@Gaara42, good stuff, I wish GFK would at least provide some figures for the top 10 games like NPD does. Rankings are good, but we also need to know the magnitude of these rankings.
Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass has entered the charts in Spain and Germany at number one on the first week of release. Also included are the Top 10 best-seller in Germany and Spain.
Recently bought this game and so far I'm enjoying it, though there are things they could have easily improved to make it better.
The controls are generally great and the use of items is easier and more efficient than in past Zelda games. The only slight against the controls I have so far is the decision to have to draw little circles at the edge of the screen in order to roll, they should have thought of a more intuitive motion. Also, while it might have been hard to do, they should have added the ability to control this game with the D-pad (I think the lack of this may have caused some people not to buy it, not everyone is on the touch bandwagon yet).
The sound is fairly standard Zelda fair with a few new tunes thrown in for good measure, overall the effects (from the boat sailing to using the items) are good, though not great. It still seems like they are not using mp3 or similar audio format to record the music as it still feels like they are using MIDI.
The graphics are excellent, especially for a DS game and the game itself really captures the feel and style of Windwaker for the Gamecube. The smoke effects (from the ship's exhaust to the bombs' smoke) is overall excellent and the sense of scale (especially when on the sea) is great. The only problem I have is that Links face seems to be the part of the game that was given the least treatment, as it seems a bit pixelated compared to the rest of the game.
The enemies (at least the ones I have encountered so far) are also standard Zelda fair and the bosses (I've encountered so far) are adequate, though I think they could have made them a bit harder and added more attack routines or patterns. Overall the game seems rather easy, most of the puzzles are simple and strait forward, though the use of the microphone is good to see, it is nothing special and is probably not needed (though some will feel it adds to the immersion, it would do more so if it allowed you to blow at things at any time).
Overall this is a good game, I would not put it at Link to the Past, Oracle of Seasons or Ocarina of Time level yet, but I think it is a good addition to the Zelda universe and hopefully if they make another Zelda game for the DS they can polish up various things to make it a much better and engaging experience.
Phantom Hourglass wraps the standard Zelda formula in an innovative and fun control scheme that gives new life to several of the series' age-old concepts.
The review praises the game's gorgeous graphics and innovative controls, but slight problems with pacing and the relatively-low difficulty are cited as its weakest points.
"There are few games on the DS that take advantage of the touch-screen technology as well as Phantom Hourglass does. It's a must-play for any DS owner."
" ... I almost forgot myself, but luckily Nintendo had my number, thanks to the Zelda Contest I told you about last month." ... "Funny thing...I don't remember authorizing text messages when I sent in my contest entry (just to see how the contest worked mind you), and the rules for said contest don't mention anything about them contacting me outside of letting me know if I won.."
Gorgeous, epic-feeling game wrapped in a relatively short and easy totally touchscreen-dependent package. IGN loves the total aesthetic, praising the game's cel-shaded graphics and wonderful music and sounds. They also mostly praise the touchscreen implementation citing the innovation it brings to the game in totality, but feels that it is more imprecise than the usual button controls. They also gripe on the relatively-short adventure, compounded by the game's low level difficulty.
"[I]t may be more casual than we'd like, [but] it's captivating, entertaining, and a true adventure worthy of the Zelda name."
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