Not the first-ever dual-screen Zelda game (that honor goes to the foldable Game & Watch Zelda system), nor the first action adventure in the series to use two screens (Four Swords used the Game Boy Advance to GameCube link cable to pull this trick), The Legend of Zelda DS is the franchise's first outing on the Nintendo DS handheld.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is designed in the style of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. The game features similar cel-shaded stylings for its 3D engine, with traditional top-down gameplay (using a hovering and semi-mobile camera in a locked perspective) and a map along the bottom screen.