Topic: PREVIEWS: The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

[StrikerObi]

A new DS adventure awaits, complete with touch screen controls.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/previewArt.cfm?artid=11474

 It's already out in Japan, but westerners will have to settle for the E3 2007 trailer Nintendo showcased.    

   

   

     Last updated: 05/09/2006 by Mike Sklens            

Lots of new information has been revealed at the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo about Link’s latest adventure. Phantom Hourglass takes place “many months" after Wind Waker, and follows the story of Link and Tetra, who, along with Tetra’s pirate crew, are off searching for new lands. They discover an old abandoned ship, which Tetra decides to explore on her own. She gets in trouble, and Link goes in to rescue her. However, falls into the ocean while trying. He is awakened by the voice of a fairy, who joins him on his quest to save Tetra and get home.    

The game is controlled almost exclusively via the DS’s touch screen and stylus. From the video shown at the show, it appears that players directly control the fairly, which Link follows. To do a spin attack, a sweeping motion is drawn, and touching characters will start a conversation with them. Paths can be drawn for Link’s boomerang to follow, and also to map out paths for Link’s ship. The ship follows the path automatically, and the player is given control of the ship’s cannons. A map occupies the top screen, and can be switched down to the touch screen, where notes can be written on it.    

The game also includes a multiplayer mode, which pits two players against each other. This multiplayer mode is local wireless only. One player controls Link, who is trying to collect enough Force Gems, while the other player controls Link’s enemies.

[mantidor]

I love how they are implementing the touchscreen for this game.

[gally]

I don't like how Link follows the fairy, rather than being directly controlled. That really annoys me. Maybe it will be fun, but I think it will make the game less enjoyable to take that control out of the player's hands.  

[Pale]

I'm with Gally on this one.  Following the fairy seems stupid to me.  It's going to be the first non-Wii item I check out tomorrow, so I'll let you all know what I think.

[TrueNerd]

Twenty bucks says Nintendo adds regular controls before it releases. It matters not to me, I relish the thought of controlling Link entirely with the touch screen. I hope we get some wicked awesome puzzles.  

[SlayerZero]

It makes me happy to see that Nintendo isn't completely abandonning the Wind Waker art style. I'm not at all worried about the controls because the game will still be awesome even if the controls are a bit funky. Nintendo always makes stuff work when it comes to Zelda games.

[Ian Sane]

"I don't like how Link follows the fairy, rather than being directly controlled."

I don't either.  It seems it would be floaty to me, like you're not really in control.  And what possible reason is there to have movement work in such a way other than Nintendo trying to show off the touchscreen?  It seems like a design that was used merely because it was available, and not because it was the better idea.  In fact the whole game seems like an obvious attempt to demonstrate touchscreen functionality that doesn't really exist.  In my mind Nintendo still hasn't demonstrated the touchscreen as anything but a novelty and the rather forced implementation seen here just confirms that.

It'll probably still rule because it's Zelda.  This doesn't look unplayable, just kind of awkward like the brutally unnecessary seals in Castlevania.

[Pale]

Hey guys...

http://www.planetgamecube.com/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=7&threadid=16003

That's me shamelessly plugging my impressions as I said in this thread I would get back to you with what I thought.