The DS barely seems to be out of my hands recently. As well as negotiating the annual Acorn Festival in Animal Crossing: Wild World, I’m currently six or seven hearts into my US copy of Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass.
So far, Link’s DS debut has inspired mixed feelings in me. Technically speaking, it’s quite superbly executed, though did anybody really expect anything less? The implementation of stylus-only controls works surprisingly well - I was used to not being able to use the D-pad after half an hour of play - the map feature works a treat (the game allows you to draw willy-nilly on your various maps and sea-charts, meaning these quickly become covered with reminders and other scribblings), and the use of the stylus in some of the game’s puzzles is pretty cunning, even ingenious on occasions.
But then the game also calls to mind many of the criticisms that have been levelled at Zelda down the years. The bosses - and I cannot stress this enough - are pitifully easy and devoid of imagination, and if you thought this would be the Zelda that dares to deviate from the series’ usual formula (fire dungeon, ice dungeon, water dungeon, wind dungeon, collect items in threes), then think again.
There are obviously two schools of thought on Zelda, and the direction in which the series is heading. Many fans seem to be content with each new Zelda game reusing the same dungeon-crawling gameplay, the same items, a largely similar cast of enemies, and bosses with the same old attack patterns.
But I like to think that there’s an increasingly large group of gamers who are becoming a little disillusioned with Zelda titles, and I now consider myself a member of that camp.
It’s almost as if Nintendo is afraid of changing this franchise, afraid of alienating the fans that unquestioningly fork out for each game, because aside from Majora’s Mask, no Zelda game in the last ten years has done things radically differently (and I’m talking gameplay, world design, weapons, items and mechanics here, so please don’t throw Wind Waker at me). In a way, this rant is one Zelda game too late - Twilight Princess was a hugely formulaic entry in the series - but still, Phantom Hourglass is also a culprit.
Which is strange, because let’s not forget that Nintendo is the same company that has been bold enough to risk a great many things on hardware as unconventional as the Wii and DS.
I’ll probably finish the game, but I now believe more strongly than ever that Zelda needs a creative kick up the backside.
