The Trading Quests are somewhat of a tradition for the classic entries into the Zelda series, starting from as early as Link’s Awakening and being a part of almost every game up until the most recent proper Trading Sequence in Phantom Hourglass. Usually, these sequences will begin with a random and seemingly insignificant item, such as the Yoshi Doll or Pocket Egg, but eventually can be traded higher and higher in value to acquire items that are very rare and difficult to live without. Most of the characters Link can trade with during these quests are characters with unique designs that stand out, making them easy to remember for players who are better at recalling more distinct characters. One such uniquely designed character is the oddly named Hoiger Howgendoogen, one of the chains in the rather short Trading Sequence of Phantom Hourglass.
Hoiger Howgendoogen is a member of the aptly titled “Ho Ho Tribe”, which I presume consists entirely of people who’s names include “Ho Ho.” Unfortunately, it’s difficult to test that theory since there are only two named members of the tribe, and other one is simply called “Old Man Ho Ho.” The odd name aside, Hoiger is still a rather standout character in Phantom Hourglass. Not only is one of his eyes bloodshot red, but he is wearing a massive hat and yellow scarf which he seems to have coordinated with his entire tribe since they are all wearing the exact same outfit. However, to Hoiger’s dismay, he stands out even among his similarly dressed peers in that he is the only member of the tribe who has lost their beloved Telescope. Judging by his deeply bloodshot eye, peering into the scope seems to be an important part of life for this tribe.
Thanks to Link, however, Hoiger would not go without his beloved Telescope for long, since the act of returning the beloved item is part of the Trading Quest for Link to retrieve the Swordsman’s Scroll. In fact, Hoiger will recognize it immediately if he is spoken to while Link possesses the scope, even pointing out that his name is written on it. Link get’s the Guard Notebook in exchange, but unfortunately no item in the Phantom Hourglass trading quest is required to beat the game, so it’s very likely many players were never able to return Hoiger’s beloved Telescope to him. It’s a shame to think there are universes where he had to let his poor right eye recover from the dreadful state it’s currently in.
It probably goes without saying that Hoiger Howgendoogen is a very silly character. This much is obvious just from merely looking at him, so hearing his name really only adds to the punchline. Some characters have their names adjusted when being localized for a different language, but not Hogier! I imagine that the intention of his name being silly meant there wasn’t any point other localizers saw in adjusting it, so he remained Hoiger Howgendoogen in many versions. The silliness of his character aside, I do find it genuinely very appealing that Link is able to make an impact on such random characters through the Trading Quest, letting the player deepen their connection with the world and its people no matter how strange they are. It’s a shame these quests have been abandoned as the scope of the Zelda series grew larger, as I still feel there’s a place for them in the modern day.
