The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

Is there anything a stylus can’t do? Perhaps the question should be rephrased: is there anything it shouldn’t do? Developers have wrestled with that thought since before the Nintendo DS shipped in 2004. The answer isn’t easy. If done incorrectly in either case, gamers will think the developer took the “easy way out” by using the traditional D-pad controls or by using the touch screen as nothing more than a gimmick to increase sales.

I had visions of what a stylus-controlled Mario would be like. But NEW Super Mario Bros. wasn’t a DS experiment. It was created for gamers like myself that had been waiting – much longer than we care to admit I’m sure – for a sequel on par with the NES and SNES titles.

That’s why it was shocking to hear that Nintendo’s big stylus-controlled game would not be the new Mario, but instead the new Zelda, Phantom Hourglass. Early screenshots of its semi-3D view did not reveal much about the gameplay. We discovered more the following spring, and by the end of May 2006, the world finally knew what it would take for Link to wield a stylus: nothing more than a simple touch.

Though that does make the game less complex than series’ veterans will expect (or desire), it is not unhealthy for the franchise, nor does it remove the very essence that has made Zelda the best and most cloned action/RPG series. Rather, it does the complete opposite. The controls – combined with memorable, DS-specific stages and puzzles – take the game to an exciting and adventurous place. Much like the levels you’ll explore, Phantom Hourglass could be compared to the various islands in the Zelda series. It’s beautiful, remarkable, and sits a few hundred feet off shore of its predecessors.

nsheathe Your Stylus

Phantom Hourglass is innovative in the way it has you perform familiar Zelda tasks. Execute sword combos and spin strikes by drawing a line or circle on the screen. You can also attack by simply touching the enemy. If Link is close, he’ll whip out his sword and quickly kill the monster. If he’s a few steps back, he’ll lunge forward and remove the threat just the same. Better still, when multiple enemies approach, players can capitalize on the scenario by quickly touching each enemy on the screen. Link will follow through with successive hits for each foe, leaving his sword unsheathed – and no enemy unscathed.

Objects are touchable in a similar manner. To pick up a garden bomb (the kind that blossom), stand close and tap it once. Tap again to release, and to throw, tap a few centimeters away from Link. Blocks and levers, which he will push and pull to solve puzzles, are grabbed in the same way. Once a block or lever has been grabbed, an arrow icon will appear. Touch it to make Link move in the arrow’s direction.

This is an extremely satisfying way to play an action/RPG game. The combat is unique but distinctly Zelda. And it’s not just the attack elements that are based on touch. You also control Link’s movement with the stylus. His face and body points toward your stylus and follows your touch, allowing players to easily control him through each environment. Speed is raised and lowered by the distance between Link and the stylus. Touch close to Link and he’ll walk; touch close to the edge of the screen and he’ll run.

Draw the boomerang across these crystal balls to solve the puzzle.

Jumping is automatic. Link’s roll move, the one used to bash into things, is triggered by drawing small circles on the edges of the screen. This is not as intuitive as the other stylus elements. It’s functional and doesn’t take long to master, but you might not want to use it very often. Link moves fast when touching the edge of the screen, regardless of the move you’re trying to perform. If there are enemies, ledges, or any other nearby danger, you run the risk of running into that danger (or off a ledge!) by mistake.

Basic movements are only the beginning. Caves and dungeons are littered with touch-based puzzles, many of which you’ll solve using Link’s trusted boomerang. In past Zelda games, this weapon could be thrown one way. Phantom Hourglass gives you the power to draw the boomerang’s path. It’s not limited to real-world physics, so you can draw a few lines or circles and reverse its path or choose another direction. It doesn’t go on forever, but its reach is pretty far, and its multiple uses are amazing.

The boomerang is one of several returning features that have been made new again with touch screen controls. Players should discover the rest on their own. You can read about Phantom Hourglass, stare at screenshots, and watch gameplay videos till you’re blue in the face. You might be skeptical and think you’ll miss the D-pad. But you won’t really know how good these controls are until you play the game yourself.

Map Quest

GameCube’s first Zelda title, The Wind Waker, expanded on the automated sailing features of the previous Zelda games. For the first time players could manually travel across the water. It was exciting but also tiring – The Wind Waker’s map was larger than all previous Zelda games combined! And no, Link was not given a GPS…

Phantom Hourglass reduces the chore of island-hopping by providing a semi-automated boating system. To change locations, activate the route screen (which appears when you enter the boat) and draw a line from your current location to the area you’d like to visit. The boat starts to move, automatically, as soon as the path is set. Water traps and other hazards add a bit of interactivity to your travels, a gameplay style that’s also explored in Sonic Rush Adventure.

In addition to boat-mapping, players can draw on any map they’ve acquired. Puzzles have been integrated into the process, and while the game typically alerts you of the things that should be noted, it’s wise to make a note of anything unusual. It may be important later on.

Hours of Joy

It might be cliche to say that a Zelda game is a work of art. Even so, how can Phantom Hourglass be denied of that praise? Inside and out, the game is the very definition of handheld beauty. I’m not just referring to the graphics. The gameplay is gorgeous. It's seeping with stellar combat and ingenious puzzles. Long-time fans will be stunned by how well Shigeru Miyamoto’s masterpiece has been converted into a touch-only adventure.

New fans may not be lured by this game. Zelda speaks to the hardcore crowd, a group that’s been collecting Tri-Force pieces since the 80s. But if you’ve ever wondered about Link’s many journeys, Phantom Hourglass will do what its predecessors have and turn you into an addict.

Gameplay: 9.3
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is an immaculate creation of control innovation. The puzzles, combat, and environments come together for another unrivaled chapter in the Zelda series.

Graphics: 9.0
Cel-shaded graphics that are one-of-a-kind on the DS. They’re gorgeous, detailed, and are perfect for Zelda’s first DS outing.

Sound: 8.8
Nothing unexpected, but still very impressive. Phantom Hourglass offers an excellent mix of sounds and music from Zelda’s past and present, as well as some great new music that ensure the DS’s speakers stay cranked at all times.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Phantom Hourglass is not the most hardcore game in the series. It was partially designed for that presumably new, never-played-a-game-before audience the DS has been bringing to our industry. Though most of the puzzles are clever, there are a few that don’t stretch past the obvious.

Concept: 9.5
There are three kinds of “brilliant” in game development. One leads to entirely new genres – Resident Evil led to horror, Konami’s Bemani games (DDR, Guitar Freaks, etc.) led to the multiplayer and peripheral-based music games we have today. Another leads to unique games within an existing genre (like Pikmin and ICO).

The final form of brilliant is also the most uncommon. It only occurs when a developer is bold enough to risk killing a great franchise for the sake of trying something different. When it fails, a game is only remembered for being a disaster. But when it succeeds, as The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass has, you have a game that’s overflowing with greatness – and is remembered for all the right reasons.

Multiplayer: 7.5
A single and multi-card battle mode gives you and a friend the chance to play as Link or three monsters. Link’s controls mirror the rest of the adventure. His goal is to collect and store the Tri-Force pieces. The monsters, however, control more like a strategy game. You command three monsters by drawing their path across the map. Their goal is to corner and attack Link.

The battle mode is fun for a while, but like most single-player games that include a multiplayer option, it clearly wasn’t where the developers spent the majority of their resources.

Overall: 9.3
Building upon the DS’s strengths to give gamers a new way to play a classic franchise, Phantom Hourglass differs from every other action/adventure. It’s a spectacular blend of touch-screen combat, brilliant puzzles, and Wind Waker beauty. A can’t-miss adventure – one of Nintendo’s finest, and one of the year’s best.