The Legend of Zelda franchise has been one of the most defining series in the video games industry but is also known for requiring many hours of gameplay. This makes the latest installments of the series seem inaccessible for gaming moms, who no longer can spare the large amounts of time it takes to complete the rigorous dungeons and save Hyrule from the latest evil.
Thankfully for these Zelda fans, Phantom Hourglass is far more time-friendly thanks to both the portability and flexibility of the Nintendo DS. Gaming moms can satiate their Zelda appetites with any time crunching schedule they may have.
Quick Overview of Phantom Hourglass Gameplay
Link is pretty much one hundred percent controlled by the stylus and touchpad, including movement, attacking, sailing, planting bombs, throwing the boomerang, etc. The game allows for some play with the directional pad and buttons, but since all of Link's sword attacks are touch-controlled, it's far easier to use the touchscreen for all controls instead of switching back and forth.
The gameplay is pretty much what an avid follower of the Legend of Zelda series would expect. Link traverses through various dungeons, picks up new weapons needed to successfully explore the dungeon and fight the dungeon's boss, solves many puzzles along the way, searches for the elusive Master Sword, and saves Hyrule from the ultimate evil.
The one element that distinguishes the game from others in the franchise is the sailing. Since Phantom Hourglass is a direct sequel to Wind Waker, there is quite a bit of sailing involved although it isn't as tedious.
Although Link is no longer sailing the King of the Red Lions, he is aboard a ship belonging to a greedy, spineless captain named Linebeck, instead. Players use the stylus to draw the route for the ship to take, and then man the cannon along the way for potential enemies. While on the high seas, players can fish and salvage for treasure.
Easy Quick Saving and Simple Controls Easy for Gaming Moms
Once Link is taught how to swing his sword, throw the boomerang, and salvage for treasure, he won't be taught how to do these things again. But since everything is controlled by touch instead of pressing combinations of buttons, it is very easy for any player to remember how to do perform these actions within seconds.
For example, to strike an enemy with Link's sword, the player only has to tap on the enemy or slash a line in front of Link. It's easy enough for a mom who hasn't picked up Link in weeks to recollect the actions when cutting the grass for Rupees.
Since the game is touchscreen controlled, one of the biggest facets in the game is the ability to scrawl notes on all maps and seacharts. When Link finds a hint how to solve a puzzle, the player can immediately write it down on the game's map itself! No need to take outside notes and keep track of them.
So if a mom finds a dungeon hint, she can make a note of it, and then if she can't get to the dungeon for a few days, she won't have to try and remember the hint. She already made notes on the map.
One element of the game that will really appeal to busy moms is the ability to save at any time. She can save in the overworld, out on the sea, and in the middle of a dungeon. However, she should note that if she saves and quits while in a dungeon, Link will have to start at the beginning when the game is loaded (but all of the puzzles will remain solved and items will still be gained).
If a mom cannot complete a dungeon when started, her best bet is to close the DS lid and put the game in infinite sleep. She can pick it back up again at any time without losing ground.
Any Gamer Mom Can Fit Phantom Hourglass in Her Hourglass of Time
No matter if a mom is a mother of a newborn or teenagers, she can easily find time for Link's Legend of Zelda DS game. Even if a gamer mom only has fifteen minutes to play, that's plenty of time to do some fishing or treasure hunting so she can leave the dungeon excavating when the kids are down for nap or down for the night.
As an added bonus, Phantom Hourglass won't take her half as long to complete as some of Link's other grandiose adventures, such as the prequel Wind Waker or even Ocarina of Time. That alone will appeal to gaming moms with a large stack of games to play.
Keri Honea - Keri Honea is all over the place. She's involved with video games, animation, strategy guides, and fantasy books, and not just on Suite ...
