Game title: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
Platform: Nintendo DS
Developer: Nintendo
Release date: December 7, 2009
Pregame:
The Zelda series returned en force in The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks back in 2009. This bright and colorful installment brought DS gamers to a new, railroad-covered world and gave them their very own trains.
It seems like Zelda games like to hop consoles. While major consoles like the Wii seem to have a monopoly on the adult version of Link and co. (remakes notwithstanding), handheld consoles like the DS and 3DS are destined to host the childhood incarnation of the green-hooded hero. Still, this is by no means a bad thing, and it's nice to know what you're getting into before purchase.
Spirit Tracks sets up our hero as a young train engineer, and before long he's swept up into an epic adventure that has him driving his train to the four corners of the world and teaming up with a princess. Business as usual.
Play-by-play:
Spirit Tracks is the first Zelda game for the DS that I've tried (I heard a lot of things I didn't like about Phantom Hourglass), and what really struck me was just how much the player is required to touch the screen. I know it's a DS game, but usually the player can at least move by using the D-pad. Not so here. Players must touch the screen to tell Link where to move, among other things.
It's not just Link that'll be moving, either. For once, Princess Zelda herself will accompany our intrepid adventurer every step of the way. At times, she'll even possess armored hulking Phantoms and help out. That's actually her standing behind Link on the box art. And yes, she turns the Phantoms pink. Don't ask.
Players will be able to draw a path for Zelda to walk, and she'll be able to lend a hand in various ways. She'll fight enemies, step on switches, and even carry Link in certain situations. Zelda's help isn't constant, though, and Link must do the heavy lifting himself with the help of the various new items he'll acquire. Among those are a whip that allows him to swing form place to place and an item called a Whirlwind that can blow light objects and enemies away.
What stuck out the most to me was this edition's musical instrument, the Spirit Flute, and how it is controlled. Players touch the screen to hold the flute at a certain angle, then physically blow into the DS' microphone in order to play notes. For me, some of the complex required songs of the game were challenging, as apparently I do not have good control over what comes out of my mouth. Go figure.
The game's controls, overall, take some getting used to, but most players will adjust eventually. In most parts of the game, the DS' dual screens are quite handy, as the top screen will display a map that can be annotated by the player. Other times, both screens are used in conjunction to show off more cinematic moments.
The map screen is particularly useful when driving the train, since it's possible to plot out a route to take ahead of time. If players do so, the train will automatically make all the correct turns, although it won't adjust to avoid enemies or other trains. While the train is moving, players can aim and fire the train's mounted cannon, which thankfully has unlimited ammunition. Enemies will often attack the train, to keep the player on their toes.
Occasionally, players may transport passengers or cargo, and they'll need to do some careful driving in those circumstances. They'll want to avoid being too rough with the passengers, or getting hit by enemies too many times. As for transporting cargo, taking corners too sharply could knock it loose.
As for the story this time around (MILD SPOILERS), the train tracks that cover the world, called Spirit Tracks, are destroyed in an attempt to revive a demon king who is decidedly not Gannondorf. In said demon's employ are an imp and a magic ninja named Byrne, who, by the way, is not nearly Irish enough to carry that name.
The duo intend to revive the demon king into the most powerful body available: Zelda's. To do so, they magically separate the princess' body from her spirit... They basically kill Zelda. In the first hour of the game, no less! From that point on, it becomes Link and the disembodied Zelda's mission to restore the Spirit Tracks, prevent the demon's revival, and get Zelda her body back. If they fail to accomplish any of those goals, the world ends. No pressure.
While she is understandably distressed at first, Zelda soon grows accustomed to life as a ghost, and the game maintains a happy overall tone. Zelda's even seen floating carefree on the game's title screen. For being dead and all, she takes it pretty well.
For those of you that are interested, Spirit Tracks is a direct sequel to Phantom Hourglass, which is itself a sequel to Wind Waker. Even without exposition, it's possible to judge the games' timelines based solely on the recurring character Niko the pirate. That's him below in Wind Waker on the left, and in Spirit Tracks on the right.
Platform: Nintendo DS
Developer: Nintendo
Release date: December 7, 2009
Pregame:
It seems like Zelda games like to hop consoles. While major consoles like the Wii seem to have a monopoly on the adult version of Link and co. (remakes notwithstanding), handheld consoles like the DS and 3DS are destined to host the childhood incarnation of the green-hooded hero. Still, this is by no means a bad thing, and it's nice to know what you're getting into before purchase.
Spirit Tracks sets up our hero as a young train engineer, and before long he's swept up into an epic adventure that has him driving his train to the four corners of the world and teaming up with a princess. Business as usual.
Play-by-play:
It's not just Link that'll be moving, either. For once, Princess Zelda herself will accompany our intrepid adventurer every step of the way. At times, she'll even possess armored hulking Phantoms and help out. That's actually her standing behind Link on the box art. And yes, she turns the Phantoms pink. Don't ask.
What stuck out the most to me was this edition's musical instrument, the Spirit Flute, and how it is controlled. Players touch the screen to hold the flute at a certain angle, then physically blow into the DS' microphone in order to play notes. For me, some of the complex required songs of the game were challenging, as apparently I do not have good control over what comes out of my mouth. Go figure.
The game's controls, overall, take some getting used to, but most players will adjust eventually. In most parts of the game, the DS' dual screens are quite handy, as the top screen will display a map that can be annotated by the player. Other times, both screens are used in conjunction to show off more cinematic moments.
The map screen is particularly useful when driving the train, since it's possible to plot out a route to take ahead of time. If players do so, the train will automatically make all the correct turns, although it won't adjust to avoid enemies or other trains. While the train is moving, players can aim and fire the train's mounted cannon, which thankfully has unlimited ammunition. Enemies will often attack the train, to keep the player on their toes.
Occasionally, players may transport passengers or cargo, and they'll need to do some careful driving in those circumstances. They'll want to avoid being too rough with the passengers, or getting hit by enemies too many times. As for transporting cargo, taking corners too sharply could knock it loose.
The duo intend to revive the demon king into the most powerful body available: Zelda's. To do so, they magically separate the princess' body from her spirit... They basically kill Zelda. In the first hour of the game, no less! From that point on, it becomes Link and the disembodied Zelda's mission to restore the Spirit Tracks, prevent the demon's revival, and get Zelda her body back. If they fail to accomplish any of those goals, the world ends. No pressure.
While she is understandably distressed at first, Zelda soon grows accustomed to life as a ghost, and the game maintains a happy overall tone. Zelda's even seen floating carefree on the game's title screen. For being dead and all, she takes it pretty well.
For those of you that are interested, Spirit Tracks is a direct sequel to Phantom Hourglass, which is itself a sequel to Wind Waker. Even without exposition, it's possible to judge the games' timelines based solely on the recurring character Niko the pirate. That's him below in Wind Waker on the left, and in Spirit Tracks on the right.
Side note: you'd think he'd change his clothes once in a while.
Final Call:
Spirit Tracks is a lighthearted game that, despite its control differences relative to other games in the series, still feels very much like a Zelda game. It doesn't change up the Zelda formula much, but after two and a half decades, I don't expect the big shifts from this series anymore. The dungeons are tricky, the world is interesting, and all in all, it's a fun game. It's less than $20 on Amazon at the time of writing, and if you're a fan of the series, you'll enjoy this game. Pick it up, and you'll have a hard time putting it down.
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