The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Also known as: Zelda no Densetsu: Mugen no Sunadokei (JP) Developer: Nintendo EAD Publisher: Nintendo Platform: Nintendo DS Released in JP: June 23, 2007 Released in US: October 1, 2007 Released in EU: October 11, 2007 Released in AU: October 19, 2007 Released in KR: April 3, 2008 This game has unused areas. This game has unused code. This game has unused graphics. This game has unused models. This game has unused sounds. This game has unused text. This game has debugging material. This game has regional differences. This game has a prerelease article

Phantom Hourglass is a direct sequel to The Wind Waker, and the opportunity for Nintendo to implement many ideas they couldn't put in with Wind Waker or Four Swords Adventures due to the thankfully short-lived deadline policy back then.

Its massive popularity, especially in Japan, resulted in Spirit Tracks.

Sub-Pages

Prerelease Info

Map Data A lot of prototype maps still present in the game's files.

Course List A list of all the stages in the game. And maybe some that aren't?

Developer Scripts A number of scripts archived in a folder called "Test".

Debug Text Leftover Debug Text.

Unused Graphics

Banner Icon

This is an unused version of the game's banner icon that's displayed on the main Nintendo DS menu.

Debug Fonts

Debug fonts found in many other Nintendo DS games, including the sequel.

Sauz Map

Found in /MapObj/map_sauze.nsbtx. This model belongs to the map Sauz has in his room that shows the symbol you need to draw on the door in the Temple of the Ocean King to advance. In its textures, you can find a hidden piece of Japanese text. It is not visible when loading the model, since the actual map part is separate. (The model only shows the frame). It says てすと, which translates to "Test".

Dog

There is a picture of a dog found in /Test/picture.narc/picture/dog/* that is included in some releases of the game.
It is in an unusual format, and split into three files.

Unused Models

Windmill

Found in /MapObj/windmill.narc. There is an unused, very rough model of a Windmill. It does not have any textures.

Ghost (spirit)

Found in /Npc/Spirit.bin. There is an unused NPC. It is two-dimensional, and only has one animation, a sort-of bouncing. The art-style looks very placeholder-ish.

steamer

Found in /Npc/steamer.bin. This is an unused boat. The art style doesn't really fit with that of the final game.

Found in /Test/BgMap.narc/NpcCvtr.pl. It is referenced in a developer script (player.js) as an example for converting a ship model.

// Converting a ship
g3dcvtr (zeldaDS + "\\ data \\ player \\ player \\ steamer.imd", zeldaDS + "\\ Resource \\ Player \\");

In earlier builds of the game, the ship icon on the map screen was clearly modelled after this ship. It stands to reason that it was used as a stand-in for the player ship early on.

(Source: Nintendo E3 Press Kit: NTR_ZeldaDS_ss_11.bmp)

Here, in the background, the same ship can be seen. It appears to be a stand-in for NPC ships, before custom models were made for them.

(Source: Nintendo E3 Press Kit: NTR_ZeldaDS_ss_01.bmp)

crystal

Found in /MapObj/crystal0.bin. This is an unused model of a weird switch-looking object. It is called "crystal" internally, and has two colors (via texture animation). The model file also contains a secondary object, which looks like a 3D version of the symbol on the switch.

• 

  Unactivated

• 

  Activated

• 

  3D Object

Fairy Doors

Found in /MapObj/f_door*.nsbtx. There are six unused door models: Flame, Wind, Pluck, Power, Ice and Philos. These map to the six dungeons in the game respectively.
In the final game, there are three fairies, and three doors that are unlocked by them in the Temple of the Ocean King.

Moon Door

In the game, you need to find the "Sun Key" to unlock a Sun Themed Door to get to the section of Molida Island where the Temple of Courage is located. Found in /MapObj/e_door_b.narc, there appears to be a second version of this door with a moon theme, which goes unused in the final game. While there is no model for the Key that would have unlocked this door, we do know that it was called "Moon Key" from an unused piece of localization, found inside /English/Message/collect.bmg at index 132.

Sound Effects

For whatever reason, one of the Z-Targeting sounds from Ocarina of Time (specifically, the one used for targeting enemies) is present in the files, but goes unused.

Unused Text

Script Text

During the opening cutscene with Link, Tetra, and Mako, there's an unused part of the script with Tetra and Mako bantering over whether or not Tetra should go by her pirate name or Princess Zelda. It comes in-between "Tetra worked just fine before, you know." and "But enough about that!" in the game.

Mako:
But...you're the princess of
a whole kingdom!
I can't go treating you
like a pirate.

Tetra:
You'd better start trying,
Mako!
I may be a princess, but
I'm a fearsome pirate.
I'm traveling the world in
search of new lands.
And I'm the leader of you
salty lot. I'm Tetra!

Near the beginning of the game, Link needs to rescue Linebeck by deactivating the spikes surrounding him. By using a cheating device to Moon Jump over the spikes, Link can talk to Linebeck before rescuing him, whereupon he says this otherwise-unused line.

How did you get this far, anyway?

Build Dates

This needs some investigation. Discuss ideas and findings on the talk page. Specifically: Does any code reference this text? Are the different types of date placed in different parts of the code/data?

These were found in the ROMs' ARM9 binaries. There are two different build date formats. "Multiboot ROM" refers to the images used for DS Download Play contained within the main game, which is referred to as "Full ROM" here.
The table is sorted in chronological order by build date.

ROM Version	Build Date
Japan (Retail Game) - Multiboot ROM	May 17 2007 23:32:51
Japan (Retail Game) - Full ROM	May 17 2007 23:34:26
USA (Kiosk Demo) - Multiboot ROM	Jun 8 2007 10:28:53
USA (Kiosk Demo) - Full ROM	Jun 27 2007 15:50:41
USA (Retail Game) - Full ROM	Jul 26 2007 13:51:36
USA (Retail Game) - Multiboot ROM	Jul 26 2007 13:47:15
Europe (Kiosk Demo) - Multiboot ROM: Spanish	2007_08_09-13_53
Europe (Kiosk Demo) - Full ROM Europe (Kiosk Demo) - Multiboot ROMs: English/French/German/Italian	2007_08_07-18_09
Europe (Retail Game) - Full ROM Europe (Retail Game) - Multiboot ROMs: English/Spanish/Italian Europe (Kiosk Demo) - Multiboot ROM: French/German	2007_08_11-11_29
Korea (Retail Game) - Full ROM Korea (Retail Game) - Multiboot ROM	2008_01_24-18_19

(discovery: Eientei95)

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Regional Differences

To do: Spanish and French text differences between the North American and European versions. Compare the changed lines and their appropriate context. The American and European text can be found here and here, respectively.

Japanese Version

• During the opening cutscene, it takes 7 extra seconds to skip the final cutscene in the Japanese version.
• When using the Cyclone Slate in the Japanese version, there is no ending animation showing Link's descent from the cyclone.
• There are certain sound effects in the Japanese version that are either missing or desynced compared to the localized versions.
• In the Japanese version, the Cubus Sisters causes the game to lag a ton when there are 3 lasers firing.
• In the Japanese version, when you need to fight Jolene while waiting for the Phantom Sword to be forged, Jolene will appear right outside Zauz's Island. In the other versions, Jolene can't appear there.
• The Japanese version of the game has its text centered, while the localized versions don't. This was also the case for other Zelda games, from the N64 titles up until Skyward Sword.
• Japanese players can use the stylus to tap on kanji and reveal their furigana transcription, rather than tapping to advancing the dialogue like players in other countries.

European Version

• There are two additional maps that are missing in other versions, containing an early version of a cut dungeon.
• Minor portions of the English script were rewritten for the European version, and a few lines of Wi-Fi text were updated.

Online

US	Europe
Your opponent disconnected.	Your were disconnected from your opponent.
Choose "Vs. Any Friend" to search for someone on your friend roster.	Choose "With someone on your friend roster."

(Source: [1])