"The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass Does Great Justice to the Series"

Introduction
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is by far a must-have for the Nintendo DS. The game case has "The Legend of Zelda" printed on it, that pretty much guarantees satisfaction. One thing I should make note of before I get in-depth with this is that rather than using the classical control pad + letter buttons for movement, you move with the touch screen. This does take time to get used to, but it's nothing to sulk over. The controls are very easily mastered, and they even threw in a control set for left-handed folks. Phantom Hourglass is an all around great game and will definitely be enjoyed by both casual gamers and fans of the series.

Gameplay: 9/10
As stated earlier, Phantom Hourglass makes extensive use of the Nintendo DS's touch screen. You rely on the touch screen for movement and progressing in dialogues during cutscenes. There are Menu and Item buttons on the touch screen, but you can also access these on the corresponding buttons on either the D-Pad or the letter buttons, adding even more variety to the control scheme. It would be nice however to have the choice of D-Pad movement for those that decide that the touch screen just isn't for them. The unique thing about Phantom Hourglass is the ability to write and make notes on maps. This ability is a cornerstone to survival in dungeons; you'll need to rely on the notes you make on your map to avoid traps and in what sequence to hit certain switches. Found a secret hole leading to a secret hideout and afraid you'll forget where it is on the island? No worries, just mark it up on your map.

Also, the game is not restricted to gameplay on land. As you progress, you get access to a Ship, and you can sail the seas in search of new islands and information. To move your ship, you simply sketch a path on the touch screen to the desired location. There are also shops at sea, so don't worry about getting to the nearest island to restock on potions. When you get further into the game, you eventually come across a fishing rod. Fishing is more of a secondary event to do; something to do when you feel you'd like a break from the story. In addition, you also get a cannon and salvage arm attachment for your ship. The cannon is used for taking out enemy vessels and deadly sea creatures that surface every now and then, and the salvage arm is used to reach into the sea and pull up treasure. Both fishing and salvaging are great fun, and both provide a good deal of challenge. The ship itself is highly customizable. You can interchange parts from a wide range or equipment, from anchors to ship hulls to the very hand rails. In addition, there are different sets of ship parts, such as the Golden set and the Demon set for example. Customizations of different sets result in increased stamina for your ship.

You'll acquire a number of different items during your quest, all of which make use of the touch screen. Bombs are now thrown with considerably more accuracy, and to dig away at areas with your shovel, you simply tap the area you wish to uncover. More innovative uses involve drawing paths for your boomerang and bombchus to follow. There are other uses for other items, and I won't spoil them for you.

On to combat, which also involves the use of the touch screen. I strongly recommend the use of a stylus or even a Q-Tip; using your fingers or thumb for combat is suicide. If you enter combat with your fingers on the touch screen, you'll likely move when you meant to attack and attack when you meant to move. When fighting, three techniques are at your disposal. When you tap an enemy, Link will stab them. When you sketch a line between Link and his opponents, he will slash at them. Lastly, when you tap on a monster while Link is far away, Link will perform a Jump Slash, which is more powerful than the other two techniques.

My one and only complaint about the dungeons is that they really do not pay tribute to what this series has established. The dungeons are far too short, you wouldn't expect that kind of length from a Zelda title. I will say however that the puzzles in each dungeon were unique and innovative; I often found myself stuck on a good number of them before something clicked. A related issue is the Temple of the Ocean King. You'll find yourself making frequent trips to this dungeon as part of the storyline, and it often gets tedious to progress through the same traps/puzzles.

There are also three types of gems scattered throughout the vast world of Phantom Hourglass; the gemstones of Power, Wisdom and Courage, each corresponding to the spirits of Power, Wisdom and Courage. When you get to Spirit Island, you can exchange your gemstones in return for upgraded spirits. There are 20 of each gemstone, but 10 will be enough to get your first upgrade. Again, I don't want to spoil anything for you, so I'll leave it at that.

The Boss battles are also creative and entertaining. One boss is invisible, and so, you must look at the top screen to see where the boss is looking. Another boss is as big as both of the screens, and you must make use of makeshift trampolines to launch yourself high into the air. Each boss has it's weakness, and each boss will require one or more of your tools to kill, such as the Grappling Hook and the Boomerang. You'll have a great time in this department.

Story: 9/10
The best thing about the story is that while fairly simple, it manages to include much suspense. The story begins with Link, Tetra and her crew of pirates cruising the sea shortly after the events of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. The crew is looking for the "Ghost Ship", rumored to have unspeakable riches aboard it's rotting foundation. They eventually find the Ghost Ship, and Tetra climbs aboard. However, the crew hears a loud scream. Link tries to jump aboard the ship to investigate, but falls into the water while the Ship sails away with Tetra. He awakens later on a beach on an island unknown to him. He is found by a fairy named Ciela, who appears to have lost much of her memory. I didn't get in-depth about the suspense and this is all I'm willing to say here because, you guessed it, I don't want to spoil a bit of this great experience for you dudes.

Graphics/Sound: 9/10
The graphics are remarkable. As seen with The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, the art used is the cell-shaded system. The developers have really out-done themselves here; everything is great to look at and one area isn't more noticeable or bland than another area. Some argue that the cell-shaded system appeals to children and thus, Phantom Hourglass is a children's game. This is not the case, the cell-shade is unique and creative, you simply need to take a bit of time to appreciate it.

The sound is also well done. Everything is crisp and clear, more so with the use of headphones or earphones. The sounds will take you into the game, as cheesy as that may sound. When sailing, you can here everything, from tides of water softly striking your ship to the sounds of seagulls flying overhead. The music used in the game is something to behold. A lot of the tracks used are generally remixes of older Zelda tunes. When sailing for example, the music that accompanies you is a remixed and re-shaped version of the classical Zelda theme. It makes you feel as if you'll sail to the ends of the earth, stopping at nothing until you find great riches. I will say however that the music in all dungeons is the same track. While not exactly surprising from a Zelda title, they could have at least made the dungeon music in Phantom Hourglass less repetitive and more enjoyable. In short, you don't feel like you're exploring a dangerous dungeon, you feel as if you're being interrogated with that bright light bulb in front of your face. In the last quarter of the game, I actually found myself turning the volume down for the entirety of a dungeon and then turning it back up again when I found the dungeon's boss. Aside from that, the sound effects and music composure were a pleasure to listen to, and they really added to the overall experience.

Playtime/Replayability: 6/10
Phantom Hourglass was rather short for a Zelda title. If you liked Zelda games with the length of Majora's Mask or A Link to the Past, you'll likely be disappointed with the length of this game. Granted, this is a portable game, but many Zelda titles for the Gameboy/Gameboy advance are actually longer than Phantom Hourglass. A huge factor contributing to the relatively short playtime is that players are basically told word for word where to go next, what task or event to perform, and how to go about doing it. A lot of the dungeons are also linear and small. Again, if you liked Zelda titles like A Link to the Past because of it's incredible length and longitivity, you probably won't be satisfied with what Phantom Hourglass has to offer.

There really isn't much in the way of replayability. The only things I can think of worth replaying the game for are to salvage any ship parts you may have missed, or to collect all 20 of each of the gemstones. There is however an online mode, which proves to be fairly entertaining. The online is called "Battle Mode", and involves one player against another. One player controls Link, and the other player controls the Phantoms. The player controlling Link must get the various Force Gems scattered throughout the field and must bring them back to their base to get points. The player controlling the Phantoms must stop Link from taking the Force Gems. After Link is killed or when time runs out, the other player gains control over Link and the player that had Link must then control the Phantoms. This mode is considerably entertaining at first, but it loses it's appeal fast. That said, I loved that the developers finally decided to throw an element of online play in, I've always thought that Zelda needed an online component. I hope that Nintendo continues to utilize online play in future Zelda titles. There are many possibilities, and I'm sure Nintendo can pull it off without any trouble at all.

Final Recommendation
I strongly recommend Phantom Hourglass to all players. While short in length, the game is very entertaining and will leave you quite satisfied once you complete it. There is an online mode, but it may lose it's appeal because of repetition. The graphics are great, and the sound and music are well done. The story was excellent and simple at the same time; you won't find any complicated Metal Gear Solid 4 details to sort out. The gameplay is creative and brings something fresh and new to the Zelda series. This game will definitely be enjoyed by casual gamers and fans alike. I suggest renting the game if you do not intend on playing online. The game was fairly straight forward and can be completed in a week at the most. Unfortunately there isn't a lot of replay value, and so, I'll leave the choice of purchase up to you, the reader. I also recommend reading reviews of all scores, to help you get a better idea of what you like about the game and what you dislike. Thanks for taking the time to read this review, and have a good day.

Pros:
- Gameplay is unique and creative, brings new life to the Zelda series
- Graphics and sound are excellent and consistent; no one part was worked on more than another
- Story was captivating and simple, leaving very little room for any confusion
- You can explore vast seas in addition to exploration on land
- Main characters have "life" and are not simply place-holders
- An online mode is included
- Innovative boss battles

Cons:
- Playtime is relatively short
- Most of the time, players are told exactly what to do
- Players are restricted to using the touch pad
- Dungeons are very short and linear
- Replay value is minimal
- Online mode is repetitive

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/02/08

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