With the recent announcement of the voice cast for the Mario movie, it’s clear that Nintendo is getting interested in transferring its properties to other media, like TV and movies. Fans have been wondering about aLegend of Zeldaadaptation for years, and at one point there was even a Netflix series in the works (which was unfortunately canceled). If the Mario movie does well, however, it might give Nintendo the confidence to start adapting their other biggest franchise, especially sinceThe Legend of Zeldahas a lot more story to work with than the Mario games do.
With such a wide catalog of games, Nintendo could really pick any of the mainlineZeldagames as the starting point for a movie or TV adaptation (Breath of the Wildbeing a particularly good example, as the open world and sweeping story would give the creators a lot to work with). There is one entry to the series, however, that might be particularly fun to watch on screen, especially in a more episodic format like a TV show.The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglassis one of the more…forgotten games in the series. Some fans would even likely rank it near the bottom of their list of favorite Zelda games.It isn’t as universally beloved asBreath of the WildorOcarina of Timebecause it was made for the Nintendo DS, and so the graphics aren’t as good as a lot of the other games and the story is simpler. However, there’s something about the adventurous nature of this game that would make for a really entertaining TV show.
RELATED:5 Directors Who Would Make A Great Legend Of Zelda Movie
First of all, when discussing a potentialZeldascreen adaptation, it’s important to consider whether it would be live-action or animated. There are some games that might work on screen in live-action, but because of the very distinct,cell-shaded animation style of thePhantom Hourglassgame, it would make more sense to have the show in the same animation style, to preserve the cartoonish tone that the game has. It’s a generally light-hearted game (though it has its darker and spookier moments) and a theoretical show would likely take the same approach, which would work well with the fun and bright animation style that it already has.
Also, sincePhantom Hourglassis a direct sequel toThe Wind Waker, it would also be possible (and perhaps wise) for the show to do the storyline of that game first, to set up the events ofPhantom Hourglass. Either way, the fun thing aboutPhantom Hourglassis that though it referencesTheWind Waker, the story still holds up on its own, and could still be a fun show without that additional backstory that only loosely ties in. They could even potentially havethe story lead intoSpirit Tracks, which was the follow-up DS game for theZeldafranchise (that sees Link travel by train rather than boat) and is also a successor toPhantom Hourglass(though the two games are only vaguely related). There’s a lot of potential for expanding the story because of the other games that surroundPhantom Hourglassin particular.
But back to the business ofPhantom Hourglassand why it would make a great TV show. The thing that would make it fit the serial format is the nature of the game itself. The player spends the game traveling the seas and finding different islands across the map that all havedifferent “themes”, environments, and even dungeons. The island-hopping in the game would lend itself perfectly to a series where every episode Link, Linebeck, and the accompanying fairies travel to a different island and encounter new people and new situations to solve, all with the overarching plotline of the game - namely, to find the Ghost Ship that Link’s friend Tetra was captured by, and then to defeat Bellum, the ultimate villain in the game.
Every island could have its own lore attached to it, and it would be fun to see all the different places and crazy situations that the characters find themselves in. Much likeWind Waker(and perhaps even more so), the fun of the game is in traveling to new places and gaining a fuller picture of the world the player is exploring, like it is with any adventure game. The game has a good story that even involves a spooky ghost ship (which is one of the more unsettling elements of the game), which is such a fun setting for a story set on the seas. There’s just so much potential for storytelling withPhantom Hourglass, from the actual storyline of the game itself to the endless possibilities ofsetting up lore and sidequestson all of the islands scattered through the game. It would lend itself really well to an episodic TV show where every episode is a new adventure that adds to the overall plot.
Phantom Hourglassis also a really funny game. The character of Linebeck, who captains the ship that Link needs to travel and acts as his sidekick through the adventure (though Linebeck would definitely balk at the notion of being called a “sidekick”), is so interesting and lends an entertaining dynamic to the story. He’s sarcastic and would add a lot of humor to the show, but he could also have a really great character arc where the audience sees him go from a vain, selfish adventurer to someone who actually cares about the people around him and wants to fight for what’s right. His dynamic with Ciela the fairy would be so fun to watch on screen, as the two are constantly jabbing at each other. Because of the humor of the game,a potential show would have a really fun tone, with a lot of humorous moments intercut with the more serious elements (which would just make all of it even more impactful).
Is it likely that if Nintendo were to finally turn their attention to adaptingThe Legend of Zeldato the big screen (or the small one), they would choose to go with a game likePhantom Hourglass? Probably not. But it’s something that’s really fun to consider, and Nintendo should really think about drawing from some of theirZeldagames like this, that are perhaps a little less well known than, say,Ocarina of Time. Everyone knows how that story goes, so wouldn’t it be much more fun to watch a swashbuckling tale about adventure on the open seas?Phantom Hourglassprovides a perfect platform for an incredibly fun animated show, and it would be great to see Nintendo acknowledge the DS games again in any way.
