Phantom Hourglass is my third favorite Zelda game, with The Minish Cap and The Wind Waker in second and first place. As a Zelda collector, I of course want items from my favorite games the most. Some of the merchandise that came with Phantom Hourglass can be difficult to find today if you’re a collector like me. However, I managed to nab an item set almost two decades ago that I haven’t seen together on online auctions in years. This item, or items, in question are the 2007 Phantom Hourglass sound drops distributed by Bandai!
According to a collection blog, these sound drops were Gashapon capsule toys that were most likely exclusively sold in Japan. Gashapon capsule toys and the Zelda series have a lovely history together, producing some of the most fun and widely made Zelda figures and toys. In the past, you could easily find Gashapon toys from the Zelda series as well as various anime series at your local GameStop — many of these toys are still being sold today. As a collector, I appreciate these items for being so accessible, especially for casual collectors.
The Phantom Hourglass sound drops form a set of six, and each plays a unique sound effect from the game when pressed.
The red drop has a Piece of Heart on it and makes the sound of Link receiving a new piece of a Heart Container. The black drop has a Bombchu on it and makes the sound of a Bombchu shuffling and exploding. The yellow orange drop has Link and Ciela on it and makes the iconic sound of solving a puzzle. The blue drop has the Light Arrows on it and makes the sound of Link drawing and releasing his bow. The green drop has a Phantom on it and makes the sound of Link being slashed by a Phantom. Finally, the pink drop has a Green Rupee on it, and makes the sound of Link finding Rupees in a chest.
Overall, I find these six sound drops to be simple, yet innovative. I wish that more Zelda titles had these as merchandise, because I personally find them to be a fun idea!
