Ahoy Link! We'll set sail for adventure later this fall. by Vaughn Smith

May 9, 2006 - A follow up to the Wind Waker game on the Cube...but on the DS...could there be anything cooler than that? No, there cannot, so stop trying to think of something.

Many months have passed since the events of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and Link, Tetra and Tetra’s band of pirates have set sail in search of new lands. They come across a patch of ocean covered in a dense fog, in which they discover an abandoned ship. Tetra falls into danger when she explores the ship alone, and Link falls into the ocean when he attempts to rescue her. When he washes up unconscious on the shores of a mysterious island, he is awakened by the sound of a fairy’s voice. With the aid of this fairy, he sets off to find Tetra – and his way back to the seas he once knew.

The stylus makes controlling Link easier than ever. Tap on the screen to make Link move, or sweep the stylus around him to swing the sword. Players can even draw a path for his boomerang and send it flying into hard-to-reach targets.

The stylus-driven game play is the most compelling new feature of The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. Players use the stylus to control Link, chart courses for their ships, mark notes on maps and solve puzzles in both the overworld and dungeons. A two-player wireless battle mode pits one player, as Link, against another player who controls the enemies pursuing him. Link must collect enough Force Gems before the enemies close in.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is controlled almost entirely by the stylus. Using the touch screen, players direct Link’s movements and attacks: A sweeping motion triggers Link’s spin attack and tapping characters makes Link speak with them. The stylus controls offer a more intuitive means of playing the game and open up new possibilities for puzzle solving. The game action takes place primarily on the touch screen, with a map on the top screen. However, the player can inspect the map on the touch screen and make notes using the stylus. The notes on these maps are saved for review on the top screen during game play. Players use the map to chart courses for their ships, too. Using the stylus to draw a path through the islands, players set their ships’ courses. Then, as the ships automatically follow the paths drawn, players can control their ships’ cannons to target oncoming enemies. In dungeons, players can use the touch screen to draw paths for boomerangs, sending them flying around corners or into otherwise unreachable areas.

Features:

• Players can stash the map on the top screen for quick reference or drop it to the touch screen to make notes, study enemies, or chart a path for their boat to follow while they man the cannons.
• Compete with a friend over a local wireless connection: Guide Link through special dungeons to capture the Triforce, or command the forces that oppose him.
• Characters: Link, Tetra and a host of new characters native to the mysterious lands where Link finds himself trapped.

By Vaughn Smith
CCC Site Director

The cartoony Link sets sail again, but this time in full 3D on the DS! by Vaughn Smith

March 23, 2006 - During his keynote speech at the GDC this morning, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata officially unveiled a successor to The Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker - only this time the little dude will be taking his highseas adventures to the Nintendo DS system. The game is entitled The Legend Of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and continues the tradition of the cartoon style cel-shading that was seen on the GameCube in the first game released in 2003.

Amazingly, the game is in full 3D and nothing looks to be scaled down much at all. Present are the colorful explosions, ship sailing, cannon use while sailing etc. Accompanying Link looks to be a cute little fairy creature. I wonder whom that could be? If you said "Tinkerbell", you're wrong, although Link and Peter Pan seem to go to the same suit maker.

The DS touch screen features will come into play as players will be able to use the stylus to map out the path of Link's Boomerang, steer the boat and to apply pressure sensitivity to the pads (which appear on the bottom screen) which will open up new areas (remember how Link had to stand on these in Wind Waker?). Putting out fires and making notes on the map will also feature into the overall gameplay.

Dual screen action will come into play as Link will battle bosses that are often much larger than him, or higher than him, but when in dungeons the top screen will become the map, while the bottom screen will function as the main action area.

Phantom Hourglass is set for a year end 2006 release in North America (and if you look at the screens, they're already in English!) but if they do manage to ship it then, it will be the first time in history a LoZ titled shipped without at least one delay.

Not only does the same look amazingly similar to what was accomplished on the GameCube three years ago, but the sound and music is equally impressive. If you were saddened by the lack of any mention of a console sequel to one of the most beloved games in recent history, you turn that frown upside down and spend some cash on a DS Lite (when it comes out) - or perhaps you already own the DS.

No word on the story or multiplayer features, but we'd almost bet the farm (Lon Lon Ranch of course) that the DS version will consist of some multiplayer mini-games. Stay tuned for more! Click here for the official trailer of LoZ: Phantom Hourglass (Quicktime required).

By Vaughn Smith
CCC Site Director