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Thursday 6 March, 2008
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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