DS User Reviews

I recently played The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, and I genuinely had such a good time with it. The stylus gameplay was surprisingly fun and creative, using the touchscreen for movement, combat, and puzzles made everything feel fresh and interactive. I also really enjoyed the story. It had that classic Legend of Zelda charm, with emotional moments, memorable characters, and a sense of adventure that kept me wanting to continue. The ocean exploration felt exciting, and uncovering new islands never got old. Overall, Phantom Hourglass was a really enjoyable experience for me. It’s creative, charming, and definitely worth playing.

Descubrir las funcionalidades de la DS con este juego es algo único. Trazar las rutas por el mar, ir avanzando en una de las mejoras tramas de todos los Zeldas que además avanza junto a un gameplay lleno de giros y cambios, es emocionante. Las mazmorras realmente exploran las oportunidades de la consola. A diferencia de otros juegos Zelda es interesante en esta entrega, hay personajes divertidos, la banda sonora es memorable...

uno de los mejores juego de exploracion en DS, buen endgame y un juego con momentos buenos

It's okay for me. This game is a bit different from other Zelda games, where this game is heavily puzzle based, and lack of combat, which is my favorite thing in Zelda series. This also affect the boss fight where you aren't actually fight them, but more like 'solve' the boss. The exploration is good, but it get boring and repetitive after a few hours in.

Almost every Zelda game gets a score of 90 just because it Zelda on the cover. But if we take off the fan glasses, we can see the problems in the game. The core of the game is about to rush through generic temples with the phantoms under time pressure. Timers in games are always a bad idea. Another terrible idea is the mandatory use of the microphone. Since the Switch 2 also has a microphone now, I really hope they don't get the idea to make it mandatory in games again. If they do, I'll report it as a privacy violation immediately. There are also some unfair situations in the game. For example, enemies suddenly jumping into the screen and injuring the player immediately, with no time to react. The next game, Spirit Tracks is almost the same. Same phantom rooms and mandatory microphoneare and annoying unfair situations still there. This makes the DS Zelda games to the worst of the series. That's a shame, I really wanted to play them. But these poor design decisions make it unfun and unplayable. I can't believe Miyamoto and Aonuma were involved. It actually feels like a different developer designed this game. It's not a 90, not must-play. It's below 70 and for me it's even worse.

playing this game at ds is very fun,i love the interactive gameplay.sailing the ship is so fun with stylus.

Buen juego, buen Zelda. Se usa solamente el lápiz táctil para los controles, lo que podría ser un limite para el juego pero lo eleva llevándole a explorar mecánicas nuevas. Lo jugué de pequeño, y es mejor de lo que lo recordaba. En emulador tiene que ser un mierdonazo jugarlo creo yo.

This game utilizes the touch screen in very fun and unique ways!! Spirit tracks is better in my opinion ,but if you liked spirit tracks then you'll like this too!

Is a decent game but if the Zelda name was not attached I can’t say I would be too interested. Is a very underwhelming sequel to wind Waker.

The controls did take a while to get used to, but Phantom Hourglass is a very worthwhile successor/sequel to Windwaker. It's a bit easier than most games in the franchise, but given that this style of Zelda game is geared towards younger audiences, it makes sense. I highly recommend it for Windwaker fans.

Just like with Skyward Sword, i don't like when Nintendo makes a Zelda game only with the purpose of using the console gimmick. I think the controls of this game are a lot worse than the motion control in SS. It doesn't feel right at all. Just because of that it ruins pretty much all the game. Where at least the motion controls in SS are fun. in this game they **** very much

very fun, altough easy at some times it has a really good ending, good characters and a pretty dark story if you really think about it!

The Sailing Gets A Little Boring, But The Puzzles Are Top Tier, Dare I Say The Best Of Any Zelda Game Also Goron Dugeon From PH Is the best Zelda Dungeon

The worst Zelda game.--- Actual in game quote "It's no fun not being able to play using the +Control **** I have one regret, it's being so stubborn and saying such a thing...." --- Nintendo should have allowed optional button controls. -- Basically, a lot of bad decisions. Touch controls feel like a gimmick, especially when changing weapons while fighting enemies.-- The world map feels small and unpolished. Normally Zelda games have really detailed and layered maps with sections locked until you get the tool needed to reach those locations. In Phantom Hourglass, you just aren't allowed to sail to certain areas until you progress the story. Hidden items are usually just places to dig...pretty lame.-- No heart pieces, but instead there are just 6 heart containers, and you get them by completing mini games. No finding them....pretty lame.-- The Ocean King Temple is just really poorly designed, and you need to repeat it 6 times, repeating the same puzzles.-- The trading sequence is just 4 trades long, and you can't start it until you are about 90% done the game.-- Music is really bad, no Hyrule theme or anything memorable.-- Sailing is also really boring.-- However the boss fights are really good, and the graphics are reasonable, but regular combat just scratches up your screen (Bought a screen protector specifically for this game).-- My friends told me to skip this game......I should have listened.-- My Zelda Ranker-- -Best- Breath of the Wild Majora's Mask Ocarina of Time Link's Awakening Oracle of Ages Oracle of Seasons Twilight Princess A Link Between Worlds Skyward Sword Wind Waker Minish Cap Zelda II The Legend of Zelda A Link to The Past Phantom Hourglass/Triforce Heroes -Worst- Still to play, Spirit Tracks & Tears of the Kingdom Wind Waker

The game depends entirly on DS touch controls which is a hit or miss. Dungeons are short and fun with clever puzzles and ideas (specially the boss fights). Sea exploration is bad to be honest and kills the pacing of the game and story. Graphics are really impressive even in today's standards (2023). Plot and lore are average. Overall it's a great DS game but an average Zelda game. Out of 10 Gameplay: 8 Story: 7 Graphics: 8 World: 7 Sound: 7 Overall: 7/10

A poor plot and mixed gameplay is saved by charming graphics and lovely characters.

7/10

Apesar dos controles horríveis ( que podem ser consertados usando um mod, é procurar "dpad mode" que você achar) é um jogo absurdamente acima da média .vale o seu tempo.

This game is full of lore and I liked it a lot. It's really enjoyable with Tricky and funny Dungeons, even if the movement System it's not that good. At least the things to do outside the main story aren't that much and they're also pretty useless, like obtaining the gems to power up spirits, even if their abilities are pretty hard to use well. A Bad thing is the Temple of the Ocean King, that requests to be redone everytime you walk inside (5/6 times). At least is a good game to have fun and spend some good time.

Un juego que se siente como una verdadera aventura, gran final, diseño de mazmorras, la mecánica del barco esta perfectamente puesta. Su mayor error es el templo del rey del mar, pero no está tan mal como se dice

My introduction into the zelda series. A very solid game that I still play regularly on my old DS.

Zelda comes to the DS in the traditional RPG/arcade adventure hybrid format, complete with cel-shaded graphics and Saturday morning cartoon sensibilities. It does make good use of the stylus, although I for one prefer to be given the choice to use buttons as well...something that is not provided here. Clearly aimed more at younger players but older retro gamers are sure to get a kick out of it too.

Jogo bacana muito divertido história e muito legal e incrível a trilha sonora

A quien se le ocurrió la idea de hacer la mazmorra del rey del mar una y otra vez en modo cronómetro debió ser despedido de la empresa.

I think most Zelda fans would agree that this is the weakest entry in the mainline series. The forced touch controls are unnecessary, cumbersome, slow, and uncomfortable, which makes them especially badly-suited for heated combat situations, precise platforming, and long play-sessions (all of this could have simply been avoided with an optional button control scheme). The sailing/overworld part hasn't really been improved a whole lot from Wind Waker; it's still boring, slow, and there is still very little to actually do for you on the ocean besides waiting to arrive at your next destination (especially since you're not even directly controlling your ship anymore, instead just drawing a route on your map that the boat automatically follows because WE GOT TO HAVE TOUCH CONTROLS EVERYWHERE). The story isn't exactly going to knock you off your feet either and neither is its presentation, which almost entirely consists of characters just standing around and talking to each other, there is very little actually happening. The worst thing (apart from the control scheme), though, is the godd*mn Temple of the Ocean King, which may just be the worst set of ideas ever implemented in a Zelda title and by itself takes the game down 1 additional point for me. The redeeming factors are all the usual Zelda stuff, you know, a sense of adventure, cool puzzles, a satsfying and addictive sense of progression etc. Although one area where Zelda usually shines is also somewhat lacking, and that is THE MUSIC. The "standard island" loop (calling it a song would be vastly overstating it) is very, very lackluster and short and being forced to hear it all the time when exploring an island honestly just makes me want to turn the sound off.

Doing something on the touch screen, communicating with the microphone. Drawing various motifs on the tablets. Marking your destinations on the map and taking notes. Enjoyable fighting mechanics. If I compare it to Wind Waker. I think there was better world design. But the dungeons were a bit weak, could be better. It's the same with puzzles. Overall I had a lot of fun, the story and characters were also good. It was a game where I had a very good time.

A good zelda but with a very difficult mechanics other than that the game is very good

Empezaré por lo malo: La música, ya que en casi todo el juego se repiten los mismos 3 tracks: el de las cuevas, el de los templos y el de "isla despoblada" por así decirlo. 3 tracks muy repetitivos y desinspirados, aunque el juego sí que tiene algún tema chulo, como el de Linebeck. Los gráficos: no han envejecido muy bien, me parece que si lo hubiesen hecho en 2D sería mucho más agradable a la vista, aunque no me parece del todo mala decisión hacerlos en 3D, ya que el 2D podría dar lugar a confusiones con la profundidad, cosa que he notado recientemente jugando a The Minish Cap y Mario y Luigi: Compañeros en el tiempo, y en 3D se puede seguir más fielmente el estilo artístico de Wind Waker, juego del que este es secuela. Mapas del tesoro y piezas del barco: Por el juego hay repartidos varios mapas del tesoro ocultos que te marcan sitios en el mar donde hay tesoros. Esos tesoros suelen ser piezas de barco. El problema es que el contenido del cofre es aleatorio, y te pueden salir piezas repetidas, por lo que se hace muy complicado conseguirlas todas. Creo que había otras formas de conseguir piezas pero también eran aleatorias. Otro problema que tengo con los tesoros es que los minijuegos de la grúa se repiten con mucha frecuencia. Texto: En las cajas de texto no se indica qué personaje está hablando. Normalmente la cámara apunta al personaje que habla, pero no siempre es así, lo que hace difícil saber quién dice lo que pone en el texto. Ahora diré las cosas buenas: Uso de la pantalla táctil: La pantalla táctil se usa para todo en este juego, cosa que a algunas personas no les gusta, pero no es mi caso. Se usa para moverse, atacar, usar objetos, y, lo que más me gusta, dibujar en el mapa. Es una función que se usa en muchos puzles a lo largo del juego y me parece genial. Después de jugar a este juego lo echaba en falta en el resto de juegos, y me decepcionó el poco uso que se hizo de esta función en la secuela, Spirit Tracks. Barco: El mar, si bien pequeño, tiene unos cuantos secretos escondidos: islas con minijuegos, barcos en los que encontraremos otros personajes, y, como ya he mencionado, tesoros. Me gusta ese sentimiento de libertad que te da poder ir por donde quieras con el barco, cosa que la secuela no logro conseguir. La única pega que le veo es que tengas que marcar el camino del barco en la pantalla táctil, lo que hace el combate contra enemigos un sufrimiento. Es el único uso de la pantalla táctil en este juego que no me gusta. Minijuegos: son entretenidos, divertidos y complicados, y tienen buenas recompensas. Es un juego que disfruté mucho, y, aunque esté visto como uno de los peores The Legend of Zelda, es uno de mis favoritos.

Had to rate this game very poorly because it frustrated me way more than anything. The touch controls were a terrible idea to begin with and often didn't work the way they were intended. Some of the items and puzzles using the touch screen were interesting ideas but they ultimately weren't worth it. Should have gone with a more straight forward Zelda title. Sailing was not relaxing, just annoying because you needed to watch out for enemies and random crap to jump over. I suppose they did it to make sailing more interesting, but moving the camera with the touch controls are atrocious so it had the opposite effect. The Temple of the Ocean King also made me miserable up until the 6th and final visit, what were they thinking? They were obviously just padding out the playtime with repetitive and tedious nonsense. A shorter and sweeter game would have been more welcomed. Just poor design all around, mistakes and ridiculous choices a student in a community college game design course wouldn't make. Apparently Nintendo agrees with me because they haven't let Daiki Iwamoto direct another new project, he's stuck directing remasters. In other words, games that have already been made so he can't possibly mess it up. He probably only got to where he was because he's been at the company so long.

A totally competent Zelda sequel that certainly fits the handheld mold for better and worse, having lower stakes than its home-console predecessor "The Wind Waker" but also some moments that are worthy of its series title.

Phantom Hourglass is the best exemple of what the DS can do. Graphically, it's just what you'd expect The Wind Waker would have looked like if it came out one generation prior to the GameCube. The controls are perfect, and I mean, PERFECT. Everything responds with such precision to your own movements that if you fail at doing something, it's always your fault, not the game's. The story is captivating and the characters lovable. The soundtrack is also stellar, alway pumps me up for whatever task is required of me. This is easily my favourite Nintendo DS game, although it can be a bit easy at times. People usually complain about that one dungeon you need to go back to several times, but each time you go there, you can clear it's floors much faster than the previous time, granted you use your brain and items effectively. Which reminds me, the items, the selection is also pretty good this time around. Now, navigating the sea. I think it's a little better than in TWW since it's smaller and more ennemies appear, keeping you busier. Since your boat this time has an engine too, you don't need to change the wind's direction all the time. There are several unique ilsands to explore, many optional. You can focus on the story and beat the game relatively quickly but exploration is so much fun in this game and rewarding. Anyone who loves Zelda and/OR the DS should at least give this game a try, it's truly a work of art.

Este juego es una puta mierda por no decir basura, basicamente, el juego es demasiado complicado, a mi me gusta lo complicado pero lo complicado llevado a lo extremo no me gusta, ademas, los controles son tmb una puta mierda, pq tienes q estar todo el santisimo juego moviendote con el lapiz tactil, los botones, la gran mayoria son totalmente inutiles, en conclusion, no entiendo pq tiene must-play siendo lo mierda q es, y Spirit Tracks en cambio era mas facil y las mecanicas nuevas tmb eran mejores comparados a la mierda esta, le doy 0 por no poder darle -50

If you remove the repetitive end-game dungeon that jolts you and the awfully long final boss, the game will be 10/10

It really upsets me to put such a review on a Zelda opus, but everything is so unbalanced here and the (most of the time) clever stylus controls can't compensate that on its own. Even given the hardware age, the game is not pretty, stylus controls are well thought except that it weighs you down in intense fights which can become frustrating. Intense fights by the way are rare and so the overall game is too easy. A feeling of easiness which is heavily contrasted by this awful central dungeon setup which you need to start all over again and again : excessively frustrating. And finally, the whole story/ universe feel so bland.. Some good ideas but without the usual neatness level of development/ finishing of the saga. I wait more from a Zelda opus, and moreover from the Windwaker "sequel".

Phantom Hourglass is not the best entry in Zelda series but,in general, it still remains a Zelda and it's an enjoyable one. The story is ok,the dungeons aren't very difficult but the gameplay with stylus is a fun way to play by my opinion. The game has incredible soundtrack though. It's definetely one of the best DS games though. Highly recommend it.

เกมส์โคตรสนุก การใช้ปากกาในการควมคุม มันส้รางสรรค์มากๆ วิธีหาทางไปต่อ Puzzle ต่างๆ ไอเดียบรรเจิดมากๆ

This game has decent parts but overall it's kind of a disappointment. It's way too easy and the sailing is still lame, I prefer my Zelda games on land. There's a gimmick with the "main temple" that makes you redo the dungeon a 100 times throughout the game, while it gets deeper everytime. That's just annoying.

The sea atmosphere is just incredibly beautiful and i liked sailing on the boat to other islands and the use of stylus in this game is total fun once you get used to it and it is very useful to use it on the map to mark a location or to draw a path or use it to solve puzzles ect. This is a very remarkable title on the DS

I'm gonna keep it short and sweet. IT'S TRASH!!!!! I guess it isn't horrendously awful it's just a really bad game. I was excited to play this game. I mean it's the sequel to Wind Waker, a phenomenal game. Zelda is probably the greatest video game series ever, but this is a terrible excuse for a Zelda game. First off you have to use the stylus for EVERYTHING!!! That in itself is bad, but the thing that makes this the worst game of the series is The Temple of the Ocean King. I didn't even finish the game because of this terrible dungeon. The fact that you have to keep coming back and doing the same puzzles you already did is bad enough, but what makes it even more horrendously awful is YOU'RE ON A VERY LIMITED TIME LIMIT!!!!!!! Everything else is just forgettable. Looking for islands and sailing has never been more boring. The dungeons are 6/10 at best. The bosses are 6/10 at best. The only thing I can say was at least good was Linebeck, and two pieces of music. Linebeck is a pretty cocky guy so when you see him cowering in fear, then right after taking the credit for something Link did was pretty funny. And the two pieces of music ''Linebecks theme'' and ''Island Life'' aren't anything to special, but they are pretty enjoyable pieces of Zelda music none the less. But the overall game is SO BORING, AND FRUSTRATING!!!!!! That is why I'm giving it a 3/10.

Indeed, as a Zelda game, it is rare that one say that a game is "bad" by most standards--and this holds true for that matter. Continuing the story of the Hero of Winds immediately following the incredible work that is Windwaker, Phantom Hourglass certainly continues to tell the legend we all love. And I did have a hard time putting the game down while playing admittedly. However, this Zelda game, standng amonst the other giants in the Zelda series, has a hard time living up to legend in some regards. While I truly and genuinely applaud Nintendo for doing something so bold with its touchscreen controls, I would retrospectively prefer to have the old school controls of most games in the genre. Truth be told, I did appreciate the approach for its uniqueness and still do, but sometimes playing this game was just a bit tedious and uncomfortable for me. With my arm contorted strangely trying to use my tiny stylus, meh. Also, as I'm sure its been said elsewhere in these reviews: Temple of the Ocean King. My goodness, Temple of the Ocean King. If there were any times in which I would have wanted to stop playing, its whenever I knew I had to return to the Temple of the Ocean King. I'm not sure if the developers did this as a way to demonstrate improved skill to the player, or to artifically increase play time, or to underscore something thematically. However, it was not needed. This was a chore time and time again and added to my annoyances of playing the game. Phantom Hourglass is ultimately a game I'm glad I've played and did enjoy the experience, but doubt I'll find any value in ever returning for a second playthrough.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Really critics? A 9?? How much does Nintendo pay for good reviews? Between this and Mario, I have never seen more blatant bias in any other franchises. This is the first Zelda game that I have played, but I’m really not clamoring to play any others. This is the mighty franchise that’s better than Final Fantasy? Get this kids’ version of Legolas out of here. This is mediocrity defined and the people that play it just don’t have the patience for real RPGs. It’s like this game is made for people who are glued to walkthroughs and just want to say they beat a game. I’m not a fan.

This game is pretty average. Below average for a game series as amazing as The Legend of Zelda. All of the gameplay is played with the stylus, microphone and at one point even closing the DS or putting it on sleep mode if you have a 2DS. This makes the combat quite boring as you just tap the enemy you want Link to hit and it got quite old quite fast for me. The story is pretty average too and the characters aren’t too engaging really. Linebeck is very annoying and even the spirits in this game are bland. The temple of the ocean king is visited way too many times and is recycled after every one or two dungeons, making the actual dungeons seem amazing when there kind of average too. The boomerang and bombchus are quite fun to use and the bosses can be interesting but that’s about it. I really wanted to like this game and I do but it’s definitely not Zelda standard. If you really want to play all Zelda games then fine go ahead and get it but otherwise I don’t think I’d really recommend this game in the Zelda series above others such as Majora’s Mask, Skyward Sword, Twilight Princess or even Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.

I like it! The dungeons are cool, good bossfights and the graphics are on top. But there are few things bothering me! The sailing is over the time quit boring since you just draw your route and watch your ship travel. And after the 4th time the Sea King Tempel isnt much fun any more. It was so bad that I stopped after 4th time and didnt play to the end. Good aspects but you could cut out Se Kings Teample a little. 2 times are enough for one tempel!

At the end of 2018, I sat in my college dorm room wanting to relax after studying. The weekend was coming and I had some time to myself. I picked up the DS that I'd brought with me, but hadn't used yet since arriving at college. Upon looking through my game collection I came past Phantom Hourglass. This was a game I had gotten tripped up on as a kid, being that I was probably too young for an adventure/puzzle game. I decided to give it a shot and see if my favorite franchise was as consistent on the DS as it always had been for home consoles, and boy was it ever. Before I continue, I will follow up on my past remarks. The Legend of Zelda is my favorite video game franchise, and thus I may have enjoyed the game more for the similarities and differences from its predecessors as well as follow up titles. The art style of the game is so childish and cute, yet right at the beginning of the game you are presented with a dark backstory. The dungeons in the game have ominous music and lighting, which makes everything so much more exciting. You begin to feel like a helpless kid, just as the main character is initially portrayed as. Then, it happens. You finish your first puzzles. You beat your first dungeon. All of a sudden, you aren't such a helpless kid anymore, you're an adventurer! You lose yourself within the game, which is constantly moving you along to new islands and throwing speed bumps in your adventure. The innocent art style and mood of the world always sticks around, and you begin to feel like it's your job to protect it. I've never become so engaged in the fun concepts of a DS game as I did with Phantom Hourglass. If you're finding yourself wanting to pick up a classic DS game for fun, Phantom Hourglass is a great pick, and may just pull you back to the handheld console for a bit.

This is the first Zelda game on DS platform. I have a mix feeling about this game. I like the new ways to play game, such as shouting to the console, drawing the line, and using the touch screen. Nintendo show us how to play a game without the controller, but I do not like it. This is an easy game among Zelda franchise by using the controller. However, Nintendo intends to show the players how to play a game with two screens, so players need to use the lower screen all the time. This game takes the fully advantages of the console's technology. This game is accessible for newcomers, such as me. I think Zelda games are really hard, but this one is an easier one. The up screen can show you a full map of the current dungeon, which just like cheating. This is really convenient for me to locate where i am.

Horrible. My first Zelda game was a disgrace to the franchise. Pros: + Literally nothing except for introducing me to Zelda Cons: - Controls: Even Skyward Sword handles better than this trash. - Gameplay: Traveling in the overworld is REALLY boring. - Story: More barebones than BotW's. - Everything else Overall, Phantom Hourglass is SO laughably bad that it warrants a 2/10 from me.

Not the best Zelda game however it does live up to the standard that you expect from this franchise, just in a different way. In the beginning I was not a huge fan of using the stylus but the more I played it the simpler the controls became. Story is ok and comedic at times. This game is also one of the easier Zelda games I have played

This game was disgustingly disappointing in every way. Which is even more true when you think that this could have been an excellent sequel to Wind Waker. The controls are janky. You need to use the touch screen/stylus to move, use your boat, shoot with your cannons and it doesn't help that certain movements (attack movements particularly) are not responsive making it even more horrendous. People may complain about the **** wiimote that is used by Zelda Skyward Sword, but they have clearly never played Phantom Hourglass (Or spirit Track). What I loved about Wind Waker which is not present on this game was the fact the ocean was calm which encourages exploration, but in Phantom Hourglass, you can't do jack **** without being bothered by enemies, I just want to stay on an island to gather money in those circumstances no kidding. But the worst must be the puzzles, in the main temple which has a health draining curse, there are puzzles everywhere and the temple even forces you to be quick (this is some strong timer ****) and everytime you advance a little, you need to backtrack, HOW FRUSTRATING! This temple alone has the worst single puzzle in the ENTIRE franchise, at some point you will reach a room that you cannot leave with some sort of map and then you need to take your DS go to that thing and close it to complete the puzzle, not only it is NOT natural (it is a fourth wall breaking), but it is also said NOWHERE in the game that you should do that, not even a hint (maybe the fairy gave a hint, but it was so unhelpful) which forced me to watch a walkthrough and I swear that it NEVER happened to me before. It is the worst dungeon/temple in any Zelda game ever, even the water temple from OOT is better than that. Aesthetically, the game is good and the ost is as great as ever, but the gameplay **** to the core. This is also because of this game that I never bought Spirit Tracks.

muy interesante propuesta de nintendo. la continuación de un importante juego de game cube adaptado a portátil y explotando todas las características de la doble pantalla. Muy conforme con este titulo.