The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass [DS]

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Nintendo's boy in green is back, and once again he's got a boat. Don't worry, this isn't the sailing ship from Wind Waker, which gave some gamers fits for sailing whichever way the wind blows. Instead, this is a little paddle-wheeled steamer that comes with its own captain. You get to be the navigator/gunner. Simply plot a course (using the stylus, natch) and man the guns along the way. With this customizable little ship as your home base, Phantom Hourglass sends you on a grand/mini high-seas adventure, with plenty of Zelda-styled questing, treasure hunting, exploration, and puzzles.

To its credit, Phantom Hourglass is a very very DS game. You use the stylus to drag Link around by moving his fairy companion, and he trots along obligingly, following your stylus like a cat after a laser pointer. At first, it feels a bit weird that you're luring Link with a will o' the wisp, but it turns out to be a great way to alternate his speed and carefully move him around obstacles and precipices.

Attacks are simple taps for jumping strikes, stylus sweeps for slashes, and a big circle for a spin attack. Holding down the shoulder button brings up one of Link's special weapons, many of which also use the stylus. For instance, the boomerang follows whatever path you draw, letting you smack monsters, grab distant objects, or even light flames by passing the boomerang through fire.

But Phantom Hourglass doesn't stop there. It encourages you to write on the map screen, which can be pulled down with a simple press of the D-pad. Your penmanship is stored for later reference. This is partly to track locations and landmarks (neglect careful note-taking at your own risk!), but also to solve puzzles. Phantom Hourglass features brain teasers that wouldn't work on any other system. After Twilight Princess, which felt like a quick obligatory port to the Wii, it's refreshing to see a Zelda completely designed around some of Nintendo's boldest hardware. There are even microphone tricks, such as yelling at a merchant so he'll lower his price, blowing the dust off a map, or startling monsters with sensitive hearing.

For the most part, this is a conventional Zelda game, following the usual beats you'd expect in a Zelda game. There's a lot of optional collecting, which will pad your play time considerably. But be warned that the adventure is built around a central hub. The Temple of the Ocean King is a set of increasingly difficult (and frustrating!) timed puzzles, and you have to push deeper and deeper as the game progresses. Again, don't forget to take notes! You'll be back and you'll need reminders about where to go and what to do.