“5 Things Zelda 3DS Should Borrow from Phantom Hourglass”

Even well before it was officially announced, it was no secret that a new Zelda game was in the works for the Nintendo 3DS. After all, what Nintendo system would be complete without an original Zelda title? Little under a month ago, what the community took to calling A Link to the Past 2 was revealed in a Nintendo Direct presentation to be a direct sequel to 1991’s SNES classic A Link To The Past. Immediately following this announcement, of course, the internet went into a frenzy as it discussed what this highly anticipated title should and should not bring to the table. Which past games should Zelda 3DS look to for inspiration, and which should it avoid like the plague?

GenGAME’s Alex Plant has adopted a different spin on this discussion–instead of looking at the revered titles such as Ocarina of Time, Plant has written an article that lists five features that Zelda 3DS should appropriate from the DS’s first Zelda game, Phantom Hourglass. It’s no secret that The Wind Waker‘s handheld sequel isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but what aspects of its gameplay did Plant consider worthy of being included in the series’ first original installment on the 3DS? Hit the jump to find out!

Five features doesn’t seem like many, but Plant has selected only those that were unique to Phantom Hourglass, or at least far more prominent in that title than they were in others. Now, without further ado, the five things that Zelda 3DS should borrow from Phantom Hourglass:

First off, Plant mentions Phantom Hourglass‘ truly unique (and usually fantastic) multiplayer mode. Making the point that the console titles really aren’t suitable for any form of multiplayer, he states that Zelda 3DS would be the perfect opportunity for the series to explore competitive multiplayer further, largely due to the fact that “each player gets their own screen and can do their own thing.” He also stresses the potential for cooperative game modes, such as randomly generated dungeons with gameplay reminiscent of Four Swords.

I’m going to avoid simply copying the original article on GenGAME, so I’ll just briefly discuss the other features with the hope that you’ll finish reading this article and then read the original. Plant discusses the fact that in Phantom Hourglass, there were no items that were used in their home dungeons and then swiftly ignored, as has been the case in pretty much every other game in the franchise. Thirdly, he praises the Spirit Gems from Phantom Hourglass–totally optional collectables to power-up Link as a reward to the most keen-eyed players.

Despite existing in the same world as its predecessor, the Great Sea in Phantom Hourglass is totally unique from that in The Wind Waker. Plant hopes that, rather than relying on recycling the environments from A Link To The Past, Zelda 3DS follows the same path as Phantom Hourglass did and creates its own world. And, finally, Plant echoes the sentiment that many Zelda fans have had prior to the release of the last number of titles–non-linear dungeons. Phantom Hourglass was one of the few recent Zelda games to feature somewhat non-linear dungeons, particularly the polarising Temple of the Ocean King.

What do you think? Would you like to see these features in the upcoming 3DS title, or would you rather see it go off in a different direction? Discuss in the comments below, and be sure to check out the detailed original piece on GenGAME!

Source: GenGAME