This is the last Minish Cap post, I swear

So I finished the Minish Cap today. Well, that is, I beat the final boss - getting all the heart pieces isn't too easy a task - which it damn well shouldn't be. Here are my final comments on this game vs. Phantom Hourglass:

• Story: Meh, Phantom Hourglass probably takes this one since even though it doesn't really advance the storyline of Wind Waker, it involves characters from it. And Minish Cap has Vaati, so as mentioned before, it is shit.
• Items: The final nod has to go to Minish Cap here. Although I liked the controls of the old items in Phantom Hourglass, they ultimately weren't used outside of the dungeon you got them in, whereas Minish Cap forced you to use them to get around - and also in puzzles throughout the world! Wow!
• Graphics: Good thing graphics usually don't bother me, because I can't decide which I like better. Minish Cap is weird looking to me; it looks like some other game at times. Phantom Hourglass, on the other hand, uses a dumbed down version of Wind Waker's graphics - and when you see Link up close, you'll see the DS doesn't do a great job of it. So I guess in the end, Minish Cap wins, because at least with that game I don't notice shitty looking graphics as I'm playing.
  
• Bosses: Phantom Hourglass wins. While Minish Cap wins for difficulty, Phantom Hourglass has incredibly fun bosses, and the use of the items in the boss fights is really the only place they shine.
• Dungeons: Minish Cap wins. Phantom Hourglass has the Temple of the Ocean King, which is the worst Zelda dungeon ever(because of sheer annoyance). Also, besides the fact the dungeons never really pose a challenge physically or mentally, Minish Cap's somewhat easy puzzles beat out Phantom Hourglasses ridiculously easy puzzles.
• Controls: Ah, the controversial one. I'm going to take Phantom Hourglass here, not because I necessarily prefer the stylus controls, but because Minish Cap forces me to use the R button way more than I should have to. And shoulder buttons have always sucked.

Well look at that. A tie! It appears as though Phantom Hourglass isn't as bad as I've made it out to be. In the end, I would recommend Minish Cap over Phantom Hourglass though, because the core parts of the game (dungeons, puzzles, and items) are better than what Phantom Hourglass has to offer (controls, bosses, and a slightly better story). But really, these are Zelda games we are talking about. So I recommend both.

(Click here for my second Minish Cap article)
(Click here for my first Minish Cap article)