"The Best Zelda Game Since Majora's Mask"

The Legend of Zelda is one of the longest-running and most popular video game franchises ever to be created. It's spanned tons of games, almost ten consoles, and more than 15 years. And yet still, we keep getting them. And, for the most part, they remain good. Yes, it's true that Zelda games of late have been somewhat disappointing. Twilight Princess, released for the Wii at its launch, was fun, but criticized by fans as being too simple and easy, and too similar to past Zelda games. Wind Waker, on the contrary, was criticized for just the opposite. It also was far too short and simple, but it's graphical style in particular was a huge departure from the Zelda norm.

And now we get Phantom Hourglass. It's supposed to be a sequel to Wind Waker, so this in itself arises some controversy. What about that “kiddie” art style? And what about it's length and difficulty? Are the Zelda games just going downhill from here? Well, you can assuage your fears, because Phantom Hourglass is, in my opinion, the best Zelda game since Majora's Mask.

Like I mentioned above, Phantom Hourglass is a sequel to Wind Waker. It takes place not long after the events of Wind Waker, and the game begins with a quick rehash of Wind Waker's plot. And with that, you are thrust into a world that bears no resemblance to anything you've seen in a Zelda game before. There's no Hyrule -- there's not even any hint at Hyrule. Instead, the game takes place over a huge ocean, spotted with a myriad of islands.

But those islands are of no interest to you at the beginning of the game. Because you, Link, are currently on a pirate ship, with Tetra (who happens to actually be Zelda), searching for the famed Ghost Ship. Atypical of Zelda games, the search is a short and easy one; it's almost as if the Ghost Ship has come searching for you. Tetra, brave soul that she is, immediately jumps aboard to investigate. But once she sets foot upon it, the Ghost Ship sets sail, with Tetra on board! Link tries to rescue her…but to no avail.

Once you wake up, the game really begins. You've washed ashore upon a strange island. A mysterious fairy named Ciela and an enigmatic old man named Oshaus help you get back on your feet and agree to help you find Tetra. After locating a Jack Sparrow-esque treasure-crazed captain to help you navigate from island to island, the adventure begins!

As with every Zelda game, the crux of Phantom Hourglass's game play lies with progressing through dungeons. As you discover more and more about the secrets of the Ghost Ship and the evil that has spread throughout the world, the deeper and deeper you need to delve into the secrets that the game offers.

At first, you simply progress through a myriad of dungeons to collect spirits, which will supposedly help you defeat the evil being responsible for the disintegration of the world. As the plot progresses, however, the dungeons will not only become much more difficult and involved, but you'll also be hunting around for far more important and potent stuff.

Dungeons all pretty much consist of the same basic elements, but they still all manage to stay very fresh and unique. Essentially, there are tons of rooms, usually over multiple floors, which are filled with enemies and puzzles. Defeating enemies is never a hugely difficult task -- it usually just involves using a particular item that emphasizes a weakness in your foe (for example, if he's wearing armor, use the boomerang to circle around and hit him in the back), then bashing the crap out of him with your sword.

The many puzzles throughout the game, though, are an entirely different story. While they're not quite as difficult as those of past games, they are still very well done. They're difficult and all very unique (no ideas are recycled throughout the game), but they're not so difficult that they become frustrating. You may have to flip switches in a certain order, or solve a riddle to unlock a door. As the game progresses, the puzzles become more and more involved and intricate -- but at the same time, they also become so much more rewarding.

I'll admit that I was very skeptical of Phantom Hourglass when it first came out. My biggest concern, along with countless other gamers, was how the touch-screen controls would turn out. Well, I'm happy to say that it really does work well -- it's quite possibly the most intuitive and unique use of the DS touch screen yet. Moving is simple; simply tap to one side of the screen to walk in that direction. Targeting is a matter of just keeping your stylus on a foe, and then tapping him when you get close enough. You can also perform a sword strike by making a quick slash across the screen with your stylus.

Items are also controlled completely via the touch screen. To place a bomb, simply tap where you want to put it. To fire an arrow, tap where you want to fire. The boomerang is one of the coolest items in the game, because you can actually draw out the path that you want it to take. Overall, the items, while not new, are sort of “remade”; while you've probably seen all of them before, they are perfected in terms of how they are controlled in Phantom Hourglass.

As is typical of all Zelda games, you obtain items simply by progressing through dungeons, solving puzzles, and opening chests. Once you find in item, the puzzles that you'll meet in the near future usually require you to use that item. It's actually quite surprising how many uses of any given item the developer's have crammed into the game; while you may be using the same item four or five rooms in a row, it's not at all repetitive.

And then, of course, come the boss fights. They're arguably the most fun aspect of any Zelda dungeon, and the same holds true in Phantom Hourglass. While the bosses are not quite as epic as they have been in past Zelda games (the first one is truly disappointing, but don't worry: they get much better). As per usual, you'll be required to utilize an item (or in some cases, items) to come out on top against a boss. But aside from that, what makes the boss battles really great is that the touch screen is very well-utilized. In one battle, the fight spans both screens. In another, your foe is invisible. However, the top screen is from his perspective, so you can use this to gauge his location and engage him. It's really neat, it's really fun, but at the same time it's also very distinctly Zelda.

The DS's hardware capabilities are brought into play many times throughout the course of the game. You can use the touch screen to make notes on your map. Use the microphone to blow out candles to clear puzzles, or stun enemies by blowing on them. And arguably the coolest puzzle in the game requires you to shut your DS to transfer a symbol from the top screen to the bottom. These sorts of puzzles aren't the bulk of the game, so they don't feel gimmicky, but they are occasionally thrown in, and really keep the game feeling fresh and innovative.

Graphically, this game is one of the most impressive works on the DS. Graphics run very smoothly, and are just overall very nice looking. Textures and backgrounds look great on the DS, and the graphics particularly come alive during boss battles. One minor flaw, though, is that in cutscenes when there is a zoom-in on anybody's face, you will definitely notice some blockiness and roughness. Aside from that, though, everything looks fantastic. The music, also, is very well done. Sadly, there's not a whole lot of original music; however, the little that is present is fantastic. The vast majority of the sound in the game comes from remixed Zelda music, which is nonetheless great. The sound effects, though (which consist mainly of Link shouting “Hy-aah!” over and over again) can get very annoying. Still, for the most part, you will play this game with your volume switch all the way to the right.

One of Phantom Hourglass's biggest problem arrives in form of its difficulty level. Clearly, Phantom Hourglass has been geared toward the casual gamer, one who is not necessarily willing to solve hugely complicated enemies or take on near-invulnerable foes. The game's difficulty has been geared down, and it really shows. Puzzles, while unique, are not very difficult. The exploration factor, which in past games has provided prizes to only the most creative adventurers, is also made far easier. Another staple of Zelda games, pieces of heart, have been taken out. Zelda fans will be angry, but they've now been replaced with full heart containers. Yes, that's right: rather than finding a piece of heart for completing a side-quest, you'll now receive an entire heart. This one fact is possibly the biggest compromising item in terms of difficulty in Phantom Hourglass.

Yet despite that fact, Phantom Hourglass provides a surprisingly lengthy adventure. You'll encounter the Ghost Ship after less than ten hours of play; it seems that you're nearing the end, only to find out that you're in fact less than halfway through. It provides a lengthy, entertaining adventure, and isn't the kind of game that you're going to be able to breeze through in a day. And still, I'm willing to forgive the fact that Phantom Hourglass is fairly easy, simply because it is such an overachiever in nearly every other aspect of the game.

Phantom Hourglass also offers some multiplayer, which is surprisingly fun. It's a kind of game of tag, where one player is Link and must take Triforce pieces from around the dungeon and deposit them in a safe zone. The other player takes control of three Phantoms -- invulnerable, armored monsters -- and draws their paths on the map in an attempt to capture Link. There are a number of different courses to play on, and you can play either with download play, multi-card play, or even on Nintendo's WiFi connection. It's nothing as fun and engaging as, say, Four Swords, but it's still a fun little diversion. Adding on to the online experience, users can trade treasures and ship parts with other people who own the game.

Overall, Phantom Hourglass really does offer the quintessential Nintendo DS gaming experience. The controls are flawless, and the graphics are pushed to their limit. The story is well-done and innovative, and the dungeons are very well-designed. Admittedly, the game is disappointingly easy, but I'm willing to overlook that fact just because of the sheer brilliance of game play and the fact that DS functionality is so seamlessly incorporated into the game. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is a must-have for any DS owner.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 10/15/07

Game Release: The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (US, 10/01/07)