I typically enjoy well-timed breaks in the fourth wall. They highlight life’s bizarreness and remind us not to take ourselves or the tasks to which we set ourselves too seriously. So, as I sailed the high seas in Phantom Hourglass, I was pleased to discover a fourth wall break in the form of a massive floating island version of the console I held in my hands. As we celebrate DS Week, what better place to explore than a location modeled after the DS itself. Welcome to Dee Ess Island.
Found awash in the southernmost part of the Southeastern Sea, Dee Ess Island rises on the horizon as a black magnanimous monolith. Upon approach, Linebeck exclaims that the island does not appear on any charts and suggests checking it out. Hard to believe a giant gaming console floating in the ocean has never been noticed before (and why an uncharted island would already have a dock built), but we’ll go with it. As the S.S. Linebeck docks at the newfound land, any doubts that Link had set foot on a large-scale DS sail off as the map and the name of the isle appear.
Dee Ess Island is a faithful representation of the handheld system. The dock resembles the stylus partially extended from its chamber. Two large pits, one in the upper section of the island and one in the lower section, mark the dual screens. Blocks in the shapes of plus signs on the lower east and west sides mimic the d-pad and buttons. Even the name is just the phonetic spelling of DS, although somehow spelling it out adds an exotic flare.
Many treasures can be found on Dee Ess Island. Poking the Gossip Stone will prompt it to tell Link that “something is buried under the lower screen’s Menu button.” Going to the lower left corner of the bottom “screen” of the island and digging with the shovel will reveal a Courage Gem. Link can obtain a second Courage Gem by defeating the two Hinox that are bumbling about in the pit in the upper part of the island. By the way, if you look at how Dee Ess Island appears when you approach from the sea, going to the upper portion of island would mean that Link is now standing horizontally. Gravity must be distorted on Dee Ess Island.
If gems weren’t enough (and let’s be honest, they’re never enough for Link), Dee Ess Island also hides lots of rupees. Three hundred of them await Link if he goes to where the microphone is located on the DS and the player blows into the actual mic. Well played, Nintendo. How someone ever discovered this is beyond me. Link can also collect a variety of rupees by digging up holes around the isle, but he will also encounter a fair share of Ropes and beehives. I mean really, what did he expect?
There’s also a Goron stationed on Dee Ess Island, but if Link talks to him before visiting the Goron homeland, he will tell Link that preparations for his game are not complete and to return later. After sojourning to Goron Island, clearing the Temple of Ice, and receiving Gongoron’s letter informing Link he has traveled to Dee Ess Island for part-time employment, Link can return to find the Goron Game up and running. For the low, low price of fifty rupees, Link can direct a balled-up Gongoron around the island in an attempt to break crystals on the way to the finish line. Crashing through all the crystals and reaching the end before time runs out will cause the game operator to reward Link with a random ship part, treasure, or rupees. However, beat the course in under thirty-five seconds and Link will win a Bombchu Bag, increasing the amount of Bombchus he can carry. And we all know that the more explosions, the better.
Dee Ess Island is a quirky location best known as a comedic homage to the system it’s named after. As a fan of unexpected breaks in the fourth wall, this was enough for a positive review in my book. However, the island also contains plenty of secrets to make exploration enjoyable beyond its facade. Perhaps Nintendo will decide to include something like this in a future Zelda title. Switch Mountain in the Breath of the Wild sequel, anyone?
