Customer Reviews
I have only played Zelda Twilight Princess and Minish Cap and now ..this one. 
2008-07-20
I love these zelda games. They are easy to get into even if you don't know the whole story line. I do plan to play the other ones though. This particular game is like a pirate-y action adventure role play game and it's tons of fun!!! The ds control scheme is pretty cool too. Also, for people who can never remember things and people to go back to, this version allows you to write on your map using the touch screen and stylus.
Great game...The Zelda Series continues its greatness 2008-07-19
The game is great. It is a perfect continuation of the GameCube game. If you are a fan of Zelda as much as I am, you will enjoy this game. The cartoonish graphics are the same as that of its predecessor on the GameCube. The game play is fun; the DS controls (touch screen) make it very enjoyable as well. This is a must have for DS owners.
very fun game 2008-07-14
this game utilizes the DS interface amazingly. not only does the stylus gameplay offer a new style to the Zelda games, but it continues with an awesome story that keeps you entertained the whole time. the gameplay is so dynamic- it's not just a button-pushing, running around kind of a game, but you can write notes on your map with your stylus to remember certain secrets, you actually blow into the DS microphone for Link to blow out fires, you yell into the microphone to get other characters attention, you close the screen to imprint symbols from the top screen to the bottom screen, and so on.
it's good. buy this game.
Not Just a Kids' Game 
2008-07-14
There are already lots of good reviews, so I thought I'd just add another perspective. I'm 53 years old, and I resisted this game for a long time, thinking it was just for kids. It looks like a silly kids' game, after all. But I thoroughly enjoyed it!
I normally play games only in single-player mode, and some games just aren't designed with that in mind. This one is. It's a story-driven adventure, complete with a variety of challenges and minigames. I followed along with a strategy guidebook, which helped when I got stumped. But overall, I found the game to be just challenging enough to hold my interest, without being daunting or frustrating.
Some reviewers complain about the repetition. I didn't find that intolerable. Yeah, you may revisit the same place many times, but it's something of a new challenge each time, and I rather enjoyed getting more and more familiar with the situations, better at handling them.
My only complaint (besides the cartoonish graphics and juvenile story, which still do go against my grain) is that it's not a replayable game. I don't suppose games of this type ever are. Once you've devoted many hours to making your way through the story, you're finished, and then it's time to buy another game. That's great for the game's publisher, but not necessary so great for the consumer. Personally I favor classic games like backgammon or chess, which are infinitely replayable.
Yet, there's something wonderful and compelling about a game which draws you into the story and carries you along. You end up feeling like you're enjoying a genuine (albeit imaginary) adventure. Sitting back in an easy chair with a game like this is a little like reading a fun novel or watching a movie, only you get to participate in the action at your own pace and be the star of the movie as it unfolds.
Classic Zelda, Through and Through! 2008-07-09
From the moment I first played Ocarina of Time on the N64, I was hooked on the high adventure, fantastical creatures, widespread worlds, puzzle solving, and great storytelling that becomes each Zelda game produced. This latest installment in the Zelda series is no disappointment! Captivating 3D graphics, great music, and a great new story plunge you into a positively addicting game that creatively utilizes the unique features of the Nintendo DS. Your stylus controls nearly all the action in the game: talking, running, battling, jumping, and navigating. The progression of the game follows most others like it; the game will usually point you in the right directions, but there are still many puzzles to figure out along the way. Each dungeon is also a wealth of puzzle-solving in itself. In short, you won't get bored! I find it harder and harder to put down the more I play... I only bought it 2 days ago, so I still have quite a way to go to finish it!
fun and challenging 2008-07-08
The epic story of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker continues as Link finds himself lost in a new adventure. Link and Tetra, the leader of a band of pirates, discover a ghost ship in dense fog. Link falls into the ocean when Tetra gets into trouble, and he wakes up alone on the shore of a mysterious island. Throughout the game, Link collects sand for his Phantom Hourglass, which allows him to explore deeper and deeper into a time-limited dungeon in his quest to find Tetra. Featuring intuitive touch-screen controls and innovative puzzles, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass offers new challenges for fans of the series and an easy-to-grasp introduction for gamers new to The Legend of Zelda. The robust single-player adventure will have Zelda veterans and newcomers alike engrossed by the story as they move through the game with the stylus. A special two-player battle mode lets players connect locally or via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. One player controls Link as he tries to gather as many Force Gems as possible, while the other player manages the enemies who pursue Link. The replayability of these winner-take-all matches is virtually endless.
Granddaughter loves it! 2008-07-07
My 13 year old granddaughter asked for this game because she had played a friends game and liked it. She was so excited when I gave it to her - sat right down and played for a long time.
An after-thought to a real Zelda game 
2007-10-15
I love the Zelda series and have all the games. I played Twilight Princess and thoroughly enjoyed the difficulty, the characters and the graphics. After many release date setbacks, I finally bought my copy of Phantom Hourglass the day it came out. And completed it the day it came out. Fully. All side quests complete. A lot of times, on other Zelda games, I was stumped and have to think on the puzzle for a while. Not so with this one. I figured them all out. I even tried to make it harder than it was! I kept trying to put complex solutions on simple problems. I was so vastly disappointed with this game. Also, I am SO over the stylus. Seriously. Your hand gets in the way and there were a few times I missed seeing a monster come up behind me because my stupid hand was in the way. Then there was when you slash, versus running. Sometimes I would try to slash something, and lo and behold, I would sedately walk up to the monster, and wait to be killed. Also... I like the play between the right hand and the left hand. You have to be good with both hands, it makes it just a little bit tougher. This was all one handed, with your other hand just sitting there. Limply. It was very frustrating, and I truly wish they had made the stylus optional. They were just trying for a new gimmick, and for me, it didn't work. I had hoped for better.
Tons of fun! 2007-10-12
I have a confession: I've never been much of a Zelda fan. I prefer my games with experience points and lots of dialog, and for some reason I had sort of pigeon-holed LoZ into a lame puzzle game. Now I'm gonna go back to the series and see what I've been missing.
Other reviewers here have already covered the graphics, plotline, and atmosphere of the game, so I'd like to focus on the gameplay itself. The touch-screen controls are nearly flawless on this. I love my DS but it really feels like the touch-screen is a useless accessory to most games. In Phantom Hourglass, though, they implemented it so well that I can't shut up about it. In a lot of other games it feels awkward letting go of the buttons and grabbing the stylus just to click a few things before putting it back. In this game, EVERYTHING you do is done using the stylus so there's no awkward transitions, and more importantly, it's done very well.
This game had me hooked within minutes of turning it on, based on the feel of the controls alone. Combat is fast paced and responsive, like it should be. The gameplay is so intuitive that the manual is pretty much unnecessary. Want to grab something? Click it. Want to talk to someone? Tap them. Aiming your bow? Just tap the target. Animal Crossing had similar controls but they always felt sluggish to me, whereas Phantom Hourglass has the sort of immersive controls that really put you inside the game.
The rest of the game feels balanced to me: the boss fights are tough until you figure out the trick, and the puzzles require just enough thought and strategy to make you really think but not so much that you become frustrated. I really like how the puzzles are so well-integrated into the world. It isn't like you reach a dead end in a dungeon and have to solve some brain-twister. It's more like the whole dungeon is one big gradual puzzle that you are unlocking.
Overall, this game is tons of fun. Real fun, not "a challenge" or "something to kill time," but the kind of game that will engage you and make you smile to yourself while playing it. Go pick it up now!
Great game for the DS, while a bit short, overall a good bye. 2007-10-08
First off, this game utilizes the DS capabilities quite well. At the start the lack of ability to use the arrows was irksome, but I quickly got used to the touch screen. It allows lots of versatility so you can switch between weapons and items quickly.
The Phantom Hourglass is like much of its Zelda predecessors, especialy Windwaker. While it has boat sailing as the primary mode of transportation,it is not as time consuming as Windwaker's sailing voyages, and feels much more enjoyable. As in Windwaker there are warp points that you can discover later in the game, and also the ability to search for treasure on the ocean floor. Searching the ocean floor for treasure, or "Salvaging" as it is called is a fun little mini game were you drag a crane down through the water, avoiding mine like enemies. Usually you will find either ship parts(another new idea) or sand for your Phantom Hourglass. Besides salvaging there are several other mini games like the other Zelda games(such as archery practice, cannon accuracy practice, etc).
The main difference I found in Phantom Hourglass was a dungeon you enter several times throughout the coarse of the game called the Temple of the Ocean King. The Temple of the Ocean King is basically a dungeon in which you have a certain amount of time(the time in your Phantom Hourglass) to reach your goal(which gets progressivly lower in level). Inside there are safe spots, in which your hourglass does not lose time, and you cannot be attacked by the phantoms that patrol the corridors. Phantoms are armored knight like guys who are invincible until the end of the game(Accept in certain instances were you can lure them into traps or roll boulders onto them). You must sneak past phantoms or shoot them in the back with an arrow(which momentarily stuns them). Since phantoms will drain 30 seconds off your hourglass and send you to the start of the level, stealth is extremly important. Not only must you deal with the phantoms, but you must also find the way to go down to the next level(usually involving hitting a series of switches and collecting a key to open a locked door.). Over time, from defeating boss battles or finding sand in a sunken chest, you can venture deaper into the Ocean King's Temple.
There are numerous side quests in Phantom Hourglass, mainly the collection of ship parts(which can increase your ship's stamina.), the collection of spirit gems which provide buffs such as, damage reduction, extra sword damage, and the ability to shoot beams out of your sword. Then there is also the classic trading sequence that has been used in earlier Zelda games. You find X item which you trade to Y guy for Z item to trade to Another guy and so on and so on.
There is also a fun mini game you can play either with friends(who don't need a Phantom Hourglass game3 pack) or over wifi. The game is very simple, one player plays as Link, while the other plays as 3 phantoms. Link must run around grabbing Triforce triangles to carry back to his base, while the 3 phantoms are controlled by drawing lines that they will follow, and must stop Link(by running into him) getting the Triforce triangles. Once Link is caught, the sides switch and the other player tries to get Triforce triangles.
The main problems I had with Phantom Hourglass was the short life of the game. There are only 6 dungeons in the entire game, which are much shorter than most zelda games. This game cannot have taken me more than 20 hours to complete, and I found 15 of the 16 heart containers, and 41 of the 60 spirit gems. However, I feel that those 20 hours are well worth the money to buy this game.
Pros
- Same, fun, Zelda game we all expect
- Fun mini games
- Temple of the Ocean King provides a more fast passed stealth side to the game
- Well adapted to DS, with lots of inventive mini games and ways to solve puzzles
- No more long sailing trips like Windwaker
- Nice pleasing cell shaded graphics, the game has a good feel.
- Fun multiplayer(wifi and DS connect with just one game)
Cons
- No more heart pieces ;_; (just heart containers)
- Short (about 20 hours for an experienced Zelda player)
