The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Posted October 4, 2007
Since the inception of the Nintendo DS, Nintendo fanatics have been clamoring about the possibilities of incorporating the system capabilities into a Zelda title. A few years later, Nintendo has finally provided their answer. With The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Nintendo hopes to recapture the magic of Link’s journey on the double-screened Nintendo DS. This is a major release for Nintendo and perhaps the first must-buy title for the holiday season. 
The narrative of Phantom Hourglass picks up at the tail end of the cell-shaded GameCube release, Wind Waker. Thankfully, Nintendo recaps the entire story of Wind Waker at the opening movie sequence for a lovely refresher. It’s creatively presented in a construction paper slideshow, much like what a group of children would create for an art project. After the brief opening, Link is thrust into another perilous journey, courtesy of a Ghost Ship that kidnaps Tetra; the girl from Wind Waker. The following quest has all the epic qualities we love about Zelda titles along with innovative control design from the DS.
Gameplay
Phantom Hourglass is completely dependent on the DS touchscreen to control our young hero. Moving Link from one location to the next is accomplished by holding down the stylus on the surrounding landscape. He can run, roll, and swing his trusty sword all by performing stylus movements on the pad. For instance, drawing quick circles around Link’s body will perform the circular sword attack. Interestingly, if you do this too many times in a short period, Link becomes noticeably dizzy.
Once Link hooks up with a cowardly captain on the first island, he will have access to a ship to do a little island hopping. Sailing around in the ship is generally pretty quick and usually entertaining. The ship’s nautical course is plotted with the touchscreen by drawing a line to the area you want to go. The course can be altered at any time. Ships can also be custom fit with parts found within the game. It only factors into the design, but there is something to be said for rolling around with giant spikes for handrails and a palm tree mounted to the front of the vessel.
Early on, the ship has the capability to jump over obstacles that pop out from the sea. Later, the ship gains parts that help Link access new areas and find hidden treasure. For instance, after the crane is installed, the player can access a mini-game anywhere on the sea to search for underwater rupees and treasure chests. It’s also important to note that the ship can obtain warping abilities by the time you reach the Air temple. The ship can warp, via a funnel cloud, to a new location by drawing a symbol on the touchscreen. Impatient gamers will love to use that feature.
The user interface is fantastic. By tapping on the left bottom of the screen, a menu bar will slide out to offer options such as saving your game, accessing the inventory screen, or checking out the sea chart / map. You can pretty much save anywhere in the game, especially handy for DS owners on the go. Inventory is split onto the two screens, which can be reversed at any time to check items out. The right bottom of the screen provides item access for quick equipment changes or potion use.
Equipment is handled impressively, due to the free-form nature of stylus use. For instance, the boomerang’s flight path can be drawn with the stylus. There isn’t any limit to the number of crazy turns it can take, nor flight time. This is excellent for catching enemies off-guard when turning a corner. Pointing Link with the stylus shoots arrows. Bombs are thrown by flicking the stylus across the screen. You can dig with the shovel by clicking any section of the ground on the touchscreen. Equipment can be cycled though via the touchscreen or the triggers. The innovative incorporation of the touchscreen easily offers the best control of equipment in any Zelda title. It makes Twilight Princess on the Wii feel clunky in comparison.
Dungeons feel smaller in Phantom Hourglass, but that may be due to the speed at which a player can travel through them. One of the neat map features comes in handy in the dungeons, the ability to draw on the map. Many times, dungeons will have floor maps on the walls with hints of secret pathways. You can mark all the treasure chests, the important doors to unlock, or just write notes as you go. There are plenty of puzzles to figure out inside the dungeons as well, most of which are lever-based. If you don’t decipher the clues properly, pulling the wrong levers will punish the player. Another fun use of the touchscreen inside dungeons is the ability to draw paths for moveable platforms. It’s a faster way to travel and imperative in solving puzzles.
Boss Fights are generally simple to complete, mostly due to Link’s ability to swing the sword so quickly via the touchscreen. Players can get several sword slices on a Boss when it’s dazed. There are only a couple fights that become tedious to complete. For instance, a fight on the ghost ship requires timed sword swings against enemy fire coming from the top screen. After several volleys, it’s overly frustrating to miss and start all over. Still, it’s very beat-able with a couple of health potions in tow.
As an added bonus in Phantom Hourglass, Link actually has a wallet that holds thousands of rupees at the immediate start of the game. While you can rack up a moderate amount of coin early on, the real moneymakers kick in when the rare treasure shop opens on the first island. At this point, you will be able to sell treasure and ship parts found during the course of the game. Also, the smart shopper will notice Link can buy certain items for cheap prices and resell for higher. For instance, you can buy a feather at the shop on the first island for 320 rupees and resell it for 800 at the treasure shop. Additionally, other bonuses can be found in the economic system. If you spend enough money at certain stores, they will offer discounts and freebie items as a reward.
Surprisingly, there is a multiplayer mode included in the game, but don’t get excited just yet. It’s more accurately an online mini-game rather than a full-fledged multiplayer world. One player controls Link, who is required to collect shattered pieces of the Tri-Force laying around the level. The other players control Phantoms, which track Link down to end his turn. Players switch off during the multiplayer match and the winner is the player who collected the most Tri-Force shards. It’s a quirky little game, but not something I’d revisit a month from now. Also, the wi-fi matches I participated in were completely lag free.
Graphics
You obviously can’t expect this title to look as sharp as a console version of Zelda. Visually, Phantom Hourglass pushes the graphical capabilities more so than any title I have encountered in the DS. While the textures are occasionally blocky and slightly muddy, the world is quite detailed and definitely colorful. The game switches from an overhead 2-D to a 3-D perspective when on land or sailing on the sea. It’s a fluid change that doesn’t alter your perception due to the great use of artwork depth in the 2-D environments. The camera angles are almost always appropriate, but run into a bit of an issue when aiming at enemies from the ship. Still, it’s negligible if you fire quickly. One visual effect I really enjoyed was the blurring of the map when electrified or dazed. It fits with Link’s condition at that particular moment and makes the game slightly tougher for a few seconds.
Audio
All the classic Zelda tunes are included within Phantom Hourglass, played fairly effectively through the DS speaker. The sound effects are solid as well. Link’s tiny roar when performing sword attacks, those little bomb explosions, and the wonderful secret revealed tune are all reminiscent of previous titles. Per typical standards, there are no voiceovers recorded for the dialogue. It’s all completely text based, but accented by facial expressions and arm movements.
Overall
While brevity unfortunately detracts from Phantom Hourglass, it’s unequivocally the most entertaining version of Zelda released in years. Yes, it’s honestly more fun to play than Twilight Princess on the Wii. The true beauty of Phantom Hourglass is that many puzzles require the unabashed creativity of a child’s mind to solve them, something that grown-ups slowly lose on the path to adulthood. I enjoyed recapturing that creativity, even if I got funny looks from strangers when I was yelling into my DS microphone for a discount on a ship crane. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is, without a doubt, a must own title for all DS owners.
The narrative of Phantom Hourglass picks up at the tail end of the cell-shaded GameCube release, Wind Waker. Thankfully, Nintendo recaps the entire story of Wind Waker at the opening movie sequence for a lovely refresher. It’s creatively presented in a construction paper slideshow, much like what a group of children would create for an art project. After the brief opening, Link is thrust into another perilous journey, courtesy of a Ghost Ship that kidnaps Tetra; the girl from Wind Waker. The following quest has all the epic qualities we love about Zelda titles along with innovative control design from the DS.
Gameplay
Phantom Hourglass is completely dependent on the DS touchscreen to control our young hero. Moving Link from one location to the next is accomplished by holding down the stylus on the surrounding landscape. He can run, roll, and swing his trusty sword all by performing stylus movements on the pad. For instance, drawing quick circles around Link’s body will perform the circular sword attack. Interestingly, if you do this too many times in a short period, Link becomes noticeably dizzy.
Once Link hooks up with a cowardly captain on the first island, he will have access to a ship to do a little island hopping. Sailing around in the ship is generally pretty quick and usually entertaining. The ship’s nautical course is plotted with the touchscreen by drawing a line to the area you want to go. The course can be altered at any time. Ships can also be custom fit with parts found within the game. It only factors into the design, but there is something to be said for rolling around with giant spikes for handrails and a palm tree mounted to the front of the vessel.
Early on, the ship has the capability to jump over obstacles that pop out from the sea. Later, the ship gains parts that help Link access new areas and find hidden treasure. For instance, after the crane is installed, the player can access a mini-game anywhere on the sea to search for underwater rupees and treasure chests. It’s also important to note that the ship can obtain warping abilities by the time you reach the Air temple. The ship can warp, via a funnel cloud, to a new location by drawing a symbol on the touchscreen. Impatient gamers will love to use that feature.
The user interface is fantastic. By tapping on the left bottom of the screen, a menu bar will slide out to offer options such as saving your game, accessing the inventory screen, or checking out the sea chart / map. You can pretty much save anywhere in the game, especially handy for DS owners on the go. Inventory is split onto the two screens, which can be reversed at any time to check items out. The right bottom of the screen provides item access for quick equipment changes or potion use.
Equipment is handled impressively, due to the free-form nature of stylus use. For instance, the boomerang’s flight path can be drawn with the stylus. There isn’t any limit to the number of crazy turns it can take, nor flight time. This is excellent for catching enemies off-guard when turning a corner. Pointing Link with the stylus shoots arrows. Bombs are thrown by flicking the stylus across the screen. You can dig with the shovel by clicking any section of the ground on the touchscreen. Equipment can be cycled though via the touchscreen or the triggers. The innovative incorporation of the touchscreen easily offers the best control of equipment in any Zelda title. It makes Twilight Princess on the Wii feel clunky in comparison.
Dungeons feel smaller in Phantom Hourglass, but that may be due to the speed at which a player can travel through them. One of the neat map features comes in handy in the dungeons, the ability to draw on the map. Many times, dungeons will have floor maps on the walls with hints of secret pathways. You can mark all the treasure chests, the important doors to unlock, or just write notes as you go. There are plenty of puzzles to figure out inside the dungeons as well, most of which are lever-based. If you don’t decipher the clues properly, pulling the wrong levers will punish the player. Another fun use of the touchscreen inside dungeons is the ability to draw paths for moveable platforms. It’s a faster way to travel and imperative in solving puzzles.
Boss Fights are generally simple to complete, mostly due to Link’s ability to swing the sword so quickly via the touchscreen. Players can get several sword slices on a Boss when it’s dazed. There are only a couple fights that become tedious to complete. For instance, a fight on the ghost ship requires timed sword swings against enemy fire coming from the top screen. After several volleys, it’s overly frustrating to miss and start all over. Still, it’s very beat-able with a couple of health potions in tow.
As an added bonus in Phantom Hourglass, Link actually has a wallet that holds thousands of rupees at the immediate start of the game. While you can rack up a moderate amount of coin early on, the real moneymakers kick in when the rare treasure shop opens on the first island. At this point, you will be able to sell treasure and ship parts found during the course of the game. Also, the smart shopper will notice Link can buy certain items for cheap prices and resell for higher. For instance, you can buy a feather at the shop on the first island for 320 rupees and resell it for 800 at the treasure shop. Additionally, other bonuses can be found in the economic system. If you spend enough money at certain stores, they will offer discounts and freebie items as a reward.
Surprisingly, there is a multiplayer mode included in the game, but don’t get excited just yet. It’s more accurately an online mini-game rather than a full-fledged multiplayer world. One player controls Link, who is required to collect shattered pieces of the Tri-Force laying around the level. The other players control Phantoms, which track Link down to end his turn. Players switch off during the multiplayer match and the winner is the player who collected the most Tri-Force shards. It’s a quirky little game, but not something I’d revisit a month from now. Also, the wi-fi matches I participated in were completely lag free.
Graphics
You obviously can’t expect this title to look as sharp as a console version of Zelda. Visually, Phantom Hourglass pushes the graphical capabilities more so than any title I have encountered in the DS. While the textures are occasionally blocky and slightly muddy, the world is quite detailed and definitely colorful. The game switches from an overhead 2-D to a 3-D perspective when on land or sailing on the sea. It’s a fluid change that doesn’t alter your perception due to the great use of artwork depth in the 2-D environments. The camera angles are almost always appropriate, but run into a bit of an issue when aiming at enemies from the ship. Still, it’s negligible if you fire quickly. One visual effect I really enjoyed was the blurring of the map when electrified or dazed. It fits with Link’s condition at that particular moment and makes the game slightly tougher for a few seconds.
Audio
All the classic Zelda tunes are included within Phantom Hourglass, played fairly effectively through the DS speaker. The sound effects are solid as well. Link’s tiny roar when performing sword attacks, those little bomb explosions, and the wonderful secret revealed tune are all reminiscent of previous titles. Per typical standards, there are no voiceovers recorded for the dialogue. It’s all completely text based, but accented by facial expressions and arm movements.
Overall
While brevity unfortunately detracts from Phantom Hourglass, it’s unequivocally the most entertaining version of Zelda released in years. Yes, it’s honestly more fun to play than Twilight Princess on the Wii. The true beauty of Phantom Hourglass is that many puzzles require the unabashed creativity of a child’s mind to solve them, something that grown-ups slowly lose on the path to adulthood. I enjoyed recapturing that creativity, even if I got funny looks from strangers when I was yelling into my DS microphone for a discount on a ship crane. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is, without a doubt, a must own title for all DS owners.
Second Opinion
When the Nintendo DS first appeared on the market, many developers attempted to capitalize on the system's touch screen capabilities by creating games that for the most part felt gimmicky. Nintendo was as guilty of this as anyone. For every Nintendogs there was a Yoshi Touch & Go. As the system matured (and sold like hotcakes), programmers came to realize how to integrate the system's unique controls to build games from the ground up that could not be done anywhere else. Games like Brain Age, Phoenix Wright, and Elite Beat Agents opened up the little DS to a massive audience. Nintendo has been at the forefront of pushing the technology to its limits. From adapting the first person shooter with Metroid Prime: Hunters to reviving the 2-D Mario with New Super Mario Bros, the company has merged the DS with their classic franchises. Only one was missing - The Legend of Zelda. This has finally been rectified with the release of The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass.
Following in the events of the unfairly maligned Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker, Phantom Hourglass drops you right into the action. As expected, you play as Link, the plucky little hero who is just destined to save that compulsively kidnappable Princess Zelda. The format of Phantom Hourglass has you traveling through a series of islands to gather clues and artifacts that will help you retrieve Zelda from the clutches of an evil Ghost Ship. The gameplay is classic Zelda. In a semi-overheard view, you go from screen to screen. In a nice throwback to the very first game in the series, there is a slight pause as you move from one zone to another, and enemies respawn when you come back.
In fact, it's all so familiar that you'll probably grasp the d-pad and face buttons before it even starts up. However, this particular title uses only the touch pad. It's a rather ingenious use of the technology. You simply tap the direction you want Link to go, and he's off. Little swipes of the screen make him attack. Drawing a circle makes him spin attack, and so on. The problem is that sometimes it's just easier to use the legacy controls, but you don't have the option. For example, when I would have Link walk, he'd often do somersaults by accident, but when I tried to make him do one for getting further in the game, he suddenly became gun shy. This isn't the only time that I felt that the adventure was fun despite the use of the touch pad, not because of it.
On the other hand, there are uses for the touch pad that make you wonder how you ever played Zelda without them. The best example of this is the ability to make notes on your map. How often have you been stuck in a dungeon, trying to remember which room has the correct switch you need to flip in order to continue? Such problems no longer exist in Phantom Hourglass, and some puzzles even revolve around the ability to write on the screen. It's a brilliant addition that really feels natural.
Touch pad quirks aside, this has all the hallmarks of the long-lived series. From the enemies to the puzzles to to the sounds, this is the genuine article. The game is a lot of fun, and deserves to bear the name of The Legend of Zelda. Now grab your DS and your stylus, for adventure awaits! Highly Recommended.