THE BORE

General => Video Game Bored => Topic started by: GilloD on January 24, 2008, 11:16:12 AM

Title: What's the feeling on Phantom Hourglass?
Post by: GilloD on January 24, 2008, 11:16:12 AM: I'm almost done with the game, but I was wondering what the EB feeling was on the game. I like the stylus controls and the overall feel, but there are some harrowing design decisions (IF A PUZZLE IS FUN ONCE, YOU'LL ENJOY DOING IT TWO, THREE, FOUR OR SEVEN TIMES!). It's a mixed bag, but pleasent in small doses.

What's the word?
Title: Re: What's the feeling on Phantom Hourglass?
Post by: Shins on January 24, 2008, 11:18:23 AM: Haven't gone beyond the first hour. Planet Puzzle League monopolizes my DS time.
Title: Re: What's the feeling on Phantom Hourglass?
Post by: AdmiralViscen on January 24, 2008, 11:25:07 AM: Agree with Gill
Title: Re: What's the feeling on Phantom Hourglass?
Post by: tiesto on January 24, 2008, 11:36:06 AM: Controls - they take some getting used to, but I never felt they were 100% accurate in the way a normal dpad+button setup would be.
Ocean Temple - worst idea ever in a Zelda franchise.
Smaller Dungeons - good for a portable game
Sailing - definitely much better than WW's
Puzzles - I liked the use of the 2 screens and it had a couple of head-scratchers, but nothing overly challenging. Using
spoiler (click to show/hide)
the rope as a way to bounce yourself up platforms was cool and creative.
[close]
Bosses - for the most part, easy, but cool and another one of the more creative aspects of the game. The use of the 2 screens on the Spider for instance.
Story/Characterization - Linebeck is the man, but the plot is your typical Zelda, go around collecting items stuff.
Title: Re: What's the feeling on Phantom Hourglass?
Post by: AdmiralViscen on January 24, 2008, 11:50:10 AM: I felt like the dungeons hit a climax too early. I remember being disappointed with the first 1 or 2, but remembered the Deku Tree and figured it'd pick up later. Then the third (I think) was way bigger, and I was excited to see what they'd do for the rest. But the rest wound up being smaller and easier than the third one somehow.

I still enjoyed it though.
Title: Re: What's the feeling on Phantom Hourglass?
Post by: Eric P on January 24, 2008, 11:53:57 AM: i was totally prepared to buy a DS for this game

but then i heard about the water temple and Yahtzee's sentiment that this design choice can "fuck right off" is an accurate view of my feelings toward the whole experience as well, so i'm still waiting for the killer ds app.
Title: Re: What's the feeling on Phantom Hourglass?
Post by: Rman on January 24, 2008, 11:57:48 AM: The killer ap for the DS, at least for me, was Ouendan/Elite Beat Agents/Ouendan 2. Have you tried those, Eric P?
Title: Re: What's the feeling on Phantom Hourglass?
Post by: demi on January 24, 2008, 12:03:17 PM: Crap game, heading back and forth to the Phantom Temple was a pain in the fucking ass

Avoid
Title: Re: What's the feeling on Phantom Hourglass?
Post by: SpudBud on January 24, 2008, 12:06:49 PM: Quote from: demi on January 24, 2008, 12:03:17 PM
Crap game, heading back and forth to the Phantom Temple was a pain in the fucking ass

Avoid
I'm playing through it right now and that has to be one of the worst design decisions I've come across. The rest of the game is ace though.
Title: Re: What's the feeling on Phantom Hourglass?
Post by: Eric P on January 24, 2008, 12:11:18 PM: Quote from: Rman on January 24, 2008, 11:57:48 AM
The killer ap for the DS, at least for me, was Ouendan/Elite Beat Agents/Ouendan 2. Have you tried those, Eric P?

i'm not really a rhythm gamer.

i've tried so many times, but the only one i was any good with was samba de amigo
Title: Re: What's the feeling on Phantom Hourglass?
Post by: Phoenix Dark on January 24, 2008, 02:04:38 PM: I'm playing it right now. While the controls are indeed good...I can't help but wish this was another game. Like a hack n slash or Diablo type game with more challenging enemies and more combat controls. This game is fun at times, but really drags at other times.
Title: Re: What's the feeling on Phantom Hourglass?
Post by: TakingBackSunday on January 24, 2008, 05:43:52 PM: Sets some good groundwork for any future Zelda games on the platform. They need to abandon the idea of dungeons being great, for, oh just a portable system, and create long, difficult dungeons. Ones that aren't a pain in the ass like the stupid visit-fifty-times temple.

Controls were great though.
Title: Re: What's the feeling on Phantom Hourglass?
Post by: Oblivion on January 24, 2008, 05:46:42 PM: Get Minish Cap instead.
Title: Re: What's the feeling on Phantom Hourglass?
Post by: recursivelyenumerable on January 24, 2008, 05:56:32 PM: The Ocean Temple is great and is easily the best part of the game. Whiners about having to go through multiple times are totally full of shit. If you had to repeat every single time they might have a point, but the checkpoints are set up so you only go through three times which is completely reasonable given that your new items make it different each time.

As for the rest of the game, it's fun but a bit too watered-down and predictable overall. 7.5/10
Title: Re: What's the feeling on Phantom Hourglass?
Post by: GilloD on January 24, 2008, 05:59:26 PM: Quote from: recursivelyenumerable on January 24, 2008, 05:56:32 PM
The Ocean Temple is great and is easily the best part of the game. Whiners about having to go through multiple times are totally full of shit. If you had to repeat every single time they might have a point, but the checkpoints are set up so you only go through three times which is completely reasonable given that your new items make it different each time.

As for the rest of the game, it's fun but a bit too watered-down and predictable overall. 7.5/10

This is such a distinguished mentally-challenged and oppositional opinon, that I have no choice but to regard it as bizzaro-correct.
Title: Re: What's the feeling on Phantom Hourglass?
Post by: FancyFeast on January 24, 2008, 06:00:23 PM: get pokemon, much better.
Title: Re: What's the feeling on Phantom Hourglass?
Post by: recursivelyenumerable on January 24, 2008, 06:06:44 PM: Quote
This is such a distinguished mentally-challenged and oppositional opinon, that I have no choice but to regard it as bizzaro-correct.

Yes, here in bizarro world we like actual challenge in our games and don't claim that puzzles are the same when they have been carefully designed to not be the same!

I'm just telling you how I felt playing through it, not being contrarian. It's not my fault that so many people are so badly wrongheaded.
Title: Re: What's the feeling on Phantom Hourglass?
Post by: Oblivion on January 24, 2008, 06:42:36 PM: Quote from: recursivelyenumerable on January 24, 2008, 06:06:44 PM
Quote
This is such a distinguished mentally-challenged and oppositional opinon, that I have no choice but to regard it as bizzaro-correct.

Yes, here in bizarro world we like actual challenge in our games and don't claim that puzzles are the same when they have been carefully designed to not be the same!

I'm just telling you how I felt playing through it, not being contrarian. It's not my fault that so many people are so badly wrongheaded.

Sorry, dude but forcing the player to do the same routine over and over again in an attempt to lengthen the game is horrible game design. Hence, PH and all games like PH should be the subject of ridicule.
Title: Re: What's the feeling on Phantom Hourglass?
Post by: recursivelyenumerable on January 24, 2008, 06:50:11 PM: Quote
Sorry, dude but forcing the player to do the same routine over and over again in an attempt to lengthen the game is horrible game design.

Good thing PH doesn't do this then!
Title: Re: What's the feeling on Phantom Hourglass?
Post by: Oblivion on January 24, 2008, 06:55:59 PM: Quote from: recursivelyenumerable on January 24, 2008, 06:50:11 PM
Quote
Sorry, dude but forcing the player to do the same routine over and over again in an attempt to lengthen the game is horrible game design.

Good thing PH doesn't do this then!

Eh? What does it do then?
Title: Re: What's the feeling on Phantom Hourglass?
Post by: demi on January 24, 2008, 07:05:54 PM: it craps on your face in real time
Title: Re: What's the feeling on Phantom Hourglass?
Post by: turbos on January 24, 2008, 07:29:58 PM: I'm really enjoying it. I love making my own custom ship. ... albeit its in its case now cause advance wars is taking up my time today :)
Title: Re: What's the feeling on Phantom Hourglass?
Post by: AdmiralViscen on January 24, 2008, 08:25:43 PM: I must have been hallucinating while collecting those three stupid gems and moving them around to new places, and collecting the giant force gems and throwing them down a few times.

There are some shortcuts, but no puzzles are wholly different. And there was ONE checkpoint. If there had been 3 it wouldn't have been a problem.
Title: Re: What's the feeling on Phantom Hourglass?
Post by: GilloD on January 25, 2008, 08:36:19 AM: Quote from: AdmiralViscen on January 24, 2008, 08:25:43 PM
I must have been hallucinating while collecting those three stupid gems and moving them around to new places, and collecting the giant force gems and throwing them down a few times.

There are some shortcuts, but no puzzles are wholly different. And there was ONE checkpoint. If there had been 3 it wouldn't have been a problem.

This is dead on. There is ONE checkpoint and it's a fucking pain to reach because you have to marathon to it so that you don't get fucked on future runs, it logs your time to get there.

As for all the collectibles, I loved being able to customize the ship, I just wish it did something. Other than COLLECT ALL 8 AND GET A USELESS BONUS.
Title: Re: What's the feeling on Phantom Hourglass?
Post by: recursivelyenumerable on January 25, 2008, 09:34:32 AM: Quote
There is ONE checkpoint

Which means that the most times you have to go through any segment of the temple is 3, and that's only the first segment. Cry me a river.
Title: Re: What's the feeling on Phantom Hourglass?
Post by: AdmiralViscen on January 25, 2008, 10:31:33 AM: Three times is still not fun dude. The shortcuts should have let you avoid more, and been more interesting than "remember that bombchu hole from back when you didn't know what it was for?"