The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

By Jess Nickelsen

It is truly inconceivable that any person even remotely interested in computer games does not know about the most popular adventure game series ever created by Nintendo. No, I’m not talking about Super Mario Brothers, I mean the Legend of Zelda series! If you don’t know what I’m talking about, turn around, right now, and go out and buy yourself a copy – any copy, any console. I mean it. Unless you’re a complete scrooge you won’t be able to resist its charm.

OK, now that’s taken care of, let’s address the latest in the series: The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass. The Phantom Hourglass is the sequel to Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and takes place several months after that game finished. The basic storyline centres on Link and Tetra, who has gone missing while questing to find a new homeland. Link is washed up on the shores of a mysterious island, and with the help of the island’s inhabitants, sets out to rescue Tetra.

What’s cool about The Phantom Hourglass is that it has been created especially with the Nintendo DS in mind – the game is 100% controllable via the stylus and touch screen. Yep, all movement, fighting and boomerang action is controlled by the stylus. It’s used to solve puzzles. You can even bring up the map and write your own notes on it.

Of course there is the unfortunate, but inevitable, drawback of working with a much smaller screen: the resolution is lower and character and environment detail is not incredible. But the cel-shading and similar artwork to the GameCube’s The Wind Waker results in a sharp, fine-looking game, as the screenshots (right) will attest.

In addition to all the puzzly goodness that you know and love – and expect from any Zelda game - The Phantom Hourglass also allows for multiplayer action, via the wireless DS connection. Two players can take turns alternately playing Link and another player called “the Stalker”. Link has to navigate his way through a maze, find a Force Gem, and take it through to the other side of the maze. The Stalker, armed with three Darknuts, tries to stop him.

Zelda is a classic series – those unfamiliar with it are strongly advised to check out The Phantom Hourglass.

Those in the know will need no convincing.

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