The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass: Difference between revisions
CyberSkull (talk | contribs) →Gameplay: replaced image with better quality from the presskit |
|||
| Line 33: | Line 33: | ||
*This is the first portable Legend of Zelda game developed by [[Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development|EAD]] since ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening]]''; in fact, it's even supposedly developed by the same team members on both games. All other portable ''Zelda'' games since then have been developed by [[Flagship (company)|Flagship]]. |
*This is the first portable Legend of Zelda game developed by [[Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development|EAD]] since ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening]]''; in fact, it's even supposedly developed by the same team members on both games. All other portable ''Zelda'' games since then have been developed by [[Flagship (company)|Flagship]]. |
||
*The game uses [[cel-shaded]] graphics, similar to those from ''[[The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker]]'' for GameCube. |
*The game uses [[cel-shaded]] graphics, similar to those from ''[[The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker]]'' for GameCube. |
||
*The company has its top people working on the game including Eiji Aonuma, the man commanding Link’s adventures of late. |
*The company has its top people working on the game including [[Eiji Aonuma]], the man commanding Link’s adventures of late. |
||
*There is one ‘master dungeon’ Link needs to complete in the game. However, he can only make limited progress, and must work through other dungeons before he is able to proceed further in the primary dungeon.<ref name="nintendo power july 2006" /> |
*There is one ‘master dungeon’ Link needs to complete in the game. However, he can only make limited progress, and must work through other dungeons before he is able to proceed further in the primary dungeon.<ref name="nintendo power july 2006" /> |
||
*In the master dungeon and other locales there are Chasers, enemies that keep following the player, cannot be killed and can kill Link with one hit.<ref name="nintendo power july 2006" /> |
*In the master dungeon and other locales there are Chasers, enemies that keep following the player, cannot be killed and can kill Link with one hit.<ref name="nintendo power july 2006" /> |
||
Revision as of 21:19, 27 July 2006
| The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass | |
|---|---|
| File:LOZHG.JPG | |
| Developer(s) | Nintendo |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Designer(s) | Eiji Aonuma |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo DS |
| Release | Q4 2006 |
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure game |
| Mode(s) | Single player, Multi-player |
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is an upcoming video game in Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda series, for the Nintendo DS. It will feature 3D cel-shaded graphics with an overhead camera perspective primarily, but incorporating different views based on context. The game was unveiled along with a trailer by Satoru Iwata during his keynote address at the 2006 Game Developers Conference in San Jose. Phantom Hourglass is scheduled to be released in Q4 2006.
Story
The game is a sequel to the The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, set several months after that game. Link, Tetra and her pirates are at sea exploring, questing to find a new homeland. In the middle of a dense fog, they find an abandoned ship, and Tetra goes to explore. When she gets into trouble, Link tries to rescue her, but he falls into the ocean and loses consciousness. Washed up on the shores of a mysterious island, he awakens to the sound of a fairy’s voice. With the fairy’s help, he sets off in search of Tetra, and a way back to where they belong.[1][2].
According to Eiji Aonuma “it is not likely Ganondorf will return in Phantom Hourglass”. However, before his defeat in The Wind Waker, his evil influence spread across the Great Sea. The King of Red Lions will not return in Phantom Hourglass either. [1]
Gameplay
- The gameplay is mostly overhead, similar to classic Zelda titles, but the character models and also all the environments are in 3D. The rendering environment is similar to Animal Crossing for the Nintendo GameCube, and is somewhat like the Nintendo DS version.
- The lower touch screen will be the main gameplay area, controlling all gameplay features such as movement, swordplay, and control of the boomerang with the stylus, or drawing shapes to complete puzzles (such as the hourglass shape at the beginning of the trailer shown at GDC), while the upper screen will mostly be used as a map screen. It also appears that the map can be brought down to the bottom screen, so enabling the player to write notes on it.
- The top screen will also be used to create a taller screen in some events, such as the battle seen in the trailer. All boss battles will use both the top and bottom screen.[1]
- Link will have a fairy once more, similar to Navi and Tatl from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, respectively. It also appears that the fairy acts as the cursor for touch screen input with the stylus, as the trailer shows the fairy directing Link, and moving and approaching enemies ahead of Link. Oddly, there was no such fairy in The Wind Waker, which this game otherwise resembles.
- Sailing similar to the system in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is also present. Instead of a sail boat, however, a steam boat is Link’s mode of transportation. The boat’s course is plotted ahead of time using the stylus, letting the player concentrate on attacking foes with its cannon as it sails to the destination.
- This is the first portable Legend of Zelda game developed by EAD since The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening; in fact, it's even supposedly developed by the same team members on both games. All other portable Zelda games since then have been developed by Flagship.
- The game uses cel-shaded graphics, similar to those from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker for GameCube.
- The company has its top people working on the game including Eiji Aonuma, the man commanding Link’s adventures of late.
- There is one ‘master dungeon’ Link needs to complete in the game. However, he can only make limited progress, and must work through other dungeons before he is able to proceed further in the primary dungeon.[1]
- In the master dungeon and other locales there are Chasers, enemies that keep following the player, cannot be killed and can kill Link with one hit.[1]
Key features
- Official sequel to The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
- Mark spots and numbers on Link’s map with the stylus
- Boomerang controlled by drawing lines on the touchscreen
- A fairy – It’s uncertain whether or not this is Navi. It has Navi’s voice, yet Navi has seemingly vanished from the Legend of Zelda series. It indicates what Link is looking at and turns red when Link deals damage.
- Sea/Ocean
- Steamboat with cannon
- Sky-high screen (double)
- Use of DS microphone[1]
- Multiplayer battle mode
Multiplayer
The multiplayer mode in The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass 1-on-1 game best described as ‘Pac-Man meets Capture the Flag’. In an open maze, one player takes on the role of Link, while the other player, the Stalker, controls three Darknuts. Link’s goal is to grab a Force Gem from one of the center bases and carry it to one of his own areas at the side of the maze. The other player, controlling the three Darknuts, must try to catch Link before he scores any points. When Link is caught, players switch sides.
Control basics
Link is controlled with either the touch-screen or the D-pad and buttons. Link’s normal pace is slightly faster than that of the Darknuts. When carrying a Force Gem however, Link is much slower. The bigger the Force Gem, the slower he moves.
The Darknuts are controlled by plotting their path on the touch-screen. This path can be changed at any moment and all three Darknuts can be moved simultaneously.
3 times each turn, the ‘stalker’ can touch the “Link search” icon to view Link’s location on the top screen’s map is for a brief period of time.
Rules
- A game consists of 3 rounds, of 2 turns.
- Each round, each player plays one turn as Link and one turn as the Stalker (in control of the Chasers).
- Each turn ends when Link has been caught, or when 120 seconds have past.
- The Darknuts can not enter the blue/white areas where the Force Gems are.{fact}}
- When Link is caught while carrying a Force Gem, he drops it and it remains at that spot.{fact}}
- Scoring system (open to further specification)
- - Big Force Gem >>> 15 points
- - Normal Force Gem >>> 5 points
- - Small Force Gem >>> 1 points
Awards
At E3 2006, the game won the Game Critics Awards: Best Handheld Game. [2]
Trivia
- The main objective in the game’s creation was to fully utilise the DS’s hardware, having a Zelda game fully controlled by the stylus/touch screen alone.
- The project initially started out as a Four Swords port for the DS, and the same team, having discovered the potential of cel-shaded graphics on the machine, decided to opt for a single player adventure instead.
- Eiji Aonuma hopes the new control scheme will follow through into future Zelda titles, and maybe even other adventure games for the DS.
References
- ^ a b c d e TSA (2006-05-27). "Nintendo Power July 2006 - The Hylia media gallery". Nintendo Power. Retrieved 2006-06-21.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|month=(help); Unknown parameter|curly=ignored (help) - ^ "2006 Winners". gamecriticsawards.com. Retrieved 2006-06-25.
| Main series |
| ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spin-offs |
| ||||||||
| Universe |
| ||||||||
| Other media | |||||||||
| People | |||||||||
| Companies | |||||||||
| Fan works | |||||||||
| Related | |||||||||
