This is a FAQ how to beat the infamous Temple of the Ocean King in Phantom Hourglass with a completely full Phantom Hourglass, which I've written last year. Actually, there is another version of it released on GameFAQs, which was done by me in cooperation with Rupeeman, because there are not multiple in deep FAQ about the same topic allowed there, but I don't want the original version to be unseen. The FAQ can be downloaded in text form here.
Introduction
So, what's this all about? The Temple of the Ocean King is some kind of master dungeon in the game with the speciality of facing a time limit. This FAQ is not a walkthrough for the temple, but a guide how to clear it in 00:00 net time. After you've completed the temple once, the Collection Menu will give you the "Best Time" entry, which shows the best amount of remaining time you had, after completing the temple. The goal of this FAQ is to tell you, how you get a "25:00" in this spot. So, the use of this FAQ is primarily for people, who already completed the game and are interested in a polished save file, but beginners may also find it interesting, where the important shortcuts and Golden Pots are.
The first section is an overview about the major strategies, which you have to use
all the time. The walkthrough part explains all the important shortcuts and
the golden pots, you have to take and get. The following section is a list of
the extra Sand of Hours, which you can find in the game. You'll need them to get the
maximum of 25:00 minutes for your hourglass. The last part is a list of gold
pot and red pot locations, which are be needed to constantly refill the Phantom Hourglass.
Well, this is the first time for me writing a FAQ and I'm German, which means
English is not my native language, so if you notice anything, please let me
know.
Strategies
A) Stay in Safe Zones
Try staying in safe zones every time you can, because the Sand of Hours won't
drain there. Don't wait for Phantoms or Phantom Eyes outside of safe zones.
Place the red pots in clever positions, for example when you have to bomb a wall
in the nearby area. Switch your items inside the safe zones, so you don't have
to waste time doing it in cursed areas.
B) Ignore Treasure Chests
Killing Phantoms spawns several treasure chests on each floor, including random treasures, ship parts or rupees, which are of course very attractive. But unless you're very near to them, it's always better to ignore them, because it will cost you some time getting them.
But you may want to try something like a "perfect run" by completing the
dungeon with 25:00 best time and getting all treasure chests. There are five
ship parts, five treasures and 700 rupees to get. Most of them will spawn
after you've defeated all the Phantoms on a floor. The only exception is B5,
where you have to hit the crystal switch in the northeast corner to spawn the
chest. Here is a list of what you can get on each floor:
- B1 - random treasure
- B2 - random treasure
- B3 - random treasure
- B4 - random treasure
- B5 - 100 rupees
- B6 - random treasure
- B7 - random ship part
- B8 - random ship part
- B9 - random ship part
- B10 - 100 rupees
- B11 - 200 rupees
- B12 - 300 rupees
- B13 - 2x random ship part (rarer)
C) Only Get Valuable Golden Pots
There are a lot of Golden Pots inside the temple, but some of them aren't worth getting, because you'll lose more time on these tasks than you'll win. See the Walkthrough section for more details.
D) Lure Phantoms
Don't get to the Phantoms, let them get to you, while you're inside of a safe zone. The Hammer is the best tool here, because it makes a lot of noise, which the Phantoms will go investigating for.
E) Roll
This is hard to do, I know, but try to do it whenever you can for some speed advantage. But be careful, rolling three times makes you dizzy, which will cost you valuable time.
F) Don't Get Hit by Phantoms or Wizzrobes
Pretty much self-explanatory. Every hit by a Phantom or a Wizzrobe will cost
you valuable time, so this is not acceptable. However, you can reduce the time
damage you take from Phantoms to five seconds by equipping the Lvl 2 Spirit of
Wisdom. But the time damage from Wizzrobes won't be affected by this, it's
always 15 seconds.
Walkthrough
F1
Don't use the yellow portal, because you'll need the key on B3 for a later
shortcut, or else it may be difficult. So enter the temple via the normal way
and just run through the door in the center.
B1
Stay in the safe zone and wait for the Phantom of the southeast area to come
by. Kill him and then make your way over the Grappling Hook tightrope. Kill
the other Phantom and then make your way to the north, ignoring the spawning
treasure chest. Pick up a red pot here and smash it in the near of the
bombable blocks. Stay inside the puddle, while you're switching to bombs and
destroying the blocks. Activate the switch with the Hammer or step on it and
run back to northwest corner, where the key lies. The exit lies in the
northeast corner.
B2
Equip your boomerang inside the safe zone at the entrance. Kill the blue
Phantom to the east and use the boomerang to activate both switches as fast as
possible, which will let the key in this floor appear. Bomb the wall south of
the entrance and then run into the safe zone. Don't care about getting the
key, the red Phantom will get it for you. Kill him, take the key and go the
northwest corner. Break the red pot there and stay inside the puddle, while
you're bombing the wall here. Get the extra 30 seconds and then enter the
stairway down to B3.
B3
Use the Hammer to lure both Phantoms to the entrance, kill them and get the
key. DON'T use the key on the door in the south, it's not necessary to care
about the Force Gems. Go the Triforce shaped pedestal area and bomb the wall
in the northeast, where you'll find 30 extra seconds. Then head to the
northwest exit, which is on an upper level. But you'll find another 30 seconds
there and two torches, which are giving you the possibility of slingshooting
yourself up the exit with the help of the Grappling Hook.
You should have about 24:50 minutes or better left. Ignore the Golden Pot
inside the next area, because you're picking it up later.
B4
Immediately kill the red Phantom, then go the northeast corner and shoot an
arrow into the eye. This will deactivate all the gust valves in this room.
Make your way to the red pot in the upper west area of this floor and let you
spot by the Phantom Eye, so the second Phantom is chasing you. Keep staying
inside the puddle, kill the Phantom, the Phantom Eye and then use Bombchus to
activate both crystal switches in the near area. One will give you access to
the north west exit and the other access to the key. To get the Golden Pot
located on the wall, you have to dig up the geyser in the southwest, get on
the upper level with the crystal switch and then to use the Boomerang from
there to get the pot. There is also a second pot in the southeast corner, use
the Boomerang to pick the 30 bonus seconds up. Now take the key and go back to
the sea chart room in B3, where you left another Golden Pot. Don't destroy it,
but pick it up and carry it to the north west exit in B4. Smash it there, take
the 30 extra seconds and go down to B5.
B5
Use the gust valve to jump over the pit and make your way to B6. Thanks to
this shortcut you can totally skip the rest of B5.
B6
Kill the Phantom at the entrance and make your way to the northeast safe zone,
where you kill the Phantom Eye and maybe the second Phantom, if it is near. Go
down to the south and step on the switch next to the gust valve, to deactivate
it. Go to the red door and draw the Hourglass Crest on it. Exit through the
door and get the Golden Pot in the Sun Crest room, then go back to B6, where
you now draw the Triforce crest on the door to proceed. You should now have
exactly 25:00 minutes left.
You can ignore the Golden Pot in the western side of B6, because you won't do
better than 25:00.
B7
Use the Boomerang to get the Golden Pot near the floating platforms, before
the red Phantom can destroy it. Stay in the center north safe zone and grapple
the chest including the round crystal with the Grappling Hook to get over the
pit. Break the Golden Pot there and get the round crystal. Because you've
stored the key from B3, you can now easily use the shortcut in the northeast
corner. Just open the door and go down.
B8
Break the Golden Pot, drop the round crystal in the lower safe zone and make
your way to the red pot. Stand inside the puddle, wait for the Phantom and
kill it. After that, use Bombchus from where you are to activate the crystal
switch. The Bombchu hole is in the southwest of the covered area. This will
open the blue door next to the shortcut entrance. Get the round crystal and go
down to B9.
B9
Take the round crystal to the pedestals. Kill the Phantom and all the
Wizzrobes inside this area. The Phantom drops the square crystal, which you'll
place on the pedestal in the northwestern area to lower the flames. Get the
triangle crystal there and take it to the three pedestals. Don't just carry
the crystals all the time, because this will make you slower. Throw them, run
to them and pick them up again and again. You may want to use the stairway by
the chest with the triangle crystal to get back to B8, where you will find two
Golden Pots (see Golden Pot section for more details). But don't to forget to
activate the geyser there, or else you won't make it back here in time. This
is not necessary to do, but recommended. However, if you're done there, get
the square crystal and insert the three crystals in the following order:
■ ● ▲
Don't forget to destroy the Golden Pot in the sea chart chamber. You should
have about 24:50 or better left.
B10
Activate the crystal switch in the southeast to the entrance with the help of
your Bombchus to lower the spikes in the west. Lure the right Phantom to you
with the help of the Hammer and kill it. Kill the Phantom carrying the key
with the boulder, get the key and make your way to south. Use the Grappling
Hook on the stake inside the safe zone and pull yourself to the other side.
There is a 15 seconds pot in the southeast corner, run fast to it and break it
with the Boomerang, then go back to the stake. Jump on it and use the
Grappling Hook to get to the large treasure chest.* Jump down from there to the
exit. You can ignore the other two Golden Pots, because it may take you too
long getting them.
*Note: the chest mentioned above on the upper level is revealed by defeating
all Phantom Eyes on the floor. This is considered to be done before you start
this run.
B11
Instantly run to the west and kill the Phantom, because there is a +30 seconds
pot on the floor, he will break after some seconds. Get this pot and then head
to the exit in the east.
B12
You should have at least 24:50 minutes left at this point. If not, it may be
too difficult to complete this task. I usually lose all the time I can refill
in this room and you want to be sure, that you have enough time left for the
last basement floor.
Wait for the golden Phantom to patrol the southeast part of its route and
hammer jump yourself instantly to it, when you face its back. Kill it and
take the Force Gem to the pedestals, but don't insert it into one. We don't
want the Wizzrobes to spawn yet. Now get the other two Force Gems, one is in
the northwest part and one in the northeast. The northeast area is defended by
spikes, but you can easily lower them by activating the switch with the
Hammer from the other side. Don't take the route, where the right Phantom Eye
is patrolling. Of course kill both Phantoms on your way, but ignore the
spawning chest for now. Don't carry the Force Gems all the time, because it
slows you down too much. Use, what in the Battle Mode is called "Dribbling",
throw the Force Gem run or roll to it, pick it up and throw it again, and so
on.
After you've collected all three Force Gems, insert them into the pedestals.
This will spawn two Wizzrobes, get to the treasure chest with the 300 rupees
in the center and wait for the Wizzrobes to come by. You'll need the extra
minute, you get from killing both of them. Then make your way to the last
floor.
You'll may notice the Golden Pot near to the west entrance, but to get it, you
have to activate all four switches in B11, so it's definitely not worth it.
You can also ignore both Phantom Eyes, because they won't come into your way.
B13
The last and most important part. You should have at least 24:50 minutes left
again. Everything below 24:30 is impossible to do, and I highly recommend a
time above 24:40, or else you have to start over again.
You may have wondered, how to get through the final door without wasting a
single second. The trick is not to touch the Golden Pot here yet, it's the
very last thing to take care about. Instead of this pick up the red pot in the
northeast and jump down the ledge, where the geyser is. Immediately break the
pot in front of your feet in the near of the geyser. The Phantoms may go wild
now, but no matter what, stay inside the puddle. Do not leave it to lure or
attack Phantoms, because this will waste valuable time. Only use the Hammer to
lure them, and attack them when their back is next to you. Like I said, do not
leave the puddle and everything is fine. After you've defeated all nine
Phantoms, dig up the geyser, pick up the Golden Pot next to the blue portal
and jump down with it the ledge again. Smash it in front of the last door, so
you will pick up the 30 seconds time bonus in the very moment you enter the
door.
Important: Carrying the pot into the hall with the bridge and break it there
won't count. Only the time you have while entering the door will count.
So, congratulations, you've done it. It wasn't that hard at all, was it? See
the lower sections for additional information. And of course this is just my
version of what I think is the quickest most efficient route through the
dungeon. You may want to try other ways and if you got a tactic, which is
better than mine, tell me about it.
A tip by SkyAvengah (GameFAQs):
"When doing a Mega Perfect Temple Clearance, you might want to leave any extra
time on floors 11 downwards (maybe floor 10 if you don't need the time then)
until after you've killed the Phantoms on floor 13. Then go back up and get
the extra time. When I get back to Floor 13, because the red pot is back in
place, I go and smash it by the door so that I can carry the yellow pot to the
puddle, throw and boomerang the extra time then run straight from the puddle
to the exit. The puddle must be 2 squares below the exit or it won't form.
This way you'll easily be able to get every chest, kill every enemy and still
complete the temple with perfect time."
Extra Sand of Hours
It doesn't make any sense to start with a best time run, unless you got all
five extra minutes for the Phantom Hourglass. Defeating all boss enemies in
the game gives you a total of 20 minutes, the remaining five minutes have to
be salvaged. (Thanks to HomiWan @ GameFAQs and his awesome sea chart 3.0 for
some of this information.)
- Go to Molida Island and dig in front of the palm tree northeast to the
house in the center to upon the Wayfarer's second hideaway. There is a chest
at the botton of this hole, open it. The treasure is located in the northeast
to Mercay.
- On Mercay Island talk to the guy dressed in green. He'll ask you if you
have a Salvage Arm. Answer with "yes" and he'll give you the treasure map,
pointing to a treasure in the west of Cannon Island.
- On the Isle of Ember talk to Kayo after helping Astrid, he'll mark a spot
on your map. It's a patch of green east of the Temple of Fire, dig a treasure
map up there. The treasure lies behind Bannan Island, so you'll only be able
to salvage it after getting the fourth sea chart.
- Temple of the Ocean King, B6:
There is an eye in the west of the entrance, shoot it to make a large treasure
chest in the northeast appear. The treasure is sunken in the north of the Isle
of Gust.
- Temple of the Ocean King, B5:
Use the shortcut on B4 (see Walkthrough section for details) and dig up the
geyser to activate the crystal switch on the upper level. This will deactivate
the gust valve and grant you access to a large treasure chest here. Salvage it
in the northwest of the Isle of Frost.
Golden Pot Locations
Here is a complete list of all the Golden Pots inside the temple. You won't
need all of them and some will even cost you more time to get than they will
give you, but it's good to know them all. If I missed one, please let me know.
-
B2 - northwest area, inside a safe zone behind a bombable wall (+30 seconds)
- B3 - northeast corner, behind a bombable wall (+30 seconds)
- B3 - northwest area, by the two torches (+30 seconds)
- B3 - in the room with the sea chart, near the southwest exit (+30 seconds)
- B3 - at the very south of the room, just below the switch that controls the
left trap door. "The only way you can get to it in time is with the Great Spin
Attack, get the Phantom's attention and make sure he doesn't destroy it."
(+30 seconds) - submitted by SkyAvengah
- B4 - on a wall in the center west area. Use the geyser in the south, to reach
the upper level with the crystal switch and then get the pot from there with
the Boomerang. (+30 seconds)
- B4 - southeast corner, use the Boomerang or the Grappling Hook to get it
(+30 seconds)
- B4 - below the spikes leading to the key, but it will be destroyed by a
Phantom after some seconds, so you have to be very fast (+30 seconds) - thanks
to SkyAvengah for this one
- B5 - use the bow to activate the eye near the south entrance, the pot is in
the center of the south east room (+30 seconds)
B5 - kill all Bubbles in the first center room (+15 seconds)
- B5 - kill all Moldorms in the second center room (+15 seconds)
- B6 - killing all Phantom Eyes will lower the spikes in the west, defending a
Golden Pot. But you can also use the Hammer to get it. (+30 seconds)
- B6 - inside the Sun Crest room, draw the Hourglass Crest on the red door for
access (+30 seconds)
- B6 - go west then south straight away or the Phantom will destroy it. (+30
seconds) - again thanks to SkyAvengah for this one
- B7 - on the pathway southwest of the entrance. Break it with the Boomerang
while moving on the floating platform, before the Phantom can destroy it.
(+30 seconds)
- B7 - by the chest with the round crystal (+30 seconds)
- B8 - by the shortcut in the northeast. Use the key from B3 on the northeast
door in B7 to get access to it. (+30 seconds)
- B8 - on the upper level by the round pedestal. Use the stairs or the geyser to
get on it and do the rest with the Boomerang. (+30 seconds)
- B8 - in the northwest corner (+30 seconds)
- B9 - no Golden Pots on this floor, but 4 Wizzrobes (+30 seconds each)
- B9 - in the sea chart room (+30 seconds)
- B10 - southeast corner, use Boomerang or Grappling Hook (+15 seconds)
- B10 - inside the southern area with the sound floors, protected by a Phantom
Eye (+30 seconds)
- B10 - northwest area, dig up the geyser and use it to get on the upper level,
then destroy the Pot with your Boomerang (+15 seconds)
- B11 - instantly kill the Phantom to the west, before he can break the pot on
the floor (+30 seconds)
- B11 - in the northwest corner (+15 seconds)
- B11 - in the center north, east of the pit (+15 seconds)
- B12 - next to the western entrance, but you'll have to activate all four
switches on B11 to get there (+30 seconds)
- B12 - two Wizzrobes triggered by delivering the two Force Gems to the
pedestals (+30 seconds each)
- B13 - in the northwestern corner, smash it in front of the last door before
entering it (+30 seconds)
Red Pot Locations
This is a list of all the locations of the red pots. It might come in handy.
Note: Like Golden Pots you can carry red pots to other floors and use them
there. Unlike Golden Pots they will reset every time, you come back to a
floor. This way you can also duplicate red pots by leaving a floor with the
pot and returning with it to its original position.
-
B1 - in the northern hallway next to a fallen adventurer
- B1 - in the northern hallway next to the pot above
- B2 - in an alcove in the northwest area next to the bombable wall
- B3 - in the alcove west of the entrance
- B3 - on the upper level of the southeast area with the switches for the
trapdoors
- B4 - northwestern part, where the spikes defending the shortcut are
- B6 - located in an alcove in the northwest corner
- B7 - located in an alcove in the center of the east wall
- B8 - located in an alcove next to the northeast shortcut
- B8 - located in an alcove in the center of the west wall
- B9 - in an alcove south of the northwest square pedestal
- B10 - in an alcove in the southwest corner, where the Phantom with the key is
patrolling
- B10 - in the southeast part of the maze, in a corner north of the bombable wall
- B11 - located in an alcove next to the stationary Phantom Eye in the east
- B11 - located in an alcove next to the stationary Phantom Eye in the west
- B12 - in the northwest corner
- B12 - in the northeast corner
- B13 - in the northeast, smash it in the lower level to defeat the Phantoms
