doyleclark.com

If you don’t enjoy reading long-winded reviews of either praise or criticism, let me make this easy on you.  Buy this game.  If you don’t own a Nintendo DS yet, buy one, then buy this game.  For everybody else, here’s the review.

To say I’m a Zelda fan is an understatement.  I’ve purchased almost every game system I’ve ever owned just to get the next Zelda installment.  In fact, as soon as I can get my hands on a reasonably priced Wii I’ll be picking up a copy of Twilight Princess, but enough distractions.

This game delivers.  It gives any Zelda fan what they want, because it gives so much.  I had my eyes opened by the interactivity of this game.  At no time am I just “playing” a game.  Instead, I’m PLAYING the game.  Game interactivity is required at every level and turn of this game.  Blowing into the mic, yelling into the mic, drawing on the maps, “imprinting” maps by closing the screens together make this game genius.  Nintendo has shown that you don’t have to have 1080P (high definition) graphics to have a good, solid game.  Game-play = amazing.

The story was so different.  Maybe it’s more accurate to say that it’s told differently, much more comedy.  Zelda games in the past have been as follows:  the princess is in trouble, save her by doing x, y, and z.  You go out and do these things, fighting typical bosses on your way, and solving puzzles.  The character Linebeck in this game adds such a great comical presence that if you’re watching Saturday morning cartoons that are starting to get that anime’ flavor to them, you will appreciate this game even more.

A new element to the Zelda universe that I thought was even more prevalent in this game was a lot more machinery.  It plays a background, afterthought theme so as not to distract from your main story, but it’s there.  Steampunk is the word to label it.  A world not so technologically advanced, and possibly still relying on magical, fantasy elements, but still with the advent of steam-based machines and whatnot to assist it’s citizens in the common day-to-day tasks.  I loved it.  The characters of Canon Island where two of my favorite early on and stayed that way throughout.

Online play.  Hardly two words you associate with hand-held game systems, and it’s not integral to the game, but it certainly helped me kill an entire Tuesday night while rendering some video for the DBOI show.  I played about three other players in the Battle style mini-game one night, and had a blast.  In doing the mini-game and scoring certain points, you will receive in-game prizes.  Trust me, battle those other players if you can.

All in all, I really wouldn’t expect less from Nintendo.  This game takes advantage of every feature possible on the system.  The final word on this game is simple, buy it.