There may be some vague spoilers below, but nothing too revealing. I'll cover the new gimmicks first:
Link, the engineer - "Geez, the Zelda idea well is sure running dry, huh?" was my first thought upon seeing the trailers a few months before the release date. Turns out that I enjoy the train elements more than I expected. The designers give you plenty of stuff to do while traveling, and you encounter a growing cast of enemies as the game progresses. And when there's nothing else to do, it's always fun to try your stylus-equipped hand at creating slow and dramatic cinematic camera sweeps of our favorite green-clad hero on his way to save Hyrule. Towards the end of the game, the use of the train figures in more significantly, even including a sort of Pac-Man-on-steroids bit of gameplay. While being able to travel only where the titular Spirit Tracks lay on the overworld map makes traveling a bit more efficient, it does kind of take away from the free roaming exploration aspect of the series. While I imagine some people will hate the train, I think it's a nice change of pace (though I'm already itching to get Link's two feet back on the ground).
Zelda, the Phantom puppeteer - Again, this idea turned out to be better executed than I expected. While controlling Zelda is a little cumbersome at first, it ends up adding a nice gameplay element. Though nothing revolutionary, the Link-Zelda partnership allows the designers to add some creative puzzles and action sequences. There are a variety of different Phantoms this time around so that helps keep things fresh. The use of Zelda is generally confined to the Tower of Spirits, so you won't be dealing with this during the normal temples. All in all, I highly approve of how they worked this into the game.
The temples:
The temples (or dungeons, if you will) have always been to me the bread and butter of Zelda games. The temples in Spirit Tracks are good, if not incredibly challenging for the most part. They are also extremely linear, which is probably not surprising to most. Even when you're backtracking, it's all linear backtracking, if that makes any sense. The first few temples are quite easy and short, but from the fourth temple and on the puzzles get increasingly complex, and you'll likely spend an hour or more on each one the first time you play them. The later boss fights are also pretty epic, and a whole lot of fun.
Pros:
+ The graphics are great, and the various cutscenes are well done.
+ DS stylus controls are well-implemented with only occasional annoyances. I found myself using the left shoulder button to equip items, and doing that in conjunction with aiming or drawing paths with the stylus proved to be quick and efficient. One of the later items, new to the series, would be chore to use with the conventional D-pad and buttons, but the stylus makes its use fast, easy, and fun.
+ As we've come to expect from the Zelda franchise, the music here is excellent (and using headphones is recommended if at all possible). The songs played with the Spirit Flute, especially the duets with the various Lokomos, are all enjoyable. However, the real winner for me is the overworld train theme. It is simply fantastic, which is fortunate because you're going to hear a whole lot of it, and the slight alterations of it that occur in different situations (train speed, how much of the Spirit Tracks have been unlocked, etc.) are a nice touch. At certain moments in the Ocean Realm, there's even a reference to the sailing theme in The Wind Waker. Every time Link departs from a location, the theme starts up, the train starts steaming, and then music and train blast off together. You'll experience this dozens of times, and it never loses any excitement.
Cons:
- It takes about an hour to get into any action (and by action I mean not just fighting, but puzzles and exploration as well), and even that initial bit is far from gripping. You'll play for over two hours before reaching the first temple. Compare this to the beginning of A Link to the Past (whose opening is my favorite in the Zelda canon), where within minutes you're in the heart of the action. To be fair, this somewhat long orientation period is now quite typical for Zelda games so it's nothing out of the ordinary.
- DS gimmicks (blowing into the mic to play the Spirit Flute, having to yell at certain times) are sigh-inducing but tolerable.
- Princess Zelda is often pretty annoying, both in cut scenes as well as during actual gameplay. Though they are unplayable characters, the Princesses in OOT and TWW are much better. And if you hate the look of Toon Link, you'll definitely groan at Toon Zelda.
- Contains the tedious filler that has been customary for Zelda titles for quite some time. By that, I mean fetch quests and the like which are unchallenging but time consuming, simply acting as chores. And I don't mean side quests, either (of which Spirit Tracks has plenty). I mean mind-numbing stuff that you simply HAVE to do. Though this adds gameplay hours, it hurts replay value. Take out the padding and I'd probably start the game over again tomorrow even though I just beat it today. As it stands, I don't expect to replay it again for quite some time. Limiting side quests to a minimum, experienced Zelda fans should complete the game in 20-25 hours the first time through. However, I'd argue that at least 30% could be trimmed off, resulting in a better game with more replay value. And this is coming from someone who likes long games.
It may seem like I'm being overall critical on what is overall a fantastic game. I imagine it's simply because the Zelda franchise is the one that I hold nearest and dearest to my heart, and therefore I tend to being extremely critical of it, desiring and demanding nothing short of near-perfection. However, though I consider Spirit Tracks to be merely an excellent Zelda game, I always remind myself that when given a fairer comparison against all video games, it's nothing less than outstanding. I'm grateful for every new Zelda title that comes out, and this one is no exception. I'd easily recommend it to just about anyone.
Product Overviews
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks DS
Product Features
- Helpful interactive map functionality that players can draw notes on the using the stylus that allows players to quickly mark spots in the game world for later exploration, or to note them as already explored.
- A whole new adventure in the Legend of Zelda series set in the years following the events of The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass.
- Links new AI ally, The Phantom (from the previous game in the series), whose bulk and immunities to dangerous elements like fire and magma, make him valuable in combat and in subterranean lava-filled levels.
- New propulsion and problem-solving game mechanics through Link's new in-game train which he uses as transport, and must be maneuvered and utilized to deal with obstacles.
- New in-game items and weapons like the Whirlwind, which Link uses to move items and overturn enemies, a whip, useful both in combat and in platforming, as well as his train's cannon, which can shoot bombs into the distance.
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