The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass Review
I was a late console gamer – my parents banned all consoles in the house, thus limiting my gaming exposure to the computer and later, handheld systems. It wasn’t until I moved in with a roommate in college, who had every system available, that I was able to sit down with a real console game and play it from the comfort of the couch. One of the first games to enchant me? The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker. Is it any surprise then that I snatched up the sequel to the game without a second thought?
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass picks up shortly after where Wind Waker leaves off. Zelda, who isn’t too fond of her new name and would rather everyone call her Tetra, stays true to her pirate roots and jumps aboard a ghost ship, ignoring the warnings of her crew. Link tries to go after her, but slips off the ship and is separated from both Tetra and her crew.
Link awakes on an island, meets a little fairy who’s lost her memory (this is the locator to know where your stylus is touching, which is identical to The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and the fairy showing you where the Wii-mote is pointing), and learns some basic moves from an old man who, after some exploring and questing, finally gives up his sword (you buy the shield on the island). With sword and shield in hand, Link has to rescue the cowardly captain from his own greed in order to access his boat and rush off to save Zelda yet again.
As it is with any Zelda game, don’t expect the entire story to be dumped into your lap at any one key moment in the game. Details about the ghost ship are slowly revealed as you explore other islands and learn that there’s more going on than meets the eye. Dungeons are long, though not too terribly complicated (much like Wind Waker), rely heavily on quick actions with the stylus, exploration, and plenty of notes on your maps. It might not appease old-school Zelda fans who like to bang their heads on nearby objects out of frustration, but it does make it easier for a wider (and younger) audience to get into it.
As far as the gameplay goes, you have fewer attacks, all of the usual weapons to slowly gather up and use (bombs, bows, etc), and a string of dungeons each with their own unique set of “tricks” to overcome, but Phantom Hourglass also draws upon some of the unique new features that Wind Waker brought to the genre. Mini-games are back, complete with the same humdrum pirate leading them, which offer not only a great way to earn some additional upgrades and collectables, but also a fun break and a chance to put your stylus skills to the test. Combating enemies while you sail the high seas is back, though it’s a much more constant threat in this game than it was in Wind Waker. It’s a much-needed improvement since sailing in Wind Waker was about as interesting as watching grass grow. New collectables have been added, including power-ups that can be used to give your fairy companions more powers. There’s also the Phantom Hourglass itself, which is used in conjunction with the main dungeon you’ll be crawling through several times over. But the best improvements to the genre are features that only the DS can offer.
Everything, and I do mean everything, is controlled with the stylus. Certain shortcuts can be used with the other buttons, but it’s easier and faster to just stick with the stick. I only have one complaint about this method though: it’s annoying to try and walk due north or south in and out of a zone. Without fail, when I drag my stylus down to lead Link out of a dungeon, he either stands still or takes a quick front swing with his sword. Why they don’t let you control Link’s movement with the D-pad in addition to the stylus is beyond me, but it would’ve made navigating him just that much easier.
Unlike most DS games, which utilize the stylus simply because it’s there to use, the stylus is a key part of the gameplay. Nearly every area you come across has a map, and you will mark up each map at least once with information necessary to complete a dungeon or puzzle. Sometimes it’s as simple as a villager saying “oh, there’s a tree up here that you need to shake for a nice reward!” and then you mark it on your map so you don’t forget where it is. Other times it’s more vital information, such as which switches out of a dozen to flip and in what order. The most interesting use of the map drawing feature that I’ve seen came in the form of a puzzle that required me to find four points on the island, use two lines to connect those four points like a giant X, and then dig where X marked the spot to find a secret cave. It’s a fun and creative way to really make use of what the DS has to offer.
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is one of the most solid and entertaining games I’ve had the pleasure of picking up and playing. Though it’s far from hard, the fun factor really makes up for it. As this is a sequel, those who haven’t played most (or all) of the way through Wind Waker might not get as much out of it as those who have played it will, but for the experience alone, it’s worth it.
-Rebecca Bundy
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