E3 2007: Zelda Phantom Hourglass Impressions
Of course, I am a huge Zelda fan. I was pretty disappointed with Twilight Princess, and when I heard that Phantom Hourglass for the DS used stylus controls ONLY I got kind of angry. Why must Nintendo force us to use the stylus for almost every game, just because it is there? Why can't I just use the control pad? After actually playing the first area of Phantom Hourglass, I am definitely sold. You use the stylus to lead Link around, you touch enemies you want to attach, you touch pots when you want to walk over and pick them up, you make little slashing gestures when you want to slash grass... it's surprisingly natural and smooth. The graphics are based on the Wind Waker style, which looks remarkably nice on the DS. It's that kind of lame 2.5d polygonal kind of game, and I would have preferred something beautifully hand drawn, but the graphics are definitely done well. This game has been getting GREAT reviews over in Japan, and I cannot wait for it to come to the US now that I have played it.
