Zelda: Phantom Hourglass - Spend Hours As Link - 10/10

The Zelda franchise is a powerful one and it might be argued that the release of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass (coupled, of course, with Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl) was enough to catapult the DS into the stratosphere in terms of early adoption.
Franchise fan-base aside, however, this game is a shining beacon to developers looking to create titles for the DS - it pushes the envelope by taking full advantage of the intuitive controls of the DS while delivering a solid storyline and not skimping on the extras such as sound, visuals and sheer breadth of vision in terms of hours of gameplay.
The story line follows the usual 'save Princess Peach'... erm, sorry, I meant 'save Princess Zelda' formula, however this never seems to get stale because Nintendo continues to add a novel twist to the mix with each new title. In this one it is the titular Phantom Hourglass, and the fact that majority of the game is played on the high seas as an island-hopping pirate-fest.
The game is a feast for the eyes, with crisp, sharp visuals that are bright and colourful. Every item, foe and tile is rendered with such precision that it is easy to forget the game is being played on a screen that is only a few inches across - other developers (read my review of 'Orcs & Elves' or 'Myst', both games in which pixelation rendered game play nigh impossible!) should take note. With visuals this good there is simply no excuse for anything less.
Sounds too have not been skimped on, and the sound of your ship's foghorn blasting as it powers through the surf, and seagulls squawk and cry as they circle your ship, is so cinematic that it is beggars belief. You don't even need to have your headphones on to enjoy the great sound, because the DS's speakers deliver a nearly surround-sound experience.
The controls in Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass are exactly what I expect from every title on the DS - game play is controlled entirely with the stylus, with the option in certain instances to use the buttons. Why do developers continue to under-use the touchscreen capabilities of the DS when this type of control lends such enjoyment and brings so much more to the game in terms of immersion?!
The last thing I want to point out is that this game is huge, as anyone that has played (even if they haven't actually finished) any other Zelda game will expect. With loads of side quests, a fishing mini-game, a target-shooting mini-game, a cannon min-game, an undersea treasure salvaging mini-game and loads of characters to meet, dungeons to explore, foes to defeat, and an engrossing storyline to work through. And that's not even taking into the account the excellent Battle Mode, which allows you to play against other players over WiFi (an experience that is not only fun but which can be extremely rewarding as wins translate to ultra rare items in the Adventure path).
The only downside to The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass is that raises the bar so high that there is a lot of doubt as to whether any other game will ever come as close to measuring up!

Submitted by jcadiram 18/12/2007 557 4

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More Info:

Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, The

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