Welcome to the first in a series called 30 Minute Reviews.
The idea behind the series is that I post a short blurb with my first impressions of games after playing them for 30 minutes. These reviews are not intended to be in-depth.
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass was released in the US today (Monday, Oct. 1). Phantom Hourglass is the direct sequel of The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker for the Nintendo Gamecube. The art style from Wind Waker carries over to the DS sequel and helps contribute to the game's light-hearted, whimsical, and easily accessible atmosphere.
After a brief storyboard intro, the players take control of Link using the DS stylus. Controlling a character exclusively through the stylus sounds like it would be awkward and frustrating, but the controls are instead fluid and intuitive. Even within the first 30 minutes, the game makes great use of the stylus.
Zelda fans will be pleased with the abundance of standard Zelda fare, from talking faeries to wizened old men who distribute swords to monsters who, for some unknown reason, always have a rupee on hand. Those familiar with the old standbys will immediately feel right at home.
Of course, with all the comforts of home comes the trademark quest design for which Zelda is known: sub-sub-sub-sub quests. You know what I mean: Find the Lifting Glove to pick up the Giant Boulder to clear the path into the Cave of Sorrows to get to the Spring of Cleansing to power up your sword to cut through the Palm Tree of Darkness to lift the curse on the Podunk Village to revive an old woman to get the Giant Key to open the door to the Ominous Castle to kill the Big Bad Guy to save the Princess to get back the lamp she borrowed.
(As you can probably tell, I have mixed feelings on the design logic behind Zelda.)
Those who are new to the Zelda series will still find Phantom Hourglass easy to pick up and play. I haven't played Wind Waker yet, but I had no trouble picking up the plot and getting involved in the game. (For the record, Twilight Princess is the only Zelda game I've ever completed.)
So if you're a fan of Zelda and if you own a DS and if you have the disposable income, go out and buy Phantom Hourglass today. There's even some multiplayer options that should extend the replay value. I would have written a section on that, but I haven't played against anyone yet.
And since the reviews themselves are based on 30 minutes of play, I don't intend to ever take more than 30 minutes writing them.
With that, good night, and God bless.
EDIT: If anyone wants to play the multiplayer mode with me, add me to your Friends Roster. You can find my Friends codes for DS games here.
EDIT: There's a good chance that this is the only 30 Minute Review I'll ever post, so don't expect too much.
The idea behind the series is that I post a short blurb with my first impressions of games after playing them for 30 minutes. These reviews are not intended to be in-depth.
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass was released in the US today (Monday, Oct. 1). Phantom Hourglass is the direct sequel of The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker for the Nintendo Gamecube. The art style from Wind Waker carries over to the DS sequel and helps contribute to the game's light-hearted, whimsical, and easily accessible atmosphere.
After a brief storyboard intro, the players take control of Link using the DS stylus. Controlling a character exclusively through the stylus sounds like it would be awkward and frustrating, but the controls are instead fluid and intuitive. Even within the first 30 minutes, the game makes great use of the stylus.
Zelda fans will be pleased with the abundance of standard Zelda fare, from talking faeries to wizened old men who distribute swords to monsters who, for some unknown reason, always have a rupee on hand. Those familiar with the old standbys will immediately feel right at home.
Of course, with all the comforts of home comes the trademark quest design for which Zelda is known: sub-sub-sub-sub quests. You know what I mean: Find the Lifting Glove to pick up the Giant Boulder to clear the path into the Cave of Sorrows to get to the Spring of Cleansing to power up your sword to cut through the Palm Tree of Darkness to lift the curse on the Podunk Village to revive an old woman to get the Giant Key to open the door to the Ominous Castle to kill the Big Bad Guy to save the Princess to get back the lamp she borrowed.
(As you can probably tell, I have mixed feelings on the design logic behind Zelda.)
Those who are new to the Zelda series will still find Phantom Hourglass easy to pick up and play. I haven't played Wind Waker yet, but I had no trouble picking up the plot and getting involved in the game. (For the record, Twilight Princess is the only Zelda game I've ever completed.)
So if you're a fan of Zelda and if you own a DS and if you have the disposable income, go out and buy Phantom Hourglass today. There's even some multiplayer options that should extend the replay value. I would have written a section on that, but I haven't played against anyone yet.
And since the reviews themselves are based on 30 minutes of play, I don't intend to ever take more than 30 minutes writing them.
With that, good night, and God bless.
EDIT: If anyone wants to play the multiplayer mode with me, add me to your Friends Roster. You can find my Friends codes for DS games here.
EDIT: There's a good chance that this is the only 30 Minute Review I'll ever post, so don't expect too much.
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