Little-seen Zelda sequel finds new life on Wii U Virtual Console

By Danny Cowan May 12, 2016

zelda wind waker sequel rereleased on virtual console zeldads header — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Nintendo’s latest cross-platform digital lineup marks the return of a classic game in The Legend of Zelda series that, until this week, remained exclusive to legacy Nintendo DS consoles.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, originally released in 2007, is now available for a new generation of Nintendo fans via the Wii U’s Virtual Console service.

Phantom Hourglass follows up on 2003’s The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, casting toon-shaded protagonist Link on a new journey. Unlike previous games in the series, Phantom Hourglass features a touch-driven control scheme, requiring players to make ample use of the DS stylus and microphone throughout.

The new Wii U Virtual Console version of Phantom Hourglass renders the formerly dual-screen game via the Wii U GamePad’s touchscreen, and the controller’s included microphone allows for a fully featured port that retains all gameplay mechanics featured in the original DS game.

Also on the Wii U eShop this week is a long-awaited port of Team Meat’s indie platformer Super Meat Boy. First released via Xbox Live Arcade in 2010, Super Meat Boy makes the jump to Wii U with all of its original content intact, save for a revised soundtrack courtesy of music group Ridiculon.

Minecraft: Wii U Edition players can also look forward to the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack, which introduces a lineup of new playable characters along with Mario-themed music and item textures.

Over on the 3DS eShop, Nintendo has rolled out a new Disney-themed version of its instructional app Art Academy. Disney Art Academy includes more than 80 tutorials designed to help players learn how to draw classic Disney characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, along with newcomers from recent animated films like Frozen and Inside Out.

Other newly released eShop games include the retro arcade adventure 8-Bit Hero, puzzle-platformer sequel Color Symphony 2, twin-stick shooter Tachyon Project, match-three puzzle game Queens Garden, and word puzzler Wordsup Academy.

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Danny’s passion for video games was ignited upon his first encounter with Nintendo’s Duck Hunt, and years later, he still…

Gaming

Starfield: Red Mile location and how to survive

Talking to Mei about the Red Mile in Starfield.

What space game would be complete without a seedy casino somewhere in the galaxy? In Starfield, that is best represented by The Red Mile casino and hotel where those willing to risk their Credits, and their lives, have the chance to strike it rich. Of all the games and entertainment available, the Red Mile challenge is no doubt the most deadly. You're free to visit this planet almost immediately after getting your ship, but this challenge isn't made for a fresh character. Even after you've leveled up, get some decent gear, and feel up to the challenge, the Red Mile Run has a lot of surprises that can cut your run short in the worst possible ways. If you think you're tough enough to make it to the end, here's where to find the Red Mile and the best tips on surviving it.
Where to find the Red Mile

The Red Mile is technically the name of the entire casino-hotel resort, not just the challenge. It is found on the planet Porrima III, which is of course in the Porrima system. You can jump there manually anytime you're exploring, but will also be tasked with going there if you're following the Freestar Collective faction questline.

Gaming

The best weapons in Lies of P

Lies of P boss fight

This interpretation of the classic Pinocchio is nothing like the friendly (if a little creepy) original. Your puppet brought to life is sent out into a world of dangers around every corner, and only your weapons and reflexes will see you through. Lies of P is a Soulslike, after all, so finding and testing out new weapons is all part of the experience. That and dying, of course. Still, if you want to avoid doing the latter as much as possible, a strong weapon will come in handy. This game uses a system where you can customize your arsenal by swapping out the blades and handles, giving you tons of possibilities, but we'll focus on which weapons are the best out of the box in Lies of P and let you do the tweaking from there.
The best weapons in Lies of P

Puppet Saber
Because you can get the Puppet Saber right at the start of Lies of P, you might write it off as something that's only viable in the early game and should be dumped ASAP. That's not the case, as this fast-hitting sword can stay competitive at least until the midgame. It has a good range, is fast, and has a great charge attack you can use to zone enemies with. It scales at rank C in both Motivity and Technique, and comes with the fable art of Storm Slash, which unleashes a flurry of strikes on a target ahead of you. The other art it packs is Concentrate, which gives you a temporary attack buff.
Salamander Dagger
If you are going for a build focused on doing a lot of quick hits rather than long, heavy strikes, daggers like the Salamander Dagger are your best friend. This dagger's real advantage is that it deals fire damage, which many enemies are weak against. It scales at a B in Advance, C in Technique, and D in Motivity. It also has the Ignite ability to give it even more firepower (literally), and the guard ability of doing a fast stab before automatically retreating.
Booster Glaive
There aren't a ton of area-control weapons in Lies of P, which makes the Booster Glaive stand out as a unique pick. You get good range, and the arc on each swing is perfect for crowd control. In tighter, more linear spaces, you can use the charge attack for a forward thrust. This is a Technique weapon, scaling at B, but it also has D scaling in Motivity. It shares the Storm Slash skill with the Puppet Saber, but also has the Patient Slash, which lets you charge up one large, powerful strikes.
Acidic Crystal Spear
Despite the word "Spear" being in the weapon's name, the Acidic Crystal Spear technically falls under the Dagger category of weapons. Regardless, this has the looks, range, and feel of a spear. It can do fast, poking attacks, and will deal acid damage on each strike as well. You get great A-level scaling with Advance, as well as D level in Technique and Motivity. The Radiate art is just like the Salamander Dagger's Ignite, only for acid, and Single Stab is a more powerful forward lunge attack.
Two Dragons Sword
With a name like the Two Dragons Sword, who could resist at least trying this katana out? This boss weapon gives you all the flair and speed of a katana, but it unfortunately cannot be disassembled or modified. Still, with A scaling in Technique and D in Motivity, you won't be wanting for much with this blade. Your two skills are Link Emergency Dodge, which has you dodge forward and gives you the option to use a Fable slot to do two follow-up attacks, and Wind of Swords, which unleashes a torrent of swords in an area of effect.

Gaming

The best Wishstones in Lies of P

lies of p preview gamescom 2022 statue

Whether it is a FromSoftware game or a title from another developer, like Lies of P, each entry in the Soulslike genre adds a few new mechanics to stand out and bring a new flavor to the formula. On the surface, you might expect the whole Pinocchio thing to be enough for this game to stand out, but the team took things a few steps further. Aside from a unique take on the weapons system and lore, Lies of P has special items called Wishstones that can grant you powerful buffs. These stones can only be obtained by trading Golden Coin Fruits with a specific NPC, and are consumed upon use. To make sure you're able to maximize the benefits, here are the best Wishstones you should be using in Lies of P.
The best Wishstones in Lies of P

There are a total of 13 possible Wishstones to get, but not all are immediately available. If you see some you can't get quite yet, keep playing until you beat the Black Rabbit Brotherhood. Once that's done, all Wishstones will be available for sale.Here are thebest ones:
Recovery Wishstone
This is the first Wishstone you can get and is one you will probably want to keep at all times. The function here is simple: to passively restore your health for a short amount of time. Since Pulse Charges are so valuable, and you will run out very fast while exploring new areas or fighting bosses, this is a fantastic backup healing option. You do still need to play carefully, and time it right to make the most of it, but more healing is always needed in Lies of P.
Friendship Wishstone
While Lies of P doesn't allow for co-op like some other soulslike games, it does still have a summoning system where you can bring in NPCs to help you take down the cast of challenging bosses. These summons are called Specters, who will do their best to help, but they typically don't last all that long in a fight. If you're willing to use a Wishstone slot, the Friendship Wishstone can keep your loyal companion in the fight longer by giving them a bit of healing.
Courage Wishstone
Fable Arts are your more powerful, weapon-specific moves that consume a part of your Fable Bar to use. This makes it so you can't simply spam your most powerful attacks all the time, but sometimes you need that extra damage output to ekeout a victory. The Courage Wishstone makes that Fable Bar recharge much faster, allowing you to unleash those powerful moves more often.
Frenzy Wishstone
Back on the Specter side of things, these helpers are lacking when it comes to survivability, so you might as well make them pack a stronger punch to pull their weight before getting crushed. This Frenzy Wishstone fires them up to deal more damage. They won't be able to solo a boss for you or anything, but in a game like this, every single point of damage can mean the difference between victory and defeat.
Provocation Wishstone
What if you're feeling a little more ... cruel toward your Specter? There's no shame in it since they're only there to serve you, after all. With the Provocation Wishstone, you can put all the aggro onto your Specter, giving you some breathing room to heal, restore some Fable Arts, or just catch your breath. It also gives them a little defense buff so you don't have to feel too bad about it.
Explosive Wishstone
You might feel a little worse about using the Explosive Wishstone, however. Once activated, any time your unsuspecting Specter gets hit, they will explode and deal a nice chunk of damage to anything caught in the blast. If you're unsatisfied with what Specters can do for you normally, why not just turn them into a bomb?
Advance Wishstone
This Wishstone is the equivalent to the Courage Wishstone, only instead of boosting to your Fable bar, this one will help restore your Legion meter. Your various Legion arms are perhaps your greatest tool in Lies of P outside of your standard weaponry, but there's also a material cost. Unlike Fable, Legion does not replenish itself over time naturally and only comes back when you reach a Stargazer or use another consumable. You can bypass this limitation to get a few extra uses out of it with the Advance Wishstone, which gives you a little chunk back free of charge. This is best for builds that utilize Legion Arms more often, so it won't be a top pick for everyone.