The first Zelda game to hit the DS, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is the sequel to The Wind Waker on the Nintendo GameCube. Phantom Hourglass is extremely stylus heavy, which can be a good thing if you're looking to utilize that touch screen as much as possible. This changes the gameplay dramatically, yet still retaining the endearing qualities for which the series is known.
The story begins with storyboards that quickly tell the story of how Link and Tetra know each other. I never played Wind Waker, so I'm assuming that Link had to save her in some way and it turns out that Tetra is really the Princess Zelda. However, this story begins with Link and Tetra, who has decided to go back to her pirate roots. Together with their crew, they are after the mysterious ghost ship, which is rumored to have a lot of treasure. It suddenly appears and of course, Tetra gets herself into trouble by immediately jumping onto the ship. Link tries to go after her but ends up in the ocean. He washes on an island where Ciela, a rather spaced-out fairy decides to help you. As with all heroes, their goal is to save the girl, so Link's job is to go around finding ways to catch up to that ghost ship.
It took me awhile to get used to the stylus only controls, but it's very simple. You drag the stylus ahead of Link to get him to run. Ciela is actually your guide. You're moving her on the screen so you have an idea of where you'll end up. The further she is from Link, the faster you'll run to catch up. There are times where I want to revert back to the d-pad because I feel like the stylus gets in the way of what I can see on screen. Unfortunately this isn't an option, so you're just going to have to get used to it.
Once you get your sword, you can tap enemies to slice them. You can draw a line between yourself and the enemy to lunge at them and draw a circle around link to do a spin attack. Drawing little circles on the side of the screen lets you roll into trees which can yield items. Rolling takes awhile to get the hang of, especially when you're trying to roll in a very specific direction. Otherwise, the responsiveness is top-notch, so you won't find yourself hitting the DS in frustration.
Another nice feature is the ability to take notes on your map. Icons and clues will pop up throughout the story but you write them all down by clicking on your map. There are some dungeons where you aren't allowed a pen, but the dungeons aren't very tricky in Phantom Hourglass, at least not in comparison to previous Zelda games.
The graphics aren't going to be as nice as it as on the GameCube, but the style is still the same. Link has a huge head with scary eyes and bushy eyebrows. I was not a fan of the Link redesign and I'm glad Twilight Princess reverted back to the traditional Link. The characters have their own animated facial expressions that make the game feel more kid-friendly, but the goofiness wasn't really what I was looking for in a Zelda game.
The environments and dungeons aren't as large as a console game, but it still feels as if there is a good amount of exploring to be done. Other than traveling on land, the ability to travel between islands is available by using a sea chart. As you collect these charts, more areas will be open to you. You can draw out your route on your map to get from point A to B. Your boat will automatically head in that direction and you can stop it at anytime by hitting the stop button on the side. In order to avoid obstacles and other fun things in the sea, there is a button at the bottom of the screen that will allow you to jump.
The music doesn't really stand out but there are rehashed themes that can easily be picked out. It works for the DS though, and you won't find yourself irritated with the music after a few hours of gameplay.
If you've been waiting patiently for a Zelda game on the DS, you have it. If you've also been waiting for a DS game that utilizes the touch screen extensively and in a good way, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass definitely delivers in that regard. Whether this fits your style of play is another story, as it takes some getting used to. Fans of Wind Waker will most likely want to check this out, but I'm still stuck in the ages of the isometric top down view of the old Zelda games.
I am a Canadian living in California with my husband and my precious baby Bailey (95lbs of labrador fun). I work full time and go to school, so finding the time to play video games is tough. I still manage to sneak some time in, whether it's playing on my GBA while I wait in line or sitting in the back seat of my car so I can use our dvd player to play the Gamecube on long trips. I've always been fairly decent at playing games to give my younger brother some competition. I started at the early age of 6 when I inherited an Atari 2600. I played any computer game I could get my hands on during those Commodore 64 days. Now I'll play anything from RPGs to first person shooters, racing games or basically anything that's fun and allows me to play with at least 3 other people.
