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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.

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!

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).

What a DS RPG should be!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 29 / 31
Date: October 08, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Let me say, that I'm a HUGE Final Fantasy fan, and have only played two other Zelda games EVER, and never to completion. So it is with some surprise that I say "The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass" stands the model upon which all future DS RPGs should be. It has replaced Final Fantasy III as my new favorite DS RPG and it was no contest.

The graphics are second-to-none for the system. I thought FFIII and Chocobo Tales were good, but this takes what the system can do to another level. It's colorful, bright, cute, and stylish. For a game on such a small screen, the detail is wonderful.

And while some may pass off the stylus-only gameplay as gimmicky, I felt that the tight integration gave me a feeling of being more involved with the game, as opposed to simple button-mashing. The ability to control Link's speed with your stylus is a very clever take, and I actually prefer it to the usual "Hold down B to run." I also like being able to plot the path of my boomerang with the stylus. A very nice touch that adds to the fun of the game.

I enjoy the puzzles and the "time limit" set by the Phantom Hourglass is a great way to keep players on their toes in dungeons. The puzzles, while not overly difficult, offer enough challenge to be fun and not frustrating. And if you can find the hints to solve the puzzles (which are usually scattered somewhere), almost no thought is needed at all.

The story is engaging (this is a sequel, tho' you don't need to have played "The Wind Waker" to understand what's going on) and the characters likable. I also found the music and sound effects to be pleasant and very good for a game that already packs so much into such a small cartridge.

There's so much to LoZ:PH, that I haven't even had a chance to try the multiplayer mode, though it seems to be a watered-down version of Four Swords. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Four Swords is universally considered the pinnacle of multiplayer Zelda, so if it's anything like that, PH is definitely headed in the right direction in that department.

This is a great game for players of any level. Hardcore gamers will appreciate the innovative gameplay and great graphics, and casual gamers will like the challenge and interesting story. Kids will like the bright, colorful graphics and slick fighting/boomerang moves, while adults will like the story and puzzle-solving. This is what a DS RPG should be. Heck, this is what ANY game should aspire to be!

The Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass review

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: October 06, 2007
Author: Amazon User

The Legend of zelda series started out in the late 18th's century and now Zelda Phantom Hourglass has come. Is the Hourglass full of sand or will it break. This is the first Zelda game to come to the newest portable consol, the nintendo DS, and it uses all of it's sensitive touch screen. Showing its first appearence in 2006 with it's magneficent trailer, you probably thought you couldn't wait to get your hands on it. Well guess what, your absolutly right. Their have been many negative comments about this game and your not going to read it here. I have been with the franchise since i was 6 years old, have have played this for 8 years and i got to tell this Zelda ain't broke.

Zelda Phantom Hourglass is the sequal of the Wind Waker for the nintendo GamecCube. Tetra (known as zelda) is missing and of course are old friend with the green tunic Link is off again to save her. But this time a strange mysterious ghost ship is in the picture, no spoilers here. Link then finds himself stuck in an island and thats how his adventure starts out. Of course sooner or later you'll be in long dungeons that we all come to know and love. And as your adventure progresses you will be incountering all sourts of new and interesting characters and weapons.

As you can see in the front case of the game theirs our heroec Link and a new character by his side. I'll keep this as a secret until you get the game but i would so called call him as the Captain Jack Sparow. Where Zelda Phantom Hourglass really shines is with it's mechanicle gameplay. Now by far i have loved how nintendo really tried out this new gameplay by using the Ds 's hardware. In the bottom screen you move Link by the stylus in your hand. Not only that you slice, tap, and poke the pen around the screen to make Link swing his sword, talk to character's, use device's and much more.

According to everybody with the game, they have incounterd that the graphics are fantastic. And if you dont think so your colored blind. Nintendo has truly put great detail into the games graphics, with the Ds's 3D perspective. You do not want to go back to the gameboys advances graphics after you played this game. I would have to say that the music is probably the best in any zelda franchise period. The composers truly out done themselfs.

To conclude this review, I would have to say this is the best nintendo DS game out their by far. With it's prescise gameplay control, incredible graphics, and oustanding music, it's hard enough to give this game a low rating. These might not be prescice but im just going to throw some numbers at you, were talking about a 15 to 25 hour game. If you go threw all the side quests and settings such it's new multiplayer function. Don't waste your time listening to us, go play this game for your self.

Gameplay: 9.5

Graphics: 9.7

Music: 10

Presentation: 9.0


9.6

Thanks for reading

Wow. Simply, wow.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: October 08, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game is fantastic, and quite possibly one of the best games that I've played on the DS so far.

The setting is a few months after Wind Waker, and it takes place in a brand new ocean, so you're not stuck with the same map that you had before. Basically, Tetra is kidnapped and it is up to you, Link, to save her. With a new fairy partner (that has the same voice clips as Navi from Ocarina of Time, I might add) named Celia and the somewhat-shady Captain Linebeck, you're off on your quest to rescue Tetra and revive the Ocean King. (But you'll learn about that later.)

The game controld fully utilize the DS's touch screen. It's fantastic. With your map constantly on the upper screen, game control is fully devoted to the bottom screen. The player uses the stylus to move Link about, swing his sword, throw the boomerang, and other things. Targeting a specific enemy has never been easier - just tap them - and by pressing 'B' or down on the D-pad, you can pull your map down to the touch screen, where you can scribble down notes and memos to yourself about the overworld (another very handy feature.)

The only big complaint that I have with this game is that whever you save and quit in a dungeon, or you need to leave for some reason, you need to everything all over again. It gets very tedious very fast, not to mention incredibly frustrating. However, that is the only thing that I would want to see changed.

Even with the DS' processing power, the overworld is vibrantly colored and fun to play in, and the music is very similar to the Wind Waker's score.

I am incredibly pleased with this game, and couldn't ask for anything more in a DS game so far.

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!

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