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first zelda dual screen action

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 27 / 39
Date: July 29, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The epic story of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker continues as Link finds himself lost and alone in unknown seas in a new adventure. Featuring intuitive touch-screen controls and innovative puzzles, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass offers new challenges for fans of the series and an easy-to-grasp introduction for gamers new to The Legend of Zelda. But time grows short, and only the Phantom Hourglass can buy Link the minutes he'll need to survive.
Many months have passed since the events of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and Link, Tetra and Tetra's band of pirates have set sail in search of new lands. They come across a patch of ocean covered in a dense fog, in which they discover an abandoned ship. Tetra falls into danger when she explores the ship alone, and Link falls into the ocean when he attempts to rescue her. When he washes up unconscious on the shores of a mysterious island, he is awakened by the sound of a fairy's voice. With the aid of this fairy, he sets off to find Tetra - and his way back to the seas he once knew.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is controlled almost entirely by the stylus. Using the touch screen, players direct Link's movements and attacks: A sweeping motion triggers Link's spin attack and tapping characters makes Link speak with them. The stylus controls offer a more intuitive means of playing the game and open up new possibilities for puzzle solving.

The game action takes place primarily on the touch screen, with a map on the top screen. However, the player can inspect the map on the touch screen and make notes using the stylus. The notes on these maps are saved for review on the top screen during game play. Players use the map to chart courses for their ships, too. Using the stylus to draw a path through the islands, players set their ships' courses. Then, as the ships automatically follow the paths drawn, players can control their ships' cannons to target oncoming enemies.

In dungeons, players can use the touch screen to draw paths for boomerangs, sending them flying around corners or into otherwise unreachable areas.

The stylus-driven game play is the most compelling new feature of The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. Players use the stylus to control Link, chart courses for their ships, mark notes on maps and solve puzzles in both the overworld and dungeons. A two-player wireless battle mode pits one player, as Link, against another player who controls the enemies pursuing him. Link must collect enough Force Gems before the enemies close in.

Features:

The stylus makes controlling Link easier than ever. Tap on the screen to make Link move, or sweep the stylus around him to swing the sword. Players can even draw a path for his boomerang and send it flying into hard-to-reach targets.
Players can stash the map on the top screen for quick reference or drop it to the touch screen to make notes, study enemies, or chart a path for their boat to follow while they man the cannons.
Compete with a friend over a local wireless connection: Guide Link through special dungeons to capture the Triforce, or command the forces that oppose him.

done and completed by Baaizeed Rahman

ZELDA, A NEW GENORASHON!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 33
Date: August 13, 2006
Author: Amazon User

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've been waiting for a zelda to come to nintendo ds! And! It's the continuashoin to my favorite zelda game for game cube! Zelda wind waker! Now in Zelda Phantom Hourglass you get cool new controls such as waving your sword with your styles, new wepons, cool knew advenchers, and the best of all puzzles! Making maps! AND THE FACT THAT THIS HAS GOOD GRAPHICTS!!!

BETER THAN CASTLEVANIA & FF3

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 6
Date: December 07, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Its no Surprise that this game will very well sell just as good if not better than the awesome cstlevania/dawn of sorrow. It's the Mario's and Zelda's and of course Final Fantasy's that will sky rocket the nintendo business, these games not only bring Nintendo to greatness but completly dominate handheld gaming. I only wish that there will be more Zelda games coming out for the DS. In a week of staying up all day and night I will have beaten the game and soon expecting another. I'm all ready for another Final Fantasy for the DS. Its about time the brought Zelda to the DS. I already know its the best game for DS right now.

Like Sands Through the Hourglass

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 11
Date: October 01, 2007
Author: Amazon User

You can't go wrong with a franchise that has sold more than 52 million units worldwide since 1987. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is definitely no exception. I've been waiting for this game to be released since I got my Nintendo DS Lite last year and all I can say is that it was all worth the wait.

This is the direct sequel to Nintendo GameCube's The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, similar in both the style and the characters.

Utilizing the power of the stylus, one can play the entire game with only the touch screen. I feel more in control of the game when, for example, I draw the path of my boomerang, plot my ship's course, and swing Link's sword by doing a slashing motion across the screen. I thought it would be weird using the stylus to play the game but somehow it felt like it was the natural thing to do (there was very little learning curve, if any).

I'm not really a fan of the cel-shaded graphics because it creates too much of a cartoon feel. I would have wanted for a Link incarnation that would be similar to the Link in Ocarina of Time or Twilight Princess but I guess this young Link would suit better in cel-shaded animation.

To date I have 4 extremely satisfying games on my Nintendo DS but the Phantom Hourglass definitely supercedes them all. I'm one of many gamers here who were (a little) disappointed that Japan got this title roughly 4 months ahead. But the agony of the long wait seems to disappear now that I'm experiencing the magic of this game. I hope to see another The Legend of Zelda game on the DS (though there is unlikely to be one in the near future).

Gimmicky and uninspired, PH is rather disappointing for a Zelda title.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 23 / 45
Date: October 01, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I'm not sure why critics are giving this game such high scores. I personally felt very disappointed with it (I played the Japanese version, as I knew enough Japanese to get myself through the game.) In many ways, I felt PH was worse than its handheld predecessor, The Minish Cap. Here's my critical review:

Dungeons: You have some of the most linear and straightforward dungeons you will ever see in any Zelda game. While there are some challenging puzzles in Levels 6 and 7 (think TP Master Sword puzzle difficulty), for the most part, the dungeons are cake. The "jot down notes on your map" gimmick gets old by the second half of the game. If you want to challenge yourself, try memorizing the details instead of writing them down. Dungeons will take an average time of 20-40 minutes each, making some of the shortest dungeons since the days of ALttP/LA.

Game Length and Difficulty: I'd expect an average player to finish in 10-15 hours for an unaided first playthrough, and 20 hours for 100% completion. Veterans of this series should not take more than 10 if they focus on the main quest. The average player will score some gameovers, but nowhere near as many as the early NES/SNES/GB games.

This game also takes a giant step backwards from TP (and TMC) in a lot of ways:

Dungeon design: Instead of themed dungeons in TP, where each dungeon has a unique gameplay mechanic to remember it by (for example, guiding the statue in the Temple of Time), PH's dungeons are once again generic (Level 3 could have easily been Level 5, and vice versa), linear (even more so than in TP), and almost jokingly easy until near the end.

Inventory: There are no new items (i.e. everything is taken from previous LoZ titles). There are two items for which you draw out their flight paths in advance, and for the remaining five, you point your stylus where you want to use the item. Neither is particularly revolutionary or interesting.

Stylus controls: Surprisingly, they're not as bad as people make them out to be. You will get used to them by the end of the game. There are occasional annoyances (for example, your hands get sore after long periods of play much more easily), and I can't say that I prefer this scheme to the traditional D-pad/analog stick setup, but it's definitely tolerable.

Plot development: Three cutscenes: beginning, middle, and end. No dynamic characters. Story has almost nothing to do with The Wind Waker or the franchise. Tetra has about 10 minutes of on-screen time and you'll get the feeling she was thrown in just for the heck of it.

Music: For the first time since ALttP, each dungeon does not have a unique theme. In fact, the same theme, which consists of just 4-6 repeating notes, is used in all eight dungeons, and it gets really annoying fast. Most songs are simply remixes of classic tunes, and in many cases, their quality has been downgraded. For example, the Goron theme from TP got nerfed, and the light world dungeon theme from ALttP was "borrowed" to become a character's theme in PH, and boy, it sounds awful.

Other gameplay gripes:
You have to return to the Ocean King's Temple [the master dungeon] a grand total of six times, and must restart from the topmost floor (there are 13 basement levels) upon each visit. This becomes an annoyance. Yes, after a few return trips, you will be able to open a checkpoint at the halfway mark, as well as use alternative pathways/puzzle solutions with newly acquired inventory items. Nonetheless, there's still a lot of overlap and repetition (think six return visits), and it gets stale.

The time limit is _NEVER_ a problem as long as you remain patient and refrain yourself from taking chances and running into phantom guards. Since there are time bonuses on almost every level of the dungeon, it's actually possible to finish the whole thing with a net time of zero.

Verdict: Solid rent for me. The game's strong points are its graphics, boss battles, and multiplayer mode. Everything else is meh. I really think this game is being incredibly overrated by the press.

Fun sequel to one of the previous best

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 132 / 136
Date: October 02, 2007
Author: Amazon User

***Note: Some spoilers within***

It's been a while since I enjoyed a Zelda title on a handheld. This selection doesn't disappoint.

I'm only a few hours in and I'm hooked. The story line, graphics, music and the characters are all excellent. This title, like Wind Waker, uses the cartoonish/younger set of characters versus the young adult set from Twilight Princess.

For now, here is what I like and don't like. Of course, I'll update the review as I get deeper into the game.

Pros:

- Picks up where Wind Waker left off. A great story!
- Having the map on the second screen is brilliant. Being able to jot down notes on it is even better. This is by far the most useful tool in the game.
- You can save at any point in the game.
- Puzzle mix is pretty balanced. Nothing too simple and nothing aggravating to the point I want to put the game down. I really dig some of the creative elements they've added to the dungeons. That's all I'm saying; I don't want to give away any spoilers. :)
- The boomerang. I love drawing the path out on the screen. Not only is it used to complete certain actions/puzzles, it's a vital tool in fights. Tip #1: Go slow when drawing the path. If you hit walls or obstacles, the throw is not completed. Tip #2: You can hold down the left shoulder button to instantly switch to the boomerang. This is a great way to quickly arm it.


Cons:

- I feel like I'm always running out of "screen". This just boils down to the stylus control and limited real estate of the DS.
- Getting Link to "roll" is quite difficult for me. Others may have this move down. I'm still struggling.
- You can "fall" into water (you lose a heart piece) and off of cliffs. One stylus touch too far and Link can be sent flying off a cliff forcing you to start a map from where you landed. For me, that always seems to be the beginning. :)
- Other than accessing menus and flipping the screens, the direction pad is pretty much unused. In similar games, I prefer to use it for "moving" characters on screen. It was a little disappointing to see this left out. Not a deal-breaker, just nice to have.
- Using the microphone. I don't think you need to incorporate this into every game. It's great for its intended purpose, but frankly, I don't want to have to blow on my DS to make candles go out as part of a puzzle. Is there a button that will do the same? If there is, I haven't found it yet. I'm still blowing. Just a minor annoyance.

So far this game is a lot of fun; more to come soon, if I ever put this thing down.

***UPDATE 10/08/07***

The game continues to rock. The story is getting deeper and I've very into it. I also like how the ocean-going portion of the game is panning out. (E.g. Upgrading the ship, plotting courses, ocean battles, etc.) The addition of "treasure hunting" or "salvaging" is like a mini-game in itself.

The versatility of the items you acquire continues to impress.

Examples:

- The bombs (oh, how I love the bombs) can obviously be used to blow up enemies, but they are equally useful in blowing up crates and walls so you can gain access to new areas and treasure.
- The bow and arrow (my new favorite) is not only a fast and accurate weapon, but a vital tool fot activating dungeon "eyeball" switches.

***UPDATE 10/14/07***

More great items, more great adventure.

Here are some highlights from the last week (hopefully I don't spoil anything).

- Fishing is great. I found myself a fishing rod. Well, I was actually given it. It is little hard to control at first, but once getting the hang of it, provides a lot of fun and there is a nice surprise waiting for you if you "catch 'em all".
- I'm hooked on the Grappling Hook! Like the boomerang, it's a vital tool and is used for much more than just grappling. One great example, think "Human Slingshot."
- I finally died (fire and ice dragons were tough until I figured out what to do). It was nice that all I had to do was walk back through the blue portal and I was right back to the boss fight again. Thank goodness I didn't have to do the entire dungeon again.

***UPDATE 10/28/07***

I finished the game on a flight to LA this weekend.

- The storyline continued to develop and really kept me interested; all the way to the end.
- The new items (especially the hammer) were perfect additions to the already creative arsenal. (Hint: Be sure to hold down the stylus for a second or two and the hammer doubles in size and punch)
- A couple of the boss-fights were actually in 3D-mode versus top-down 3rd person. The graphics during these sequences looked great.
- There were even some really funny moments towards the end. When G'Pa snatched the hourglass from Link mid-spin, I cracked up.
- Lastly, the final boss fight was excellent. Not too hard, multi-leveled (literally) and actually really fun. No frustration.

Kudos to Nintendo for making one of the best games I've ever played on the DS. Thank you!

Zelda on DS...it had to happen

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: October 03, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I'm sure Nintendo is feeling pretty safe. Through the years, they've amassed a nice collection of franchises they can bet on to keep people coming back. So here's another entry...The Legend of Zelda on Nintendo DS. Fans of the series should know what to expect, this game is really no different from any of the other ones. What made this one fresh is the fact that it's on one of the most innovative consoles ever, bringing that innovation to the Zelda series.

This is a direct sequel to GameCube's The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. While that game isn't the strongest entry (that honor goes to Ocarina of Time for N64), the cartoon look and humor fits quite nicely with the DS and I personally wouldn't have it any other way. All the usual Zelda elements are there, but this time you control with the stylus, which makes playing it all the more fun. Sword-fighting is done by simply touching the enemy or making a slash mark. The boomerang is used by tracing the path you want it to follow (this is simply ingenious!). Your ship's course is determined by tracing the path you want it to follow. The fact that you can also write notes on the game's map is very useful too.

Story-wise, it's simple and to-the-point. Obviously, Nintendo wanted to focus more on gameplay than story, and that's not a bad thing. The dungeons are rather short, but again, simplicity is rampant in this game. I really like the incorporation of the microphone! While it doesn't have speech recognition, you can simply blow in the mic to make things happen. I'm not a fan of having to do the main dungeon over and over again. That will definitely get tedious. The roll move is somewhat difficult to execute, which takes away from the otherwise brilliant play control.

My biggest complaints stem from aspects that have been done before in other games. The fairy that accompanies Link speaks for him and also suffers from memory loss, which is identical to Tippi the Pixl from Super Paper Mario (they even look similar). Also, in the main dungeon, Link's life will slowly drain unless he's in designated "Safe Zones", which is straight out of Dark Aether from Metroid Prime 2. Sure they change that up slightly with the use of the Phantom Hourglass, but that just serves to make the game somewhat on the easy side. Incidentally, Metroid Prime 2 borrowed part of its gameplay (light and dark worlds) from Zelda: A Link To The Past, so I guess the favor is returned?

Overall, however, this is probably one of the best games for the DS. It certainly will keep you occupied and coming back for more. While those looking for an expansive Zelda epic like Twilight Princess will undoubtedly be disappointed, this wasn't the point of Phantom Hourglass and it should still satisfy fans. It's a strong entry in the Legend of Zelda series.

One of the best games to hit the DS yet

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 13
Date: October 03, 2007
Author: Amazon User

A direct sequel to the Gamecube's Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, the eagerly anticipated Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is finally here on the DS, and its one of the best games to hit Nintendo's dual screened portable yet. Phantom Hourglass picks up right where Wind Waker left off, with Link and Tetra (Zelda) sailing the seas. Naturally, things don't go quite well as a ghost ship appears, Tetra takes off, and Link is washed ashore on an island. Despite the familiar storyline, Phantom Hourglass has all the fun puzzle and adventure elements that fans of the series have come to expect. Making inventive use of the touch screen and stylus controls, Phantom Hourglass may take some getting used to in this department, but once you do, you'll have a blast. Since this is a direct sequel to Wind Waker, the game follows the same graphical and gameplay styles, meaning the cartoonish, diminuitive Link that we came to love (and in the case of a good amount of players, hated) is here, as are the sailing elements. Fortunately, some improvements have been made for the DS, particularly the sailing parts which are performed much better here. Graphically, Phantom Hourglass boasts some of the best visuals of any DS game. The boss battles are wonderful, and the environments are inventive as well, rounding out another masterpiece in the Legend of Zelda series. The only real downside to Phantom Hourglass is that the touch screen controls, as I've said before, take a bit of getting used to. Gamers may be turned off by not using the traditional control scheme we've come to expect from a portable Zelda game, but once you get past that, it's smooth sailing (literally). Not to mention that if the differently designed art style from Wind Waker wasn't your cup of tea, Phantom Hourglass' visuals won't win you over. All that aside, Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is a smashing title for the DS and the franchise, and undoubtedly one of the best games to hit the system yet.

True to the Zelda Legacy!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: October 05, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game is one of the best games available for the Nintendo DS. It no doubt has the best graphics of any DS game, and is pushing New Super Mario Bros. as the best DS game to date. I am glad I was able to find a copy the day it came out, because this game is a lot of fun. The dungeons are a bit easy for experienced Zelda fans, but it doesn't detract from the fun. I do agree with other reviewers that the touch-screen and microphone use are a bit forced at times, but it is still an A+ game, and I highly recommend you pick up a copy! It may have Windwaker graphic but it stays true to the Zelda legacy, and is spectacular for a handheld!

A welcome debut on the DS

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: October 05, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Like a lot of franchises, the Legend of Zelda tends to add a couple of different gameplay mechanics to make it feel like a different game, but fundamentally you're still getting the same thing. But when you have the "if it ain't broke..." adage fitting perfectly, one can understand Nintendo's reluctance to completely overhaul the series. With Phantom Hourglass, it's kind of like Minish Cap-style presentation with some of the more unique controls found in Twilight Princess. Does it make it a great game? Well it certainly does have the classic gameplay but it might not have the classic status of Ocarina of Time or even an underrated one like the Oracle series.

Story: Taking place a couple months after Wind Waker, Link is onboard the pirate ship with Tetra when they come across a mysterious ghost ship. Mind on treasure, Tetra goes onboard only to disappear and Link thrown overboard. He arrives on an island and with the help of a ship captain, Linebeck and a fairy named Ciela, Link searches for the ship to save his friend.

Graphics: Some might find it similar to Final Fantasy III's DS remake but that doesn't mean the graphics are bad. In fact, this is probably some of the most detailed and lively graphics on the DS. It really does have that kind of "miniature Gamecube" feel in some of the scenes.

Sound/Music: Zelda at times had the best music when it stuck to the familiar themes. Not saying the music's bad here, of course not, but there's times where you like the music playing but there really isn't that distinctive theme until you go "hey wait, is that a remixed version of Zelda's Lullaby?" But maybe it's just me.

Gameplay: Last time it was changing into a wolf, now, um, well there is the titular hourglass. Beating bosses fills up the hourglass a bit which allows more time to complete the dungeon of the Ocean King. Getting more items allows further access into the dungeon. It's a nice idea but it would nice if we didn't feel like going through the floors again in order to get to the next section. There is a halfway point but it would be nice if you can "zap" to the next section.

Along with Twilight Princess, this is probably one of the most different in terms of controlling Link. Done entirely (let me repeat, ENTIRELY, no control pad here) with the stylus, Link at times even controls better. Instead of locking in, you just tap the enemy and Link lunges with his sword; do a swipe and he'll horizontal slash or draw a circle around Link and he'll spin dash. Even using items like boomerangs and bombs are funner to use thanks to user-controlled flight paths for the former or precise throwing for the latter.

It's moving Link around the field that feels unpolished. Have the stylus farther away from Link and he runs, closer and he's slower or draw circles on the outside of the screen and he'll roll. There are times where you fall off cliffs because you pushed too far away, causing a sprint rather than a walk and rolls can be a pain to pull off. There was also a couple times where you have bomb flowers and pointing to them has Link pick them and instead you sword swipe them, causing them to explode in your face.

The sailing's more easier now. You just draw a path on your map and take a breather while firing a cannon now and then at enemies. However, it's this streamlining that might bug players who don't like the decrease in difficulty. Gone are the days of Link to the Past and the Oracle series where you can get easily stomped if you're not careful, Minish and Hourglass have a more accessible difficulty where you're not cursing the game because of one frustrating dungeon - Water Temple, anyone? - but still, the game depends on your skill as a Zelda gamer. Newbies can easily grasp it eventually while veterans might find the lack of difficulty disturbing. (heh heh, Star Wars reference).

If you've beaten Twilight Princess, Phantom Hourglass will easily tide you over. It's fun, not challenging and probably not the best Zelda recently but it's Zelda and that means enjoyable gameplay.

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