Zelda DS games, yay or nay?

[Fazermint]

So I was thinking of grabbing one (or both) of the DS Zelda games. However, the fact that everything is controlled with the stylus is pretty off-putting. It seems very gimmicky, and I doubt combat is smooth.

So what are your thoughts on these games? Yay or nay?

[EverPhoenix]

I wouldn't recommend Phantom Hourglass. The controls are pretty bad. Apparently Spirit Tracks is a lot better, but I haven't played it. I'll defer to our local Zelda expert...

... he should be here soon, I promise.

[tay120n64]

Aaaaaaaaand I'm here.

So yeah, Phantom Hourglass is basically a prototype for Spirit Tracks. That's the most succinct way to put it.

Both are completely stylus controlled, and play very similarly. It can get tiring to play for several hours at a time, but the games are still fun both because of and in spite of using the touch-screen. Several major elements in Phantom Hourglass were improved in Spirit Tracks, such as the "Hub Dungeon", which is a dungeon you visit between regular dungeons. In PH, you use your new items to delve further into the dungeon to unlock new areas, but every time you enter, you start from the beginning. In ST, this was fixed and you don't need to visit parts of the dungeon you've cleared on return visits. In addition, the progression of difficulty is far better balanced in ST than in PH. In PH, the dungeons and the puzzles stay ridiculously easy the whole game, with the only real challenge coming from bosses. In ST, the difficulty progresses more in line with typical Zelda-fare, starting with a boring-as-hell first dungeon and ending with a fantastically engaging final dungeon.

Aside from ST being more polished, the only major difference is how you navigate the Overworld. In PH, you travel by boat, much like in Wind Waker, except you can chart the course by drawing on the screen. Like Wind Waker, though, you still have to fight enemies. In ST, you steer a train on train tracks. While it seems like the more engaging option would be the "free-roam" of sailing, the ocean in PH has literally nothing in it. You can stop to fish, but there's nothing secret to find any more than there is with the train tracks in ST. Honestly, ST is more upfront about the kind of game it is and delivers it far better. Maybe that's why some people like PH better? Because they don't understand the lies behind PH's design and feel.

At the end of it all, PH is a decent NDS game but is the worst Zelda game I have ever played. Spirit Tracks is more of the same but significantly more polished. I would not recommend both unless you just have to, but make sure to play PH first if you do.

Also, PH is a direct sequel/spin-off to Wind Waker (a few weeks/months after WW), while ST is a direct sequel to PH (about 100 years after PH). Neither requires knowledge of the former to fully enjoy, but there are a few nods thrown in for good measure.


EDIT: I realized I didn't really answer any questions about the combat. It is surprisingly smooth and responsive. You swipe the stylus across an enemy to attack and you can tap an enemy to move towards it. It's almost like a Strategy game in this way, as you aren't so much "controlling" Link as you are "directing" him. The disconnect isn't quite that strong, but it gives off a bit of that vibe. As I said earlier, constantly using the stylus gets tiring, but it allows you to be far more accurate with your decisions than using the buttons. In fact, the DS Zelda games are among very few heavily Action-focused Zelda titles as a result. (The other Action-focused games being Skyward Sword and Zelda II)

[Fazermint]

Thanks for the input, guys!

I'm glad to hear ST is more polished, so I've decided to at least play that one. I figure I'll give PH a try first, though. If anything, it will prepare me to better enjoy ST.

[Flamez]

I will have to disagree with tay on this one. I love both PH and ST. ST would be in my top 5 zelda games. Very fun and engaging, once you get used to the controls (which you should after the first 2 dungeons of PH) you really get into it.

ST is defiantly the stronger of the two but both are well worth playing. Loved every minute of both.

There is something really soothing about just going around in the train.