"The Legend of Zelda moves to the DS. Did it live up to the rest of the series?"

Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is the new, official, Zelda game out. It was released in October of 2007 as the sequel to Wind Waker. At times, Phantom Hourglass can seem a little gimmicky and childish, but it is actually a good game. There are some disappointments and flaws, but the game is still awesome.

Story
So, the story actually picks up where Wind Waker left off. Link and Tetra go on a journey with the pirate crew to find new lands like the King of Hyrule said. However, along the way, a mysterious fog appears around the ship. Suddenly, Tetra is kidnapped by an unknown source and whisked away. It is now Link's responsibility to save Tetra from the clutches of the feared Ghost Ship. The story is pretty good, but it has that repetitive save the maiden in distress storyline. It's still pretty good, though.

8/10

Controls
The DS really emphasizes the use of the touch screen and stylist for this game. First of all, you cannot move Link with the D Pad at all. All movement must be done by sliding the stylist across the touch screen or tapping it to make Link move. Second of all, combat is done with the touch screen and stylist as well. To swing your sword, you will do a series of slashes across the touch screen to slash the sword.

Spin Attacks are done by moving the stylist in a circular motion around Link. If you wish to move faster and roll, you must move in a circular motion at the edge of the touch screen. Third, all items are handled on the touch screen as well. For example, you must draw the path that the boomerang goes in order to throw it.

Also, you can draw the paths of other items as well. The new control system actually worried me at first when I heard about the game, but my fears were eased when I actually played out the controls in the game. They were so easy and fluent to use. You should haven't have too much of a problem, but they will take some getting used to.

10/10

Graphics
If you thought Wind Waker's graphics were cartoony, wait until you see this game's graphics. Phantom Hourglass took Wind Waker's graphics and amplified them by taking advantage of the DS's newer technology. The graphics are better and brighter than Wind Waker's and present a pleasant feel to the game. The sea and all its surrounding islands were done beautifully, and the dungeons were designed well too.

9/10

Music
This is one section that didn't do as great as the other Zelda games. The music is pretty much on par, but all the dungeons and caves have pretty much the same thing. The music doesn't last very long and repeats itself over and over and over again. They did bring back some classic tunes such as the figuring out music, and you can hear a bit of Wind Waker's sailing theme when you sail in this game. Overall, the music could have been improved or at least more lively.

6/10

Content
This is where the game begins to display its ups and downs. While there are more positive things about the game than negative, the negative things are some big issues that disappoint veteran fans of the series. The game is pretty straight forward and easy. You may need to use a guide maybe once or twice if you get stuck on something, but that's about it. There is hardly any challenge whatsoever, but some parts are challenging. The dungeons are also really short and quick to progress through.

Some of the dungeons are a little challenging to solve, but you get them real quick; they also display huge linear like qualities. The sailing, for one thing, is pretty much the same in Wind Waker. While I'm not too particularly fond of the sailing in both games, Phantom Hourglass made its sailing more lively. You actually get to draw the path that you go on the map. This gets you involved in your destination, instead of pulling out a baton, summoning the wind, and riding off to wherever. This game definitely has more structure than Wind Waker did on sailing.

Also, the bosses are pretty cool, but they do have some easy patterns that aren't too hard to figure out. Also, there are no new items in this game. Every single item you get in this game was found in a previous Zelda title. While that's not necessarily a bad thing, it does kind of stink to not get anything new.

One final thing that was a disappointment to me was the salvage arm. They really dumbed down pulling up treasures off the ocean floor. For one thing, you have to actually lower the arm down and bring up the treasure. This wouldn't be so bad if they didn't have enemies and mines that blew up when the salvage arm even touched them. Every time the salvage arm hits something, it loses a bar that is displayed in the top right screen. If you hit the salvage arm five times, it breaks. Once you have a broken salvage arm, you cannot use it until you pay 200 rupees to have it repaired on Mercay Island. That was disappointing, so I don't even use it that much because it's so expensive.

On a positive note, there was really one thing that set this game apart from Wind Waker. It was the fact that you could build your own ship. In Wind Waker, you board your boat and pull out the sail. However, in this game, you can get ship parts from treasures under the sea or other places. These ship parts can be used to customize your own ship. What's cool about this is that it appeals to the fans who like to build and create stuff. Who doesn't like customizing something the way they like it?

All in all, Phantom Hourglass has its ups and downs, but it is a sweet game after all. You can't really penalize it too much, but there is some penalty for the major flaws in dungeon design and downgraded stuff such as music.

7/10

Replay Value
This game is rather short, so you'll probably end up playing through it again. Not to mention, you have pieces of heart and treasures to collect throughout the seas. The game's story will probably take about 15-20 hours, maybe less if you are a master at Zelda games. To get all the extras, treasures, and pieces of heart, it may take another 5-10 hours. You are a looking at about a 30+hour game for a 100% file which is not too bad.

8/10

Fun Factor
This game is really fun and passes the time away. Its flaws and other gimmicks may take some fun out of the game, but it's a fun game overall. Enjoyable, fun, and interactive, Phantom Hourglass is gem for the DS.

8/10

Rent or Buy?
You should definitely buy this game and add it to your collection. It's a great, fun game that is appropriately deemed a Zelda title. If you just want to beat the story and are someone who sits on games all day, you could probably beat this game in a rental, but what's the fun in that? You want this game to be added to your collection as all Zelda games should be.

Overall
I tried to stay as honest as possible with this review because the fanboy in me wants to give this game a 10/10. However, I just can't do that. There are flaws with this game that keep it from getting a 10. That is why, I am giving this game an 8. It's a great game and should be given a chance. Don't worry yourself into not buying this game because of the controls or how it sounds. Loosen up, give the game a try, and have fun with it.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/18/08

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