finding friends and learning to care about people other than himself.

[@lpfan4491]

Linebeck is honestly the best kind of "useless sidekick" because it is both played for humor and he also kinda isn't(We are using his boat afterall). That he ends up saving link's life at the end and helps create new hyrule offscreen is a great endpoint to the shared journey.

[@rehmanmir7865]

Great video!!! This was super quality video that hit a lot of nostalgic spots for me. I really loved how you showcased some of the games tracks, very underrated arrangements of some beloved classics! I might have to dig up my old copy of this game to revisit it!

[@starbutter2730]

I actually didnt get to play this gem until a couple years ago when i was 19 ish and man i really love it. The story, characters and world are sooo charming. It, Sprit Tracks and Wind Waker were games thta i didnt get the chance to play beforehand bc ive never had a gamecube but tbh ik that doesnt matter bc its never too late to jump into these awesome games. Also i just recently found your channel, I really love your casual but genuine tone.

[@yoshi4ever122]

Same here. Back at the end of 2019/through the start of 2020, I had an opportunity to play this game. Having never properly played a LoZ game before, I decided to give it a shot. And man am I glad I did, because this game is easily my favorite in the series, and one of the best games I've ever played.

[@starbutter2730]

@@yoshi4ever122 It just gives you that warm fuzzy feeling lol

[@ryyyyyylie]

Phantom Hourglass is probably in my top 3 Zelda games. I played it when I was a kid as well and got frustrated with TotOK, so I had never finished it up until recently. I wasn't able to appreciate how much of a leap forward it was for Zelda, even though I had started that back half where things really started to get juicy. As you put it yourself, the control scheme and the ability to have two screens allowed for a lot of really novel mechanics. Couple that with it being one of the first and only Zelda games that really honed in, not necessarily on just having good, interesting characters, but having good character growth, and it's a recipe for a more mature, character driven game, vs the classic formula of "save the world get the girl". Twilight princess did this to some degree with Midna where she became more friendly and caring about link over the course of the game but for the most part she was still characterized as a spunky imp that exists to be the titular character and guide us to where we need to go. Like an upgraded Navi. The only other games that I can think of where they put an emphasis on character growth as deep as they did in Phantom Hourglass would have to be it's sister game Spirit Tracks, with Zelda herself, andd Skyward Sword. #GrooseGang! Pretty much every other Zelda game out there relies on static characters that didn't change as you played through the game, even Breath of the Wild. Characters simply aren't kept around or interacted with enough for them to become a factor in the story, functioning more as pushes towards the next area, or the next character interaction. I do have to concede though that Zelda has never been a character or plot driven series so it becomes difficult to expect that kind of depth in a game where breadth is so much more valued. Excellent video, I'm glad that people are finally coming around and playing this game again and appreciating it's deviation from how the series normally plays, and spent more time on exploring the "what if we do this" aspect of making games.

[@swishfish8858]

Phantom Hourglass.

[@mjgamerboy]

This video only makes me appreciate more that I went to the effort to finish this game when I was a kid. It really does get better when you appreciate it as a whole. Great video, my only criticism is the audio quality/vocal delivery. I look forward to your other videos.

[@hajilee4539]

Oh man this video is so underrated. There really isn't any positive videos on Phantom Hour Glass, and you did a marvelous job!

[@BigBossSalvo]

Hey thanks so much!

[@puline397]

@Hajilee pretty sure Linkus7 made a positive Phantom Hourglass video sometime recently (two years ago, i can’t believe it’s been that long), if you were interested:)

[@altirianfairyalchemyst]

PHANTOM HOURGLASS IS LITERALLY MY CHILDHOOD. I love Phantom Hourglass and I love the characters so much.

[@dieselrichardson9055]

I had a similar experience with windwaker as I’m sure many people did as a kid, but phantom hourglass and spirit tracks were a huge part of my childhood, since I ended up playing them a lot - - Lineback is also my favorite side character in the legend of Zelda, both “generations”

[@ProjectGamerYT]

The Wind Waker is a masterpiece, even 20 years later it still looks and plays great. A timeless artstyle.

[@morbean4591]

phantom hourglass was my first ever zelda game and even since playing all the others it still holds a really special place in my heart. it's just so unique with the touch controls and just it's incredible use of the ds's hardware in general

[@loganc.2824]

This was my first Zelda game ever, and solidified my love for the series. I remember my dad handing his DS and this game down to me, and I fell in love with the story, especially Linebeck. I have such fond memories associated with this game, and I’ll always defend it. In fact I still have my OG copy, with my dad’s original save file still intact. Love this little game.

[@BigBossSalvo]

That's such a sweet memory man heck yeah

[@harukaf.n.1994]

Phantom Hourglass was my first ever Zelda game and it has a lot of nostalgic value. It had very unique uses of the ds system. I remember I got stuck for a very long time in the dungeon where you have acces to the sun key map location. I think the first time my cousin told me the answer, but for the second time I replayed the game I completely forgot about it until I accidentally closed my ds one day without turning it off, and to my surprise when I see the location transcribed in my map. My small mind blew. After that, I always tried to close my ds to see if that would solve a puzzle in any game. I think the only game that had this was Hotel Dusk 215. After playing other zelda games I get why this one isn't so liked, but I think it was a neat introduction to the fantastic world of puzzle solving of this franchise.

[@sbboh-kcin]

thats almost the exact way my brother solved that puzzle! our mom told him to pause the game, so he just closed it instead, then heard the jingle while she was talking. Sure enough it worked.

[@alfie_coates]

What a trip down memory lane man. Stuck in the house with a cold this weekend and this big dose of nostalgia really cheered me up. First Zelda game I ever played.

[@dayru_ru]

Really appreciate the DS games having its defenders; I always feel like a crazy person by thinking they are actually great. Great video too! Love your delivery and humor

[@Hanshotchewie]

Phantom hourglass will always be special to me as it was my first zelda game. I really enjoyed it as a teen and it was the doorway that introduced me to this amazing franchise. I still remember my frustrations in trying to figure out that puzzle where you need to press the map together, after an hour of trying to figure it out, I closed the ds and left it on overnight. After I woke up and opened it, seeing the puzzle solved by pressing the map together had my jaw wide open for a while.. it had just blew my mind that nintendo could use the actual hardware in the game itself.

[@typoriver3651]

The phantom Hourglass was my first Zelda, since I never had nintendo consoles growing up. But I did have a DS!

[@MoonyTheBat]

I actually really liked the Temple of the Ocean King, mainly because kid me really got a kick out of intentionally getting seen by the knights and then running for my life to the nearest safe area lol.

[@schnek8927]

I’ll never understand why so many people despise the Temple of the Ocean King. I legitimatelly think it’s great, both in atmosphere and design. It’s a unique change of pace from the other dungeons, and not just because of the Phantoms that roam it. (Always loved the Phantoms, everything about them is awesome) Going back with new gear and techniques to find new secrets and paths each time is *EXACTLY* what Zelda games (or any games with unlockable tools/items) *SHOULD* do! It’s fantastic! One of my favourite parts or any Zelda game, is seeing unique things that i cannot yet interact with yet, and *NO* Zelda game has done it better than PH and ST. It’s entirely unrivaled. It’s such a wonderfull way to spark curiosity in the player, and the satisfaction in finally returning with the right tool for the job is really nice! My only real problem with this game as a whole, is the difficulty... Or rather, that there is no difficulty... In a perfect world, this game would have a modding community, and someone would create a hard-mode for it, with more complex enemy attacks, more damage taken, and *faster phantoms!* >:)

[@_Teej_264]

I always thought that temple was a fun way to see how new tools and willingness to explore could save time and create memorable encounters when you go deeper

[@puline397]

Couldn’t agree more and couldn’t say it better myself! Oh boy, hard mode Phantom Hourglass, the way you described it, sounds amazing! >:D

[@thefirely1439]

My first Zelda game. I remember just sitting in the main menu listening to the amazing music😂

[@stacers2077]

my guy, you have a LOVELY speaking voice ❤ ive definitely heard certain cc's that sound like they just dosed up on nyquil and ambien, but your voice is perfectly balanced, relaxing to listen to but a lovely cadence and performance ♥️

[@NotNoah84]

My first ever Zelda game so it will always hold a special place in my heart

[@gdcolwell]

I loved your video. Your humour is awesome and I loved how you sprinkled some footage of the game’s commercials (which I totally forgot about). The ds lite era’s marketing aesthetic was just cool

[@atvacs]

Phantom Hourglass was my first Zelda game, and it got me hooked on the series

[@tinyetoile5503]

Another "Phantom Hourglass was my first Zelda game" here! Since I had no idea Wind Waker existed until years later, I ended up constructing my own plot from the opening cutscene where they explain the backstory. I called the Ganondorf paper cutout "Lord Ominous" and hilariously enough, my backstory for Link also gave him a little sister by sheer coincidence... but she was pretty different from Aryll. She wore an outfit like Link's, but dark blue. Because that was my favourite colour at the time. Also, discovering an unmapped island was MINDBLOWING shit when I was 7. It genuinely felt like no one else in the world had seen this before, and that I was the first person experiencing it.

[@pj1343]

it'd be so cool if nintendo could remaster both the two zelda ds titles. i loved playing phantom hourglass and spirit tracks as a kid, man. made plenty of childhood memories playing those games on my DS.

[@hobqueer]

Omg FINALLY A VIDEO ABOUT THE DS ZELDA GAMES! My first one was Spirit Tracks, which I LOVED! Also happy 200 subs!

[@bronzeinkwell2590]

I actually liked the Ocean King Temple, yet to hear so many people disliking is a bit understandable when they give their reasoning. But each time you go through you have new tools to quicken the pace of the Temple, to the point that if you really try your best and get all the gold pots at percise timing, you can clear the temple with a full 25 minute hourglass. It made for a fun challenge trying to conserve as much time as possible while simultaneously going out of my way to collect the gold pots necessary to do this. So if you don't like the repetitive temple, then try making challenges for yourself each time you go through it. Kill all phantoms. Kill no phantoms. Never get spotted. Speedrun the temple. Never enter a safe zone (unless it forces you to to move forward). There are many fun self imposed challenges you can do to try and liven up the experience.

[@TheUndeadNinja]

Thank you for this video! I loved this game as a kid, and having replayed it recently, it's one of my all-time favs. I really do think it's a masterpiece of game design, the way it builds up your progress in layers, each one making you feel more powerful & more clever. The difference in player experience when you first enter the main temple (phantoms are terrifying, oh my god they're after me help) as opposed to the final time (I am a god, cower before me) is one of the most satisfying things I've experienced in any video game. And it utilized the DS' capabilities in really fun and clever ways, without coming off as annoying or gimmicky (unlike Spirit Tracks, which kind of dropped the ball in that regard IMO). Anyway, awesome game, everyone should play it.

[@smery_]

Thank you for this video as there isn't really any with positive comments on this game It was my first, it's not my favourite as of now (MM is, I love the concept), but it was a positive experience for me. In fact I tried to finish it 100% many times before, but failed because I can't find the red/blue/green "gems" to upgrade the sword The boss battles are creative The characters are remarkable and have personality And I love Temple of Ocean King: the concept of the hourglass, the fact that unlocking new things would also unlock new paths (and I love to find all of them!) A truly underrated game

[@sasathrowaway]

it’s sad to hear that so many people disliked phantom hourglass. it was one of my favorite games as a kid, and was a huge comfort to me. even as an adult, i still love to replay it.

[@sasathrowaway]

phantom hourglass was the game that made me restless in school because i would be so excited to get home so that i could continue playing. :’)

[@sasathrowaway]

i didn’t get to play spirit tracks until i was 17, but i still loved it just as much, if not more! it would be a 10/10 game for me if it didn’t require you to blow into the screen so much. i’d feel so light headed every time i had to use an instrument lol

[@YoruEcchi]

@@sasathrowaway The flute gimmick was cute but caused me a lot of bullshit cause my DS just wouldn’t register I was blowing into it most of the time

[@toonlinkunknown7667]

Did you know, Bellum, the final boss, gets his name from the Latin word "bellum", which means "war"?

[@UltraAryan10]

Phantom Hourglass was my first Zelda and it really gets good the more you play it and I totally agree that its underrated. Even Spirit Tracks is really underrated for how fun it is though its much better near the early game but isn't paced that well in my oponion.

[@linkheroofwinds]

Phantom Hourglass was my first Zelda game, so I had the reverse experience of playing Wind Waker afterward and having it exceed my expectations

[@agingersopinion4820]

Phantom Hourglass was my very first Zelda game and very first DS game at all, so to this day it has a special place in my heart and I love it

[@James-yk5ge]

idk how i missed zelda games growing up, but my first zelda wound up being phantom hourglass. I didnt know much about other zelda games and I loved phantom hourglass.

[@TheNetflixGamer]

Gosh your introduction of wind waker was so good, this game means a lot to me as well and I love knowing that others have had the same experience

[@MrWhygodwhy]

I particularity loved the cave theme, which played in every cave and nearly every dungeon.

[@Levi_The_One_The_Only]

I love how soft and calm your voice is it's such a nice change compared to every other ZeldaTubers SUPER EXCITED AHHH IN YOUR FACE AHHHH voice lol. It's just like I'm hearing a friend talk.

[@tobedetermined1564]

Phantom Hourglass was my introduction to TLOZ. It was my brothers game but i really took to it and played it more than he did. It always makes me think of my brother and even if it wasn't for the memory of him, the game is still fantastic. My favorite TLOZ game of all time.

[@LilTofu]

Amazing video! I hope this blows up more than it already has because yes, phantom hourglass DOES need more love

[@shea5421]

I adored this game growing up and replayed it probably a dozen times. It was always something I came back to when I had a little spare time, or we were going on a road trip or something

[@PK-cg5ej]

ah mannn, hearing island life takes me back to christmas when i got this game all those years ago... permanently solidified in my head. I really enjoyed this video and share a lot of the same sentiments that you had, especially with the initial disappoint of this game in comparing it to my favorite of all time, the Wind Waker. It definitely had its flaws, but I think it holds up pretty well looking back now! The ghost ship too really stands out in my memory as well.

[@alejandrobenavides766]

About three years ago I decided to play every single-player Zelda game from start to finish, and promised to myself that I wouldn’t skip a single one… but being Wind Waker also my favorite video game of all time I couldn’t stand the DS games and ended up skipping them. You made me want to finish phantom hourglass with lowered expectations. Great vid!

[@SUPERIORPRODUCTIONSfilms]

This is the game that got me into Zelda

[@swarple]

I grew up in a house where no one played video games. My parents have never touched video games. I never touched a console game until I was like nine. And I’m a girl, so when I was young, most of the games I knew were the ones marketed at our demographic, like Nintendogs, and Barbie games, and the really bad Ubisoft fashion games. I was in fourth grade when a friend of mine found this game. She showed it to me, and I was so excited, because I had never seen anything like it. Up until this point, I really hadn’t seen video games used as a storytelling medium. The possibility of such a thing had never occurred to me. I begged my parents for this game and one day, when we were about to get in the car to take a long drive to the beach for vacation, they surprised me with a copy. I still remember sitting in the hotel lobby while they checked in, playing the game and being blown away. A lot of gamers either have gamer parents or were exposed to games from a very young age, so this is nothing new for them. But for me it was something completely novel. I don’t play Nintendo games anymore, but if it weren’t for Phantom Hourglass I don’t think I’d be the gamer I am today. So I’m indebted to it. Seriously.

[@BigBossSalvo]

This is an extremely cool perspective, thank you for sharing!

[@Dengres]

I bought PH this year again after having lost my childhood copy years ago. I wanted to replay it even though over the years I had come to the idea that it wasn't a good game. After finishing it I was surprised at how much I actually enjoyed it still. I liked it as a kid but it being my first Zelda and the online debate around it made me question that over the years. It's not the best Zelda for sure but it's still a really good time imo.

[@BigBossSalvo]

Just want to say: where in the world did all of y'all come from this video had like 300 views for like 4 months lmao Thanks so much to everyone that's subscribed as well, just an insane feeling to go from 30 to almost 700!

[@c418vgytre]

Congrats man you made a great video and deserve it so I hope it gets even more picked up and watched.

[@instinctonline6875]

Lets go viral bro!

[@SupermonkeyPlaysMC]

Not sure where, but I’m brand new. And imma say this RN. I connect and love the. Content and whole heartedly have a past with windwaker and it acting as my escape. Brother PLEASE make the windwaker video

[@munchimoo]

lets gooooo the algorithm has found you ❤ love the content so far!!!

[@Younecorn]

This came up in my suggested! I watch a lot of deep dive type videos and yours popped up. Great content! Subscribed.

[@pixelee3890]

Phantom hourglass was my first zelda game ever and also one of the first games i owned. The zelda series has some of my favorite games and I have so much nostalgia for them. Never finished phantom hourglass as a kid, but it has left an impact on my gaming experience :)

[@weesedaboi8663]

Oh nice a second person besides me who likes Phantom Hourglass! Jokes aside, I still remember being absolutely blown away by the finale of the game as a kid and still cherish my original cartridge to this day

[@toonbax3]

This is my favorite childhood game for sure! And I actually really enjoyed the Ocean Temple. My own speedrunning game haha

[@yoshi4ever122]

The ocean temple is so based, I had so much fun revisiting it and going through it faster and faster each time. Think my best was somewhere between 2-4 minutes, but that could be wrong. It's been a while since I last played it so I don't remember the exact time.

[@vaughnhaney7020]

My main issue playing this game was the final boss (mechanics spoilers ahead) That STUPID hourglass drawing requirement... I spent like a whole hour trying different ways to get it to just take my drawings and it just WOULDN'T! In the end, I did manage to beat it, and realized the problem was actually that i was drawing the hourglass shape TOO accurately (I'd like to note that I'm a digital artist and animator, so I can draw simple-ish shapes fairly accurately in a split second, and an hourglass counts as simple-ish). In the end, I basically actually had to draw a sort of Z shape. But that's the angriest I've ever gotten at a Zelda game, and the closest I've gotten to just straight up quitting without beating it. It drove me crazy that I was essentially too good at the mechanic for it to actually work :/ Currently I'm going through every main Zelda game (and by that, I mean basically just look at the timeline then add A Link Between Worlds and Tri Force Heroes) trying to beat it normally, then I'm going to replay most of them to get 100% (if there's not a substantial difference between completion and 100% such as Four Swords then I won't replay. I'm also not gonna 100% BOTW, don't have the patience for the Korok hunt). That final boss is the only thing making me dread Phantom Hourglass- every other 3D game that I've already played I'm looking forward to, including Spirit Tracks

[@Hanshotchewie]

I found that drawing the number 8 works with an almost guaranteed success. Its enough of the hourglass shape to work, and simple enough to draw quickly. Hopefully this helps. Edit. Start at the top left of the 8, and go left and down for making the 8, that way link ends with a spin.

[@-memoria-2136]

Okay but the image of Link just furiously scribbling a perfect masterpiece of an hourglass only to whacked on the head is really funny

[@flightarrowbear]

Been feeling pretty crappy today, hearing someone remind me of how nice this game was definitely helped. Thanks for helping me cope with life a little bit by reminding me that parts of my childhood will live on in my favorite games (Spirit Tracks was my first Zelda game, and probably Phantom Hourglass next)

[@FTIStudios]

So happy that this video came up on our suggested feed! It is always a great day when I find someone else who agrees that Wind Waker is the greatest game in the series! You gave me a new perspective on Phantom Hourglass as well! Always ignored playing it when I was a kid, but I'm seriously considering picking it up and giving it a go! Amazing video! Can't wait to binge the rest of them!

[@auricdex8270]

This was my first, and favorite, zelda game, though I haven't played many. There's a checkpoint room halfway down the temple of the ocean king, and I once managed to get a time of 0 by using the yellow pots, and to this day I still don't know how I pulled it off.

[@saffronnie3969]

"The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is not anyone's favourite Zelda" HOLD UP! NO NO NO NO!!!! No! WRONG! I literally clicked on this video BECAUSE it's my fave Zelda! How could you!

[@kohai-kun9261]

I never realized people didn't like Phantom Hourglass :T I thought was sick growing up, lost count of how many times I played through it

[@AlInGaP_Diode]

was my first zelda and loved every second of it back then. I was a dumby too tho, didn't know there was a microphone on the ds as a little kid so spent a year periodically going back and trying to figure out how to get into the first dungeon.

[@researcherchameleon4602]

This was my first Zelda game, my grandma got it from the (I think she said Walmart return section, but it could also be from the local thrift store), she got it as a grab bag of other DS games in a white plastic cartridge book, and I loved this game (also, I pieced together that I could solve puzzles faster with new items immediately because I remembered the odd cracked blocks that cut off the first floor with phantoms were the same as the ones in the fire temple)

[@k.b.7718]

Thank you! Even being not high on WW myself, PH has been one of my favorites as soon as I got through the first 2 dungeons. Unfortunately ST has turned out to be an unbearable drag for me.

[@cosmicredpanda2420]

Phantom Hourglass wasn’t the first zelda game I played, but it’s accessibility made it the first in the series I managed to get past a single dungeon in. Largely because I found the controls more accessible. It’s too bad it’s not talked of more. While I wish the ghost ship and other elements to the antagonist where expanded on more, I still feel like your traveling companions and it’s humor carry it a long way. Heck, even Ciela manages to have a story arc of her own, even though fairy companions tend to have little focus on them. I do wish the scrapped concepts you mentioned made it into the game . I’m curious to see what PH would look like if those concepts were implemented as additional content along with an overhaul in the graphics and overworld.

[@penguincjp]

Okamiden is another DS game with an open 3D world I don’t think it’s quite as big as Phantom Hourglass, but still impressive And man, you need more subs! This editing is great! And the actual video is great too! It’s always nice to see people talk about the lesser talked about portable entries in these larger game series

[@BlazeStorm]

Phantom Hourglass was my first Zelda game so it's very special to me. What do you mean nobody's favourite?!? I was that weird kid that people gave their DS to so I could clear the Temple of the Ocean King for them. I got so good at it as some point, and that improvement is what they were aiming for. Still have to play Wind Waker tho, maybe that explains things lol

[@jotadirect6372]

Toon Link: "NoOoOoO!!!, i dont want to be DSificated, please!!...." DS Toon Link: (DS noises*) (Cant make clear sounds, the speakers are low quality*))

[@TheShrimpWizard]

Both phantom hourglass and spirit tracks are amazing gems

[@captainuber3542]

When I was little I was broke and all my gaming experience was relegated to last gen consoles or gifts from relatives. I still remember my first non 2nd hand console, it was the ds lite phantom hourglass bundle. I loved that game and played it 20 times over, now after this video imma go play it again for old times sake.

[@BigBossSalvo]

Awesome! I'm really happy to gift that nostalgia

[@iamsheel]

0:29 you're missing out on the best ones. The Oracles have the best 2d worlds in them with great stories and side quests. FSA is meh but it's not long anyway, and way way better than triforce heroes.

[@WCircuit7224]

Fr Oracle of Ages is one of my favorite Zelda games

[@Tracequaza]

great video, really appreciate being brought back to this game. thinking about it now it's honestly one of the most bold games in the series with how many unique ideas it tried, whether or not the execution worked. i mean you have the exploration, the temple of the ocean king, drawing notes on the map, the invisible crab boss, i really like a lot of these ideas. i want to replay the game now lol. i still havent played wind waker unfortunately but PH being one of my first zeldas will always have a special place for me. spirit tracks is great too but I feel phantom hourglass is often unfairly written off as the worse one in favour of ST. "minish cap is the most underrated zelda" I know this is pedantic but has anyone ever disliked minish cap? James Rolfe makes a distinction between underrated and underviewed/played which i think is important for this topic. Minish Cap while severely underplayed, I think is more consistently highly rated than games like PH or Zelda 2 (2 of my favourites)

[@WaterDragonGames4]

Phantom Hourglass was my first Zelda, all the way back when I got the Special edition DS, the gold one with the triforce on the front. It has been and will always continue to be my favorite Zelda game, and it's version of the 'Great Sea' OST is one of my favorite Zelda OST's, followed by Spirit Tracks' main overworld theme. I know it's nostalgia, but still. Awesome game.

[@GoofballPaul]

1:58 false, it is MY favourite Zelda. At least pre-BoTW...

[@BigBossSalvo]

Good opinion GoofballPaul moment

[@TonyTwoNukes]

Phantom Hourglass will always hold a special place in my heart. It's not perfect, but it's good. I got Phantom Hourglass when I got my DS lite, I also got the guidebook and a cool Phatom Hourglass DS sticker cover. Whenever I think of the DS I will always think of Phantom Hourglass and the countless hours playing it in the car.

[@stefanopacetti4237]

Phantom hourglass was the first Zelda I've ever played. I remember playing it over and over again, while never be able to progress the temple. Finally beaten at age 20, it feels good. It is the perfect game for a ds emulator on your phone thanks to the touch screen controls too

[@angeldelgado2709]

This was my first Zelda game and I love it so much.

[@GanondorfKingofEvil]

Just randomly popped up on my front page, but I figured it'd be interesting to see what you'd say. I was in 7th-8th grade when this game came out. And I've replayed it a few times over the years. While it's been a few years since I've always been willing to defend it. It has its problems with TotOK being the biggest probably. The idea is an interesting one, but it perhaps overstayed its welcome. (Likely why Tower of Spirits in ST had you going to completely different floors directly on each revisit.) That being said one puzzle that has always stuck with me is when you have to close the DS to imprint the Courage symbol onto your map. It's such a Nintendo idea and I love it. The unique usage of the grapple connecting two poles for tightrope walking or jumping is also a very enjoyable experience. And yes. Linebeck becomes one of my favorite characters by the end of the game. (I hate fighting Bellum-Beck due to that. Feels bad man.) His growth is so interesting and I'd love for both PH and ST to get remakes with the WWHD engine they have. Would require changing some things probably for Switch, but yes please.

[@Adowrath]

I know this is an old video, but I'd like to leave some of my experiences here as to why Phantom Hourlgass is one of, if not, the favorite Zelda game to me, despite its flaws. Born in 99, the only prolonged contact to the Zelda Franchise I had really was the GBA port of the NES game. In my country, commercials for video games were barely a thing, and I don't think I ever saw one for a Zelda game at all - but more importantly, I don't think I ever heard of the other Zelda games before except through word of mouth. 2007 and 8 was before I even got onto the internet, but my Dad did gift me a DS Lite (the only other consoles we had were the original Gameboy, two GBAs, and a PS2) and through some way or another (I genuinely don't remember if I bought it with pocket money or I got it gifted) I got Phantom Hourglass as one of my first DS games. This meant that I basically only knew three things: Triforce, Link, sword fighting. Being a pretty alone-child, without many friends I could play other games with or go out often, this world just.. sucked me in. The controls were easy to pick up on, the puzzles were perfect for my age, and still the (over)world had so much to explore. I wanted to find everything I could in this fascinating, huge (to me) world, get the 20 hearts, find all sunken treasures, but most importantly: I wanted to beat the Temple of the Ocean King over and over and over and over again. Each time I felt like I discovered something new, each time I got through it a bit faster (I practically never used the skip-ahead teleports to start midway through), I just had so much fun playing this over and over again with stronger weapons, more tools, or just more knowledge and practice. And the end boss, to this day, is one of my most precious experiences - each time I fought him was tough, I only actually managed to complete it enough times to count on one hand, so each time it felt like a monumental task that I needed to do my best for. PH absolutely has it's flaws, and they are more apparent to me now that I'm an adult than before. But nothing can change those feelings I had, exploring the secrets of this world. The comforting nostalgia the music gives me. I wish I could experience it from scratch once more. Also Spirit Tracks was pretty neat but the panflute can die in a ditch. :)

[@samfinnorchard9838]

Every now and then phantom hourglass and spirit tracks are reawakened from the annals of my childhood memories. Thank u

[@catfacedcryptid]

Growing up I wasn't allowed to play a lot of games, but Phantom Hourglass was my first console game, if not my first video game ever. I may have not gotten around to playing many other games of the series, so maybe I'm also biased because of that, but I don't care, I adore my dinky little DS game. Being pretty young I remember being scared of a few parts of the game, even approaching the first few enemies felt hard. But once I got going, I fell in love and would play and replay it for hours on end - even using the multiplayer mode with my best mate. It's no wonder we enjoyed Spirit Tracks after it as much as we did.

[@gwimbly519]

Fun fact, the last three dungeons can be cleared in any order. So the hook shot can be obtained earlier than it seems.

[@GoopyGum]

Phantom hourglass was my first Zelda game and i could not possibly get away from saying that I love it with all my heart.

[@thelastcookie23]

Every time I hear the music, my brain automatically adds Link's shouting.

[@TheEclipsedLock]

I remember having a lot of fun with this as a kid. I actually went back last year to 100% complete the game and got all of the ship parts! Technically the only thing missing is ranking up in the multiplayer mini game but thats for another time, usually being ignored by 100% runs :P

[@ninjaswordtothehead]

Doing another playthrough of this on my 3DS right now. Wind Waker is probably my favorite, I just wish I could play it on original hardware.

[@nico-tendo261]

I remember as a kid going from wind waker to this wondering why the controlls were so different, and that alone made me not touch it till I picked it back up as an adult