GAME REVIEW: The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass, DS

Hell hath no fury like a Zelda fan scorn for Nintendo! When it was announced that the next instalment of the Legend of Zelda series for the Nintendo Gamecube would buckle the visual style of the previous two instalments on the N64 in favour of a cartoon cell-shading effect the fan reaction wasn’t great.

Wind Walker proved to be an enjoyable game, though, but was more child friendly in tone and in the visuals; when it came to the new Zelda entry for the Wii it returned back to its darker roots. It’s now with the DS’s first Zelda entry on the handheld console, The Phantom Hourglass, that we return to the style of Wind Walker and is also a direct sequel to the game, taking place just moments after the events at the end of that story.

With the DS, Nintendo have made this latest Zelda game as easygoing as the visual style suggests. The stylus guides Link around in this adventure which works effortlessly, the story is very linear, more so than previous Zelda games. This works perfectly for what Nintendo is trying to do at the moment, to market the DS as a family console so that everyone will enjoy playing the games, whatever your age.  

The control system reinforces the pick up and play, friendliness that the DS is suited to, by having the stylus being made to be as useful as possible. Implementing it into various puzzles in the game, and also the nifty inclusion of being able to draw on your map to help you remember where to go, and to write down important information, is not just helpful but good fun – see if you can resist writing obscenities on it.

As you travel through the game you meet some interesting characters that will help you along on your quest to save the Princess. Zelda games have always had a good supporting cast and its no different here, especially entertaining are your fairy Ceira and Captain Linebeck who banter and share some of the game's funnier moments. They follow you throughout the game and prove to be deep and interesting inclusions into the Zelda franchise.  

The game follows the standard Zelda formula; you enter a new area, suss out the locals and then enter the nearby temple, wherein you will inherit a new weapon. The weapons as you’d expect all use the stylus and its good fun to draw where you want your boomerang to end up or guide your grappling hook. The boss’ you encounter as well are good fun and brilliantly designed with each one creating a different experience, but aren’t too challenging so that anyone from you little 10 year old cousin to your middle-aged Dad can’t work it out.

The major flaw in the game is that it can be at times too repetitive; having to revisit a certain temple over and over again, becomes more laborious as the game continues. This is a minor complaint, though, as the game is so full of fun ideas and depth that it’s easy to get lost in it for hours.  

The added feature of multiplayer including an online battle mode helps improve the games longevity, but this option isn’t particularly deep or entertaining enough to keep coming back to.  

Overall this game is a great addition to anybody’s DS collection and we would strongly recommend it as a fan of the Zelda series and as a newcomer to the adventures of Link. There’s fun to be had by all here and if you don’t already have a copy then what’s stopping you? Hop in the boat, grab an oar and join our Green hat-wearing friend across the seas on what is another fantastic game by Nintendo.

[story by David A. Scarborough]