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ss3teddy's The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS)
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| [March 6, 2008 02:38:11 AM]
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Gameplay:
After more time playing Phantom Hourglass, the characters continue to be entertaining and colorful. The animation of the world is bright and colorful, while the ghost ship gives off a grave and dangerous tone with its monochromatic coloring. Linebeck, now basically my ride around the world, continues to annoy and entertain at the same time.
Going into dungeons to find maps is a blast as I discovered that the microphone is also implemented into the gameplay in order to call out to people or blow out a fire. I also acquired the boomerang in the first dungeon, which is very easy to use with the touch screen, as the player simply selects the boomerang weapon and draws the desired path using the stylus. Exploring undiscovered islands and charting them is a large part of the game as well, and very rewarding secrets can be discovered. The game as a whole continues to entertain to no end.
Design:
The design of this game’s control scheme truly sets a new standard for games on the DS using touch screen control. During the quest, the player can mark things on the map and seacharts using the stylus in order to mark places to return to later, or mark which levers to pull and in what order. I remember a particular time I entered a room with four levers and a sealed door ahead. I had to go to a room on the right, where I found a map that marked the order the levers were supposed to be pulled in. I brought up the map, and wrote down the order, I returned to the room, pulled the levers in order, and was able to move to the next room. The controls used in Phantom Hourglass are the most unique in any game so far, and make the game very fun to play.
The DS’s mic also plays a large roll in the game. I recall an instance in which I had to open a temple to get inside and find another seachart. There were multiple windmills on a platform. I had found the map which told me which windmills to turn and marked them. Then I returned to the platform and blew into the mic to cause the windmill to spin. The intuitive and clever integration of the mic is truly a welcome addition to the gameplay of Phantom Hourglass, as it is very often overlooked.
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| [March 6, 2008 12:27:01 AM]
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Summary:
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is a 3-D action/adventure game for the Nintendo DS in which the main character, Link, must rescue his pirate captain Tetra from the clutches of the mysterious Ghost Ship.
Gameplay:
While watching the intro, I was very pleased with the paper like slide show that discusses the events that had transpired in the previous game, Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and was surprised to find that at the end, the slideshow had actually been done by one of the crew members. So far, everything about this game is whimsical and amazing. The characters all look so unique, and have personalities to match. One of the major characters, Linebeck, even reminds me somewhat of Captain Jack Sparrow. The animation in this game has returned to the less realistic, more stylized feel of the Wind Waker, which personally I adore, as it is a break from the realism I often encounter and creates a more animated feel. The graphics are top-notch on the DS; everything from the oceans to the monsters look excellent, and are very well done.
The controls of this game is the most unique feature ever seen on the DS. Phantom Hourglass is the first game ever for the DS to feature complete touch screen control. The only buttons used are the down and B buttons which function as shortcuts to the map screen. For being a touch screen only game, controlling Link and his actions was executed extremely well in order for the experience to be enjoyable. Link moves toward where ever the stylus is pointed at on the screen, and can even slow down to a walk if the stylus is closer to him. Picking up miscellaneous objects such as pots or rocks is as easy as touching them. Swinging the sword for a horizontal slash took some getting used to, but is easy after some practice. So far, this game is one of the greatest experiences ever and I recommend it to anyone who has a DS.
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ss3teddy's The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Wednesday 5 March, 2008
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