Game Overview:
Nintendo
has done what some companies have only dreamed of doing: created
a game that is totally interactive. Phantom Hourglass is one of
the first games made by Nintendo that totally utilizes the touch
screen’s abilities. The game is set up so that it is controlled
totally by the stylus; no buttons are used at all for any main
functions. The controls, though they seem a bit awkward for the
first few minutes of play, begin to feel totally natural and instinctive
very quickly.
Many people find
the touch controls to be one of the greatest aspects of the
game, personally, though, I feel the storyline is what drives
the game. Though the game is a sequel to The Wind Waker, the
storylines are nothing alike, meaning that Phantom Hourglass
delivers a completely new and unique story and experience. And
a very good one it is. The game is constantly giving you small
hints, but just enough to whet your appetite, and it makes you
want to play on and on.
The main focus of
the game, however, seems to be the game’s puzzles. Some
are just so creative and well thought out that you must sit
back and marvel at Nintendo’s creation. Some of the puzzles
are incredibly easy and simple to figure out, but that doesn’t
make it any less fun. Many people see the difficulty level as
a down side, but in all reality, the game is fun, and that is
really all that matters in my book. Like in one puzzle, you
must run around an island and find four landmarks, then draw
lines between them and dig where the two lines intersect. That’s
fun! It may not be that challenging, but it is fun. The bottom
line: the game contains fun puzzles. If you like a hard challenge,
Phantom Hourglass is not for you.
But the biggest,
most important, piece of Phantom Hourglass is the online play.
Via a Wi-Fi connection, you can get online and get automatically
matched up with people from around the globe. The game play
itself is a lot like capture the flag, only with multiple flags
and a Phantom Hourglass theme. You can read more about the online
play here.
If you buy Phantom Hourglass for no other reason, buy it for
the online play; you won’t regret it.
For a more in-depth
review, check out our Phantom
Hourglass Game Review.