The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass [DS]

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1. It's the true sequel to Wind Waker.

With 14 official entries featuring multiple versions of intrepid hero Link and the perpetually imprisoned Princess Zelda, you'd need three years, a Masters in Japanese, and a magical compass to sort out The Legend of Zelda's messy timeline. So it is a rare treat that Phantom Hourglass is a direct sequel to the Gamecube hit Wind Waker, beginning just a few months after that game ended with Link and his pirate pal Tetra (or is that Zelda?) searching for a phantom ship. Here's to continuity.

2. Stylus style.

More often than not, developers trying to figure out a cool way to use the DS touch screen and stylus wind up with some sort of oddball gimmick. Phantom Hourglass, however, relies on the stylus as its only means of control, handling movement, combat, and NPC interaction seamlessly. Such ease of use makes Phantom Hourglass the most accessible Zelda game ever created.

3. Link it up with Wi-Fi.

Zelda games tend to be single-player focused, but Phantom Hourglass introduces an interesting multiplayer Battle mode. Players take turns controlling Link or a squad of three phantom guardians in a curious game of three-cats-and-a-mouse. Best of all, you don't need to find a buddy with a copy of the game as it fully supports the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for online play.

4. It's old-school.

Remember the original Legend of Zelda on the NES? So does Zelda guru Eiji Aonuma, who recently acknowledged that Phantom Hourglass is essentially a remake of the gold cartridge classic. Though it's now in glorious handheld 3D, Phantom Hourglass' top-down perspective and emphasis on exploring eight dungeons hearkens back to the days of good, old-fashioned 2D adventuring.

5. Gamers already love it.

And we're not just talking about the rabid Nintendo die-hards. Phantom Hourglass has been out in Japan for a few months now and has received an enormous amount of praise; notoriously fickle Famitsu magazine gave it a whopping 39 out of 40. A two-time winner of the E3 Game Critics Best Handheld Game award, Phantom Hourglass looks destined for serious success.