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Is Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass a bad game or not that bad, just not a good Zelda game?
- Thread starter Uzumaki Goku
- Start date
I loved the stylus controls, they were nice and elegant for combat, menus and movement, and led to good puzzles like drawing paths for things.
My main issue with PH was the repetitive nature of the central dungeon and that I didn't like the boat, there just wasn't enough to do and shooting at random enemies was tedious. Same for the train in ST, the overworlds felt empty.
My main issue with PH was the repetitive nature of the central dungeon and that I didn't like the boat, there just wasn't enough to do and shooting at random enemies was tedious. Same for the train in ST, the overworlds felt empty.
Same same.
Still not that enjoyable but I've never had such bad feelings for a Zelda game than for Spirit Tracks. Music is great though.
I think PH conveys the feeling of adventure through its mechanics very well, and the DS-specific features are utilized in creative and interesting ways.
The dungeons are overall disappointing so the game doesn't hold up well seen as a Zelda title, but I would say it's a great DS game if you set the franchise history and expectations aside.
I never minded returning to the Ocean King temple because the same layouts played out differently each time due to having an additional item with you, and it was designed with revisits in mind.
Overall a fun game I can see myself returning to again in the future.
The dungeons are overall disappointing so the game doesn't hold up well seen as a Zelda title, but I would say it's a great DS game if you set the franchise history and expectations aside.
I never minded returning to the Ocean King temple because the same layouts played out differently each time due to having an additional item with you, and it was designed with revisits in mind.
Overall a fun game I can see myself returning to again in the future.
I bought it when it came out but hardly played my DS. After the Game Boy Color, I just wasn't as big on portables and always preferred consoles. I didn't go out a lot so I didn't need to take gaming with me.
Never played it
A year or two ago, I finally decided to play the DS games I'd bought but never played, and started it. Got a couple of hours in and haven't touched it since. I want to beat it and knock it off my backlog. Same with the next one.
I DON'T LIKE the stylus controls. What were they thinking?
Never played it
A year or two ago, I finally decided to play the DS games I'd bought but never played, and started it. Got a couple of hours in and haven't touched it since. I want to beat it and knock it off my backlog. Same with the next one.
I DON'T LIKE the stylus controls. What were they thinking?
It's kind of Nintendo's thing to build a game around novel hardware features, just for the sake of it.
I think the general idea behind that philosophy is to differentiate their sequels as much as possible while retaining some kind of 'essence' of the franchise so that it still feels 'Zelda' despite the changes, but the degree to which they succeed in doing so depends on who you ask since what Zelda is is very subjective.
I know, but it doesn't mean it's not stupid.
I don't know why they think it's a good idea to do that when it hurts their games a lot of the time. Gimmicks and forcing/relaying on them in gameplay makes Nintendo games less interesting and less fun.
I was introduced to the Zelda series through this game. It's my favorite so far (yeah, others are better games I know, but still, this one is my favorite).
Its a mediocre game and an awful Zelda game. Spirit Tracks was an improvement in many ways and it took more risks, so that one is pretty underrated.
spirit tracks pisses me off because everything about it is rad as hell except playing it is a terrible slog
i want to like it but can't
i want to like it but can't
Neither. It's a fine game with some good puzzles and dungeons. Not a terribly great story as a sequel to Wind Waker but nothing bad. The central dungeon was poorly done but it's not that big a deal.
I don't get the hate for Spirit Tracks. It tells a good story by Zelda standards and has great character development. The dungeons and puzzles are all good and it fixes the problems with the central dungeon. It has one of the best Zelda soundtracks to boot. Seriously my only complaint about it is the spirit flute.
I don't get the hate for Spirit Tracks. It tells a good story by Zelda standards and has great character development. The dungeons and puzzles are all good and it fixes the problems with the central dungeon. It has one of the best Zelda soundtracks to boot. Seriously my only complaint about it is the spirit flute.
Ugh, the overworld felt especially atrocious (glorious music aside of course). The train being literally railroaded and the frustratingly inconvenient warp system were both such a step down from PH. Shame since it did have a great personality for Zelda and a lot of interesting ideas; just too many bad ones like that damn flute
I have very good memories with it and maybe that is why it bugs me the amount of hate that the game gets.
Maybe it is the worst mainline zelda game but there's no way it's a bad game.
People in internet forums tends to hate way too much on games of that age that rely on gimmicks
Maybe it is the worst mainline zelda game but there's no way it's a bad game.
People in internet forums tends to hate way too much on games of that age that rely on gimmicks
It's terrible. And having to revisit the Temple of the Ocean King time and time again just makes it even more dreadful.
I think it is an ok Zelda game but I enjoyed it for what it was and to me it felt like a Nintendo title with a lot of effort put into it. I think some get hung up on the baggage of the Zelda series always comparing and ranking which is only natural because people love it.
I dunno. The train was a little slow, but it was far more engaging than the boats in WW and PH. With WW and PH you could just set a course, go get a snack from the kitchen, come back and you'd be half way to your destination. With ST you gotta be really careful and pay attention or you'll easily get a game over.
I'd love a remake where they sped up the train a bit and fixed the flute.
PH has some stuff it does great. The way it uses the grappling hook is one of my favorite uses of a Zelda item.
I love that is continued the Wind Waker story and fleshed out its aesthetic and world but I personally don't find it all that fun to play. I was not a fan of the touch screen controls.
Aside from Link's Awakening, A Link Between Worlds and the later part of Link to the Past to GBA, I admit that I'm relatively unusual in that I have not enjoyed any of the portable Zelda games. I oddly enough bounced off of the Oracle games, Minish Cap, end the two DS games pretty hard.
Aside from Link's Awakening, A Link Between Worlds and the later part of Link to the Past to GBA, I admit that I'm relatively unusual in that I have not enjoyed any of the portable Zelda games. I oddly enough bounced off of the Oracle games, Minish Cap, end the two DS games pretty hard.
I consider it a bad game and a bad Zelda game.
If they fix it up with a remake it could be good at both.
If they fix it up with a remake it could be good at both.
Couldn't get into it because of the controls. I don't think it was a bad game, but if they had an option for normal controls I probably would've played it. Nintendo really tried to push that touch screen a bit too much. I remember them doing this with Animal Crossing WW and hating it.
It has the best version of zelda ever.
Oh and a freaking train.
And they hint at link x zelda in the ending!
It's focking cuteeeee.
Oh and a freaking train.
And they hint at link x zelda in the ending!
It's focking cuteeeee.
I actually think it's a fantastic game with terrible controls, but they don't completely ruin the game. Tho the constant backtracking to that one dungeon did get annoying. I also really liked the multiplayer.
But yeah, movement through touch controls is a terrible idea.
But yeah, movement through touch controls is a terrible idea.
Pretty poor game. The dungeons weren't particularly memorable in any way outside of the Temple of the Ocean King, and that's not saying much.The controls were annoying. Making me move with the touchscreen got tiresome (literally).
It STILL surprises me that the one good thing to come out of that game never made it to other Zeldas (other than Spirit Tracks? idk). WHY can't I draw on the map in Wind Waker HD or Breath of the Wild?
Oh, and Linebeck was cool. So there were two good things about PH.
It STILL surprises me that the one good thing to come out of that game never made it to other Zeldas (other than Spirit Tracks? idk). WHY can't I draw on the map in Wind Waker HD or Breath of the Wild?
Oh, and Linebeck was cool. So there were two good things about PH.
Overall, a decent to good game.
As a Zelda game, it's definitely on the lower end
That said, I think that TWW, PH, ST, TP, and SS are all horribly flawed and riddled with terrible game design.
As a Zelda game, it's definitely on the lower end
That said, I think that TWW, PH, ST, TP, and SS are all horribly flawed and riddled with terrible game design.
I enjoyed it.
Honestly, IMO it's way better than Wind Waker, which is a very low bar for me, admittedly.
Honestly, IMO it's way better than Wind Waker, which is a very low bar for me, admittedly.
