Why the hell hasn't this topic been made yet?!

Got the game a couple days ago. The all touch screen controls are shockingly effective. They work nearly flawlessly with the only action that doesn't really work well being rolling, which you'll only rarely need.

The gameplay is standard Zelda fare, only with more sailing again. This time you don't need to putz around with the wind direction and you end up fighting more shit on the ocean than in Wind Waker. Tis nothing you haven't seen before, only this time it's easier.

Graphics are like Wind Waker's but cut down. Fortunately, they are functional and the game never slows down.

Surprisingly, the most idiotic addition to the game is one of the most entertaining. Now you can mark shit on your map. Sure, this leads to stupid "Whack/blow/explode these particular thingamajigs" puzzles, but it's somehow vaguely amusing.

And the Temple of the Ocean King or whatever the fuck it's called sucks. You have to go through the same floors over and over and over, with just a slightly easier time each time. And it's all stealth too. Fun at first, but gets annoying by the end of your third trip through.

The plot? Noone gives a shit about the plot. Some garbage about Tetra being kidnapped or something. Kinda lame really.

And the multiplayer sucks. Don't even waste your time with it.

The game is nothing new. But considering it IS your standard formulaic Zelda stuff, you may enjoy it if Nintendo's horrific lack of innovation and change hasn't gotten to you yet.

So it's a continuation of Wind Waker, if it has Tetra in it?

I won't be getting it for a few more weeks... it doesn't come out in the UK until November at least, but I'll be going to the US on holiday in a few weeks so I can pick it up then (and for cheaper too). :) However, then I can't play it until I get back in November anyway so... I think I'll have only bought myself a week's extra playing time or so. T_T

feh... I'll get it after I get Chibi Robo: Park Patrol.

DS + me = :cry:

So yeah, never played it.

Rich
And the multiplayer sucks. Don't even waste your time with it.

So it's no Four Swords ey? Oh well.

I don't have a DS yet but when I do, I'll definitely check this game out -- well first, Animal Crossing.

Are you angry with Link or something?

I didn't realize playing Zelda promotes cursing.

I don't mind cussing, but it is distracting in a Nintendo thread.

That's just Rich. Cursing is more or less accepted in the forums, as long as you don't get into racial slurs and personal attacks with them.

Anyway, I wish I had both the time and the money to really get into a Zelda game like this, but I'm afraid it's just not in the cards right now. It's too bad, really; I was particularly looking forward to this one when I first heard that the entirely touch-screen based system of gameplay actually works.

fern

Rich
And the multiplayer sucks. Don't even waste your time with it.

So it's no Four Swords ey? Oh well.

I don't have a DS yet but when I do, I'll definitely check this game out -- well first, Animal Crossing.

That's actually a really fun game... if you have goals. trying to get all gold items is a fun but tiresome and long trip... all bugs... well good luck on the turantula...
mortgage? don't know how I even got the money to pay mine off...

anyway it's just fun. need any help, pm me. I know everything about it.

I buying that game today. Hooray!

i had no idea there was another zeldad phantom of the hourglass

Its not nearly as good as Links Awakening.

I'm not going to get into Phantom Hourglass vs. other Zelda games (on account of only ever really playing OoT and Majora's Mask - I hung over a friend's shoulder as he played some of the others, though).

However, I'll say this - aside from the ridiculously annoying Temple of the Ocean King, Phantom Hourglass is one of the most addictive games I've ever come across. Usually, with Zelda games, I get stressed out and get lost in the dungeons and give up in frustration (OoT Water Temple, anyone?), but PH's kept me going. The dungeons aren't so huge and sprawling that I get lost in them, but they aren't too small either. It has a difficulty level which - at times - can strike me as a little too low - I beat the wind temple boss in two minutes flat, without sustaining damage - but I love the touch-screen controls and the way it's so easy to learn.

So, er. I guess I really, really like it? Recommended to anyone, really.

Beat the boss easily? Of course. There's no such thing as a hard Zelda boss. I've never died on a Zelda game (Except Majora's Mask, on the part in the moon where you're trying to get the Fierce Deity mask and you have to roll around as a goron. I actually fell off the edge enough times to lose all my hearts XD).

The hard part about LoZ games is finding all the items. And that's really the part I love about them (Even though I've never been able to find all the heart pieces on any of them)

That being said, I really dislike the touchscreen. It's just one of those things that annoys me. So I doubt that I would like Phantom Hourglass.

I liked the game but I've forgotten half of it already. As someone said, the temple of the ocean king is incredibly repetetive. They could at least have made warp points for each stage you end up doing, so you don't have to keep doing the same things over and over. they DID build in gameplay shortcuts, like being able to use newer weapons and stuff to get through it faster, but I always dreaded going back.

The dungeons were too short, the dungeons are my favorite parts of the games. There weren't enough of them. The whole game seemed very small and short, it was kind of disappointing. Usually I like the game so much I obsess over finding every collectible, but not this game. The bad guys really were too easy (and although zelda bad guys are often easy, they usually have a neat gimmick or something. The Twilight Princess had awesome bosses). I did like being able to take notes on maps, but usually that wasn't very useful. In this case I would have liked it if there were MORE things you had to backtrack for- you usually have to do that more in zelda games anyway, but once you get a map you can draw on, they take that away and you only have to go someplace once? Bah.

Anyway it was a cute game but not one of my favorites. :)

Frostflowers
Usually, with Zelda games, I get stressed out and get lost in the dungeons and give up in frustration (OoT Water Temple, anyone?),

Same here. but that's what makes zelda games ...great.
This game was waaaaay waaaay too easy. not enough challenge.
but yeah. hasn't stopped me from playing it.

I dunno how much I played but I've gotten past the Ghost Ship so far...

I think PH is a pretty fun game, the touch screen controls are awesome ^^
But i dunno, something about it doesnt allow me to play the game for very
long periods of time...maybe cause my hands start to hurt.. which is a good
thing cause I'd probably had finished it in a night or two if I kept at it.

Plot....yeah. its pretty generic. Although I wasnt expecting anything amazing like
Twilight Princess. And will continue to not expect too much of it.

The Dungeons do have this nostalgic feel to it... They're good but at the same time
you dont get the same feel as dungeons from previous games...
Maybe they were too easy. (so far)

There's not too much originality to it I guess. It feels like a lousier version of
Wind Waker with cool controls. Which of course, was probably the focus of this game...
Much like Metroid Prime Hunters was mainly focused on Multiplayer so the story mode was crap.

And personally I like the multiplayer game. Well, its not Four-swords but i think
its pretty fun when you play against your friends and are able to laugh at them through the DS XD

All in all, I guess PH is a game well structured, but it lacks the necessary substance for veteran players.

...Sequels to these games might be great though...I'd love a good, original handheld Zelda or Metroid game.They should now that they have the structures of the games done.