Time

The flow of Time is an element that exists in many Zelda games. Up to the release of Spirit Tracks, none of the handheld Zelda games have implemented any type of time flow as seen in games like Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker.

Flow and manipulation
In most of the 3D games, the time of day flows in a similar way it does in real life. Depending on the current time, some events may or may not be available, and some places may be open or closed. This also means that there are characters who perform actions and provide a particular information at specific time intervals and schedules.

In games where time plays a key role, there's usually a way to manipulate it. Link may learn songs that allow him to turn day into night and viceversa. Time travel allows the young hero to explore a land through different ages.

Countdowns and Timers
A broader manifestation of time in a game is present in events that Link must complete within a time limit. When it comes to minigames or long-term events, a countdown appears on the screen and continually indicates how much time remains; conversely, there are minigames Link must beat as fast as he can, and in these cases the time counter shows how long has passed since the beginning.

If the event is too short (as in the case of puzzles that must be solved quickly), a timer is not shown; instead, a sound effect is heard faster and faster as less time remains.

Internal Clock Usage
Neither Phantom Hourglass nor Spirit Tracks put in excercise an in-game day/night system, meaning that the time of day is constant. Instead, the games are sensitive to the current real life time thanks to the internal clock of the Nintendo DS. What Beedle sells depends on the day, and Link cannot buy more than what he currently offers. His masked counterpart, who appears only in Phantom Hourglass, only appears at key hours of the day: From 10:00pm to 12:00am on weekdays, and from 10:00am to 12:00pm on weekends. The treasure merchandise sold in regular shops also changes depending on the day. Finally, for the same reasons, lottery results and some mail letters are delivered to Link according to the literally indicated days for reception ("the next day", "at midnight", etc.).

The background sky seen behind the file selection in The Wind Waker depends on the current real life time as well, making use of the internal clock of the Nintendo GameCube or the Wii.

Ocarina of Time
Ocarina of Time introduced the concept of a day/night cycle and the general flow of time. The days and nights lasted for a certain amount of time and depending on what time it was, various enemies would appear in some places, certain buildings would close until night, and various characters will change locations or leave entirely until the next day. In some select locations, like towns, dungeons, or Lon Lon Ranch, time does not flow at all, while in open areas, such as Hyrule Field and Lake Hylia, time continues to flow. Certain parts of the plotline had to be done in the day time, or required that Link waits until sunrise. Link can use the Sun's Song to call upon the Sun or Moon, therefore changing the time of day.

Striking a Gossip Stone with a sword will cause it to give Link the current time in 24-hour format. A few soldiers will also give Link the time in the same format, such as the ones found in Kakariko Village as young Link.

Majora's Mask

 * See also: Termina Clock

Majora's Mask has the most elaborate time cycle in all The Legend of Zelda games. Many characters are scheduled around it. The time flow of Majora's Mask revolves around a three-day cycle at the end of which the Moon crashes down upon Clock Town. He can play the Song of Time at any point in this three-day cycle to return to the beginning of the cycle. The flow of time itself is not constant. In the very first initial three day cycle, it takes 27 seconds for each game hour, which is just over a half hour for the entire cycle. For every single cycle after that, each game hour takes 45 seconds, which is 54 minutes for the whole cycle. This also means that the days and the nights both flow slower than in Ocarina of Time. Link can play the to slow the flow of time which will slow it down to 150 seconds (a minute and a half) for each game hour, which is exactly three hours for an entire cycle. The only places that do not have any time flow is the initial area where Link first meets Skull Kid, the inside of the Clock Tower, and the Moon.

The current time is indicated by an on-screen clock, or by any clock on many of the walls in Clock Town, even the Clock Tower. Like in Ocarina of Time, striking a Gossip Stone with a sword will cause it to give Link the current time in a 24-hour format, only in reverse telling the amount of time left in the cycle.

Much like the Sun's Song of Ocarina of Time, in Majora's Mask Link can dance with Pierre or play the to skip forward to the next dawn or night.

The Wind Waker
The Wind Waker has time flow more akin to that in Ocarina of Time, but retaining the extended length as seen in Majora's Mask. When sailing, the time is indicated by a hidable icon that seems to flip out from under the on-screen compass. Tingle, through the Tingle Tuner will make comments when the time of day changes to dusk, dawn, midnight, and noon. He will also give Link the time in 24-hour format through an item on the Tuner.

Each day, the phase of the moon changes, having seven in total. This affects various things like Legendary Pictographs, the location of the Ghost Ship, and some Light Rings. Other light rings will appear at any night. Various buildings and shops close at night and most characters leave until morning. Moreover, some things, such as the Auction only take place at night. When the young hero learns the Song of Passing, he can switch between day and night, like in previous titles.

Time does not flow in most any interior or around certain major islands. Islands where time does not flow have a special icon in place of the time icon while sailing. There are also moments in the game where time is unnaturally frozen: When Link visits Greatfish Isle, a curse that causes the day to remain in an infinite night is on, and can only be broken after Jabun is found; this curse reappears when the Forsaken Fortress is visited for a second time, and is finally lifted forever after defeat of Helmaroc King and escape of Ganondorf. Also, when Link visits Hyrule at first, the entire spacetime has remained static, without anything able to move until the Master Sword is removed from its pedestal by a person who comes from somewhere else.

Twilight Princess
In Twilight Princess, the flow of time is smooth and closer to how it worked in Ocarina of Time, with few of the extra features seen in the other 3D titles; however, there is not much to indicate what time it is other than looking at the sky: Once again, the moon changes its phase, having seven in total. Certain enemies, such as Poes and Stalhounds, are only around at night, and various businesses also close at night, similar to previous Zelda games. Oddly enough, there is no way to manipulate time in the game.

Phantom Hourglass
As mentioned before, none of the 2D games so far have replicated the day/night flow. Therefore, in Phantom Hourglass, the main notion of time comes from the titular Phantom Hourglass, which allows the young hero to survive inside the Temple of the Ocean King for as long as the available Sand of Hours within the Hourglass can. The only instance where Link can manipulate time is during two phases of the final battle, when Ciela grants him Phantom Spheres that can freeze time for a short period.