Famitsu loves Zelda, gives Phantom Hourglass near-perfect score
by Ross Miller 
{ Jun 20th 2007 at 7:50PM }
Phantom Hourglass is the 17th game to earn a near-perfect score of 39 (A Link to the Past was the first). Two Zelda titles to have earned perfect scores are Wind Waker, which was the sixth game ever to earn a perfect score from the publication, and Ocarina of Time, which was the very first. [Source] So yeah, Famitsu really loves Legend of Zelda. They want to marry Legend of Zelda and then get divorced and cite "irreconcilable differences." It's hard to understand, we'll explain it when you're older.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Just got home @ Jun 20th 2007 7:59PM
Of course the americans are going to say, "The game should've scored lower, because its the same game all over again. Just with added gimmicky controls."
But i bet when Halo 3 come outs, then it will be already for to give that game a perfect score.(Which the japanese won't,because they hate 360) Even though its the same game as Halo 2, but with better visuals.
Beni Nkangoh @ Jun 20th 2007 7:59PM
This game is near perfect. I'm playing it on my DS flash cart as we speak. Ahhh, I love free stuff :D. Granted I'll buy it anyway when it comes out in the US since I don't know jack about the storyline.
Ian Von Porter @ Jun 20th 2007 8:00PM
Like Metroid, Zelda is a bit player in Japan... ZTP bombed there. Japanese are only interested in WiiPlay and WiiSports (1:1 attach rate basically).
Slaziman @ Jun 20th 2007 8:02PM
ME WANTS IT!
Author X @ Jun 20th 2007 8:05PM
re:Ian Von Porter
Not quite. More like Twilight Princess is a bit player. It helps when the game actually lives up to the Zelda legacy.
GDwarf @ Jun 20th 2007 8:14PM
Oy! TP was a very good game. I'd say without hesitation a great game.
Well, the first half was great, the 2nd was merely very good to good.
Tron Knotts @ Jun 20th 2007 8:18PM
There are two things I've heard about this game that make me NOT want it.
1) Stylus only control
2) Link can only carry one sub weapon at a time, like in the GC game LoZ:Four Sword Adventures.
If one of those two things are untrue, I'll leave my heart open to this game. But if they are both true, my heart will freeze to Loz:PH harder that Joan Rivers' plactic face.
Please, some one who has played the game and beaten a few bosses, tell me if you can at least carry more than one sub weapon at a time.
PLEASE TELL ME NOW!
livefromphiladelphia @ Jun 20th 2007 8:18PM
Hmm...wasn't Virtual On for Dreamcast one of the games that got a perfect score from them?
Yeah...
Hikaru @ Jun 20th 2007 8:28PM
This is a matter of perspective, top down, that is!
Ryan P. @ Jun 20th 2007 9:14PM
I'm not impressed that Famitsu gave WW a perfect score...Wind Waker was TOO easy. As was TP. So if Phantom got a good score it could still mean it's too easy AGAIN!!
The new Zelda director, is it Aunoma?, he's the problem. He dosen't want to make the combat hard enough. The games are amazing but there is no suspense in combat. It just feels like your tearing through the environments and puzzles with ZERO adrenaline factor.
Anyone else think the Zelda series needs a new director?
Dan @ Jun 20th 2007 9:14PM
lol, anybody remember what score they gave NINTENDOGS... yeah, they are dumb-asses.
The_aNew @ Jun 20th 2007 9:19PM
@Dan
no... I think you are, because you don't know what you're talking about. lol
fawazr @ Jun 20th 2007 10:02PM
Nintendogs revolutionized what a pet-sim was and went on to smash sales records worldwide (including North America). It would be naive to take that sort of success lightly. Famitsu's ability to anticipate the game's charm makes them far from being "dumb-asses."
"Opinions aren't created equally," eh?
Cal @ Jun 20th 2007 10:17PM
Why report on famitsu scores when they plainly admit they score by their reader's expectations rather than the merits of the game?
hvnlysoldr @ Jun 20th 2007 10:21PM
Because Famitsu gets whole lots of exclusive screens and info.
Cal @ Jun 20th 2007 10:35PM
@ #15
Yeah, but is joystiq showing us famitsu's screens and info?
super joe @ Jun 20th 2007 10:39PM
This Zelda:PH looks to be in good shape with or without a good score from Famitsu.
gdwarf @ Jun 20th 2007 11:22PM
Famitsu is regarded as probably the review source to look at for game ratings, since they tend to be very critical.
Of course, it's obvious that you can't assume that a game is good just because they liked it. However, they're much more reliable then IGN or Gamespot when it comes to game ratings, and they tend to predict what games will sell well.
WiNG @ Jun 21st 2007 7:38AM
I agree TP is too easy. The puzzles are okay and the boss fights are epic, but generally just that there is nearly unlimited health everywhere for free makes the game easy. Hell if you can't find any health just fish for 5 seconds and you'll get some.
I have only found the boss fights good, as they are well designed, fun, and difficult in that there is limited health pickups.
Adv2k1 @ Jun 21st 2007 12:34AM
I don't really trust this magazine as much as I used to after they gave Nintendogs a perfect score. Sorry that was far from perfect game. Great rental, but I'm so glad I didn't buy because after 2 weeks I got bored, I don't want to think how pissed I would be after paying full price for that.
They seem to give higher scores to games they like the idea of.
syco @ Jun 21st 2007 1:15AM
I was iffy about the title, but this is a sure buy now. Famitsu has never steered me wrong before.
syco @ Jun 21st 2007 1:23AM
And Zelda:TP did not "bomb" in Japan, it has sold over 560,000 copies so far. It's not as key of a title as it is here, because the Japanese Wii market is even more Casual oriented than the American one, but that's not bad for an island with only 128m people total.
Vancaeyzeele @ Jun 21st 2007 4:12AM
Indeed the Zelda franchise does not so great in Japan. There were even voices that the franchise would be ended.
But however windwaker was one of the nicest cell-shaded games of the decade people like realistic visuals more. Wheres the time games came true in our imagination instead of on our television.
synce @ Jun 21st 2007 7:02AM
Wow, you're all pretty stupid. I can't believe people think a Famitsu score is a good judgment of a game's greatness. In fact it's the complete opposite. Publishers pay off the magazine in different ways to get their games decent scores. In other words the game with the most ads in Famitsu is the game with the highest score. This is known by anyone who isn't clueless.
NintendoFanbot @ Jun 21st 2007 7:02AM
"The new Zelda director, is it Aunoma?, he's the problem. He dosen't want to make the combat hard enough. The games are amazing but there is no suspense in combat. It just feels like your tearing through the environments and puzzles with ZERO adrenaline factor."
SHENANIGANS! He also gave me Majora's Mask, which after TP, is my 2nd favorite Zelda. MM was a bit short, but the length of TP more than made up for it.
Combat could be tougher and more balanced, but the Cave of Ordeals had me down to 1/4th Heart (out of 20), my rupees depleted (for my magic armor), and all my bottles were empty. They just needed to stuff more Iron Knuckles in more places, I think. :P
NintendoFanbot @ Jun 21st 2007 7:05AM
"In other words the game with the most ads in Famitsu is the game with the highest score."
I question a magazine like EGM to lambast a game after 3 months of cover stories and advertisements for that very game in issues subsequent to the bad review. What's your point? :p
warioswoods @ Jun 21st 2007 9:18AM
I also am playing the J release on my DS with flashcart - and while I obviously can't vouch for the story, those that are questioning the touch-only controls can rest assured that all the controls make perfect sense when you give them a try. Also, they have redesigned the sailing mechanics significantly, and for me that has eliminated the occasional boredom we all felt when sailing large distances in WW. I can't wait to play this title in English.
icantdrawanime @ Jun 21st 2007 11:36AM
"In other words the game with the most ads in Famitsu is the game with the highest score. This is known by anyone who isn't clueless."
but, Famitsu's scores ARE a pretty good judge of how a game will do... so you're saying that people buy games because the publisher paid Famitsu off to rate it higher? So i could make an ass terrible game, pay off Famitsu and it would do great? You, sir, are an idiot.
Philosophy @ Jun 21st 2007 1:30PM
I am also playing the game and it is really amazing. I haven't got that far as it is difficult to understand not knowing the language, but rest assured it's worthy of the score that it's recieved judging by what I've done so far. And the touch controls do work well.
Josh W. @ Jun 26th 2007 4:48PM
Ryan P> WW was easy if you played the American version. The Japanese version is harder and has a whole extra "quest" towards the end which they took out of the American version. Famitsu reviews Japanese games, not American games, so try one out before you say "they have horrible reviews." Have you ever even READ one of the reviews, or do you actually just look at the numbers? They are tough reviewers, they don't tend to give a game higher than a 32 generally...unless it's good.
I personally lived in Japan and know that Famitsu is the highest regarded magazine out there for gaming reviews, etc. They don't review for hype or anything else, which tends to happen in the USA (IGN gave a 9.0 to DOA:XV right?). I'll take Famitsu's opinion over another source anyday.
h0py @ Jul 2nd 2007 11:45AM
Let me explain how easy TP was, i didn't die AT ALL during the game, and finished it in less than 40 hours. the first time. It's a goodish game. but its too easy and doesnt live up to the zelda name. Wind Waker was far superior. Go Phantom Hourglass!