Metareview: Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

So, were you camping out in front of your local retail spot, waiting for their doors to open so you could push that first employee aside and make a mad dash for The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass? Is today the kind of day you stay home sick from school, work or whatever other responsibilities you might have had waiting? Are you already knee-deep in the title and haven't had time to read your favorite blog today?

If you've had some time with the game, be sure to let us know what you think so far. But, first, let us see what the critics had to say, shall we?

• Game Informer (95/100) thinks it isn't as good as Twilight Princess, but is still a damn fine game: "It may not live up to the lofty standards recently displayed in "Twilight Princess", but this adventure is worthy of Zelda canon, and still has enough great stuff going for it to be considered one of the year's best adventures." [Oct 2007, p.126]

• GamePro (95/100) finds it to be one great sequel: "All in all, Phantom Hourglass is a successful sequel that improves on everything that its predecessor did right." [Nov 2007, p.92]

• Nintendo Power (95/100) says it's tried-and-true Zelda: "Just know that it's the same Zelda you've always known and loved, and that's a good thing." [Nov 2007, p.98]

• IGN (90/100) thinks the game is too casual: "When looking at specific aspects of Nintendo's latest Zelda offering it's easy to write this one off as too different, too kiddy, or too easy. Nintendo went for a more casual approach this time around, keeping the amount of hardcore dungeon-crawling to a minimum, and shedding the traditional control scheme for a more casual-friendly approach. But with that being said, Phantom Hourglass is still an extremely ambitious, entertaining, and innovative product."

• GameSpot (90/100) sees the new control scheme as something that gives new life to the series: "Ultimately, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is a superb effort and pretty much what you would want from a first entry in the series on the DS. It's got a few pacing problems, and those who demand traditional control schemes will probably be turned off by this game's control methodology. But really, even if you're convinced you hate the notion of touch-screen controls, you owe it to yourself to give this game a try."

• GameDaily (80/100) says it's the same Zelda game you've played plenty of times, but it's still a great game: "Phantom Hourglass' controls, combined with the boat segments, make it a quality adventure worth everyone's time. You'll admire the graphics and bury yourself in the numerous side missions."