Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

When I heard that there was going to be a new Zelda game for the DS, I was exuberant. When I heard that it would be completely touch-screen controlled, my joy turned to doubt. I had a ridiculous amount of GameStop credit, so when it came out I picked it up. However, in a couple of weeks, I had a few-day long trip to Nags Head, NC. So I decided to not play it until then. Fortunately, it gave me time to wait for my free feather stylus, which I exclusively played PH with. So, does this touch screened, Wind Waker sequel shape up?

Gameplay - 9

The short answer is yes. Not only does PH's control scheme work, it works well. It feels awkward at first, but in ten minutes, it feels like second nature. You drag around to move, tap enemies to attack them, and slash a line in front of you to, well, slash. The spin attack is now (thankfully) not charging up your sword, but drawing a circle around you. Rolling is drawing small circles on the edge of your screen. Complicated at first, but it becomes one of the best touch control schemes I've ever used. All this is added two with exceptionally smart uses for the DS's features using the various items and minigames, puzzles and the map. The map has a life all of its own. Since it is a touch screen, you can call down the map at any time, all maps which can be drawn on, to show paths, hidden things, and more. The puzzles are puzzling, but nothing too perplexing that it will take too long, excepting a few which are tough but not impossible. A few of them will have you slapping your head as you realize that the puzzle you spent 5 minutes mulling over was insanely simple.

Link deals out a storm of pain with his spin attack

The boss battles are very enjoyable. At the end of each "dungeon" you must face a boss in order to obtain certain items vital to your quest. These bosses are defeated using all the new techniques and items you obtained in the dungeon as well as some older moves. While this may seem like it would get boring because of the predictability, the bosses are so varied and the ways that you use the items are so cool that you don't notice at all. The farther into the game you get, the more interesting and fun the bosses become.

The only down marks I give are for the entire Ocean Temple. After every mission you have to return to this haunted temple to find clues towards your next mission. Not only do you have to return all the time but you have to play through the same puzzles over and over and over again. Add to this that most of it is stealth and that you are timed and this task becomes a dreaded encounter instead of an exciting search for the clue. Apart from the Ocean temple levels, the gameplay is great.

There is another very frustrating aspect about Phantom Hourglass that has been an issue in every Zelda game, saving in dungeons. You can save the game at anytime and reload exactly from the spot of the save. Not so for dungeons. No matter where you save in a dungeon when you reload you will be back at the beginning of the level. You will have any items you found but all the puzzles and doors will be reset. This is especially frustrating in the Temple of the Ocean King where you have to spend over 10 minutes backtracking through the same puzzles that you've done countless times before in the game. In short, you have to have a decent amount of time to dedicate to the game before you can sit down and beat a dungeon.

Visuals - 8

Even though this is the DS, the visuals still look great. The game takes place in a 3-D Isometric viewpoint, and is presented with the gameplay on the touch screen and the map on the top screen. You move in a very 3-D fashion, but all the terrain has a very 2-D, top down feel. There are some obvious rough edges especially on the character models and pretty much every 3-D object in the game. While you may be initially put off by the graphics, over time you will forget about them and just start enjoying the game for its gameplay.

It also solves one of my most hated aspects of isometric views: the presentation of elevation. All the areas on the map are color-coded as to their elevation, making it easier to plot/draw a path to your goal. Overall, the graphics look great for the DS, but it's the DS. It can only handle so much. Check out the screens.

Boss Battles make clever use of both screens.

Sound - 8

Nothing big, really. It's what you'd expect from a handheld game. Music, but nothing big, or grand. I'd love to put more here, but it is exactly what you'd expect.

Longevity - 8 (Good for a roadtrip)

This is a LONG game. It took me four days to complete, and I was playing non-stop, and I still missed a lot. Once the main quest is over, there are loads of minigames, and the trading quest, which has some pretty sweet rewards. However there is no incentive to go back and play through it again. There are no new difficulties or levels to unlock. Never-the-less the singleplayer is very enjoyable during that one playthrough.

Even after the main quest is over, there is an entire multiplayer mode called "Battle" that though I only had a little bit of playtime with (too busy with the main quest), there is full Wi-Fi connectivity, and wireless ad hoc networks for battles closer to home. Also, there is DS Download Play for those without the game. I didn't like Battle very much, but that was most likely because I was playing the cheapest sonofa... Well, just replace that ellipse by holding down the shift key and mashing on the number row of your keyboard. But back on topic. It entails Link carrying Force Gems (if you played any of the Four Swords games, those should be familiar) to a safe spot. However, with the gems, Link moves slowly, and is vulnerable to attack by one of the three Phantoms controlled by the other player. The Phantoms are controlled by drawing paths to their targets, and they run along it. This is not too fun. Still, it can get fun in little pockets. I think I should play that more.

In Multiplayer, the Link must evade the Phantoms controlled by the other players in order to reach his goal

Learning Curve - 10 (Easy)

The learning curve of Phantom Hourglass is negligible. It may be difficult for some in the beginning but after the tutorial the basic touch controls will feel like second nature. Whenever you achieve a new skill or item, there is a short message which instructs you in the use of it. The only things which don't have a tutorial or hints are the bosses and puzzles but the player should be able to figure these out on their own. All in all Phantom Hourglass is an easy game to pick-up and play immediately.