Within the Zelda series, Phantom Hourglass, the first outing on the DS, is probably one of the most overlooked. However, it has the distinguished position of being one of the few direct sequels. While all sequels hold the burden of innovating while keeping within the identity of its predecessors, direct sequels in an anthology series like Zelda have that responsibility doubled to both the series as the whole and to the story it is following up on (in this case, The Wind Waker).
No matter your opinion on Phantom Hourglass, I do think the game accomplishes that Wind Waker feel within its small space through its art direction, sea-based travel, and its music. Having members of Wind Waker’s composition team (Toru Minegishi and Kenta Nagata) return for this game helps the music part out a lot. Take, for example, the theme of the island that Link washes up on after being separated from Tetra and her pirate crew, which becomes the player’s home base.
If one were to drop “Mercay Island” into The Wind Waker’s Great Sea, it would fit in seamlessly. The lilting rhythm based on open intervals can be found all throughout islands like Outset or Windfall. The instrumentation, though limited by the DS’s sound capabilities, matches pretty closely to what was used in its predecessor as well, with woodwinds and the harp being at the forefront. It’s not just this song either. While a few songs do make a return from The Wind Waker, many other songs have this “sequel” feel to them, like the new Great Sea theme.
The staff of Phantom Hourglass did a great job working with what they had to make something that pays homage to The Wind Waker, iterating on not just this game but on Zelda as a whole. It may not succeed at standing out, but sometimes it’s nice to have something that fits right in.
