Although many games within the Zelda series are (relatively) stand-alone games, this installment is one of the few direct sequels to an earlier title (i.e. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2002)). As such, it is one of the last games in the Zelda chronology.
The Temple of the Ocean King is frequently mentioned as the most hated dungeon in the Legend of Zelda series. Fans have complained about its tedious nature, namely for the fact that there is a time limit on navigating it (as the temple drains Link's life) as well as the need for stealth (since it is guarded by unbeatable Phantoms which can defeat Link with a single blow when they detect him). Additional annoyances are invisible floors, the monotonous music, as well as little sentries and floors that make noise, both of which alert the Phantoms to Link's location. The bulk of the criticism is aimed at the fact that the temple has to repeated a total of five times to get to the new floors, and all previously traversed floors have to be done again (save for a few shortcuts) .
Was originally intended to be 'The Wind Waker 2' for the GameCube, but disappointing sales of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2002) convinced the makers to move it to the Nintendo DS instead, to make use of its innovative touch screen controls.