Touch screen Zelda controls work great. Crazy, ain't it? http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/impressionsArt.cfm?artid=13952 We're all used to moving Link around with a D-Pad or analog stick and attacking with buttons, but the DS game throws that out the window. Everything is controlled on the touch screen via stylus controls: movement, attacks, items, picking up and throwing objects, talking to people, etc. From the looks of it, you don't need to press a single button to beat the game. This is something Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma has wanted to do for quite some time, and by-George-he's-done-it with Phantom Hourglass.
The context sensitive controls make it simple to do anything you want. To move, touch the screen in the direction you want Link to go. The further away from Link you touch, the faster he runs, so if you want to do a little sneaking you simply touch the area directly in front of Link. You can forward roll by “wiggling" the stylus back and forth at the edge of the screen. Sword attacks are carried out by simply tapping what it is you want to go after. If that initial jump attack doesn't finish the baddie off, swiping the stylus across the enemy will perform a horizontal attack or swiping it through the enemy (relative to Link's position) will do vertical or stab attacks. Drawing a circle around Link performs a spin attack.
If this seems too complicated, don't worry, because it certainly is not. It only took me a few moments to completely understand how things worked and why they worked. It wasn't long before I completely forgot that I was using the touch screen. I just zoned out and played the game as if it were any other Zelda title. In doing so, I noticed that because of how well the controls flow with the overhead perspective, the game is very fast-paced. Cel-shaded Link has always been a speedy little runt, but now that you can jump and attack any target on the screen with a mere tap you can clear a room of weaker enemies without wasting time chasing them down or missing attacks. The game takes care of most of the dirty work for you.
Due to a built-in time limit on the demo, I didn't get to play very far into the game to see if combat would be more robust. However, during a roundtable discussion with Aonuma Nintendo demonstrated an area called the Temple of the Ocean King, a dungeon that is deep into the game. We're not going to spoil the game for you, but don't assume you can just tap-tap-tap your way through some of the game's tougher enemies. Link's full arsenal of moves will be included, and you're going to need them all at one point or another to beat some tough guys. And don't forget, all of those moves will be performed with the touch screen. What's more, the dungeon will have a time limit—a first for the Zelda series.
Touch screen controls also come into play when using items and solving puzzles. The boomerang, of course, is controlled by drawing the path you want it to take on the screen. Nintendo showed off the hookshot during the press conference and the roundtable presentation, which is controlled by dragging the stylus toward what you want to hook. Although I didn't get to try this myself, anyone can see that it was much, much simpler to pull off than in recent console games yet could be executed far more quickly. Besides quickly pulling in multiple enemies, one after the other, the hookshot can now hook around multiple objects at once to create tightrope platforms. Again, you just draw where you want the rope to go, and boom, it's there. This looks to be a good way of mixing up the dungeon design, since Link can traverse chasms without the need for a bridge, walkway or other platform. This could very well give the dungeons in Phantom Hourglass a fresh look.
But what will really make Zelda DS a serious contender for the “best Zelda game" prize (besides the fact that Aonuma and the Phantom Hourglass team are stating that it is their favorite Zelda game ever) will be the puzzle possibilities the touch screen—and only the touch screen—can bring to the series. While we didn't see any specific examples of some tougher puzzles, given the wide range of things you can do with Link's tools and their new, drawing-based controls, I expect some clever stuff.
The touch screen also makes the game map more important than ever. It's normally displayed on the top screen, showing you the current area or dungeon floor. Any time you want you can flip it to the bottom screen (either via the touch screen menu or B Button shortcut) and draw on it. There are all sorts of practical reasons to draw on the map, like to note a secret location pointed out to you by the townsfolk or to help remember the correct order of levers you need to pull to unlock a door.
As mentioned by Aonuma in the roundtable, when you're scribbling on the touch screen you can see Link's little hand writing on the map on the top screen. That's just one example of the little details adding to the impressiveness of the game's graphics. The Wind Waker cel-shaded style fits perfectly on the handheld. There are a few rough spots around Link's hands and arms when he moves them around during cut scenes, but there was nothing else I've seen that would prevent me from saying that the game looks wonderful. The action is fast and fluid. I wouldn't hazard a guess as to the frame rate speed, but it's definitely faster and smoother than most DS games on the market. But that's to be expected, coming from a top-tier internal Nintendo development team.
Like many people, I was skeptical of playing a Zelda game with only touch screen controls, but it did not take long for me to see why Aonuma and Co. were so excited about Phantom Hourglass. Apparently the Japanese agree; it's selling like crazy over there. There's a good chance this is the Zelda title that pulls the casual market into the series we Nintendo fans love and cherish so dearly. And you know what? It looks like it will be another fantastic Zelda game for the hardcore, too.
Topic: IMPRESSIONS: The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Read 5578 times)
