The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass Review: A derivative game that feels like a mid mobile port

In the expansive universe of The Legend of Zelda series, each installment brings its own flavor of adventure, puzzles, and heroism. However, not every journey in Hyrule is a resounding success, and such is the case with Phantom Hourglass for the Nintendo DS. Released as a direct sequel to the beloved Wind Waker, this game attempts to capture the magic of its predecessor while introducing unique gameplay mechanics tailored for the DS touchscreen. Unfortunately, what unfolds is a mixed bag of highs and lows, where innovative ideas clash with frustrating execution, leaving players with an experience that struggles to shine amidst its more accomplished counterparts. Now, without further ado, RPG Ranked presents... a Phantom Hourglass Review: A derivative game that feels like a mid mobile port.

Combat - 5

Fighting enemies by tapping them on a DS screen while accidentally rolling around all the time isn't exactly a fun experience. It makes for a fun boss fight here and there, but this game certainly has some of the worst combat the series has to offer! At least there's no need for the microphone during combat here, unlike Spirit Tracks.

Story - 2

This is one for the worst stories in a series full of mediocre storytelling that can't usually rival even the weakest titles of mainstream RPGs. It's basically The Wind Waker, but worse. And still, Linebeck is the only thing I really can say was the highlight of this story. There's nothing too good or memorable—not even the villain—making for a deserving rating of 2 in the narrative department.

Music - 7

While the music in this game doesn't stand out too much in terms of the series, it still is very well done (outside of the rather repetitious dungeon themes)! Themes like Linebeck's Theme and Cecilia's Parting Words are particular standouts! While this soundtrack could've been a lot better, it isn't all that bad, so it still deserves a decent score.

Items - 5

This game has absolutely nothing unique about its item lineup. With the Boomerang, Bombs, Bow, Hammer, and Grappling Hook, the item lineup here is so mediocre it's almost depressing. Outside of the fact this game has one of the most brilliant iterations of the Boomerang of any game, this game's items are so unabashedly average it is almost funny.

Sidequests - 4

While this game boasts fun collectibles here and there, the limited exploration choices and items make finding items pretty unrewarding. In comparison to other entries of the series, Phantom Hourglass simply can't hold a finger to the much more interesting games in the series.

Dungeons - 6

While this game does have some standout, really creative puzzles that make great use of the DS system, unfortunately, the dungeons of this game are almost completely unmemorable. The main dungeon of this game, the Temple of the Ocean King, is quite irritating, as you have to repeat many floors every time you revisit it, making for a dungeon experience that is simply unenjoyable. While I still had fun with this game's dungeons, they could've been so much better.

Theming - 4

While I admire the fun atmosphere of a mobile Wind Waker experience, every second of this game feels exceptionally derivative due to the lack of unique ways it sets itself apart from its predecessor. Ultimately, this game's theming is absolutely uninteresting, even though it's decent in terms of its execution.

Art & Graphics - 7

While I can't help but love this game's cutesy graphics, this looks dated, even by DS game standards. This game tries to take the gorgeous art style of Wind Waker and put it on the DS, but that waters it down and makes it look like a very average DS title, not a work of art like most previous Zelda games. But, it still does look respectable enough... this game doesn't look hideous or anything!

Quality of Life - 6

This game has two main issues with it: the often clunky touchscreen controls and the offensive overreliance on the DS microphone. While these issues don't ruin the game for me as much as they do for many others, playing feels like quite a chore once you are several hours deep into the game. While the game has no severe bugs, issues, or blatant oversights, the control scheme is pretty egregious at times, securing Phantom Hourglass a score of 6 in this category.

The Verdict

Fun Factor: 4
Overall Score: 50%
Letter Rating: D

While I'd love to pretend I like this game, I simply can't call it anything but an entirely derivative gaming experience when both the Wind Waker and Spirit Tracks do everything this game does but significantly better. Unfortunately, this game struggles to set itself apart and make it worth playing, and I simply can't recommend it to anybody but the biggest of Zelda fans.

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Primary Version: The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo DS)