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DS Review: The Legend of Zelda: Spirits Tracks
Ricardo Trejo
Admit it, the first time you saw Link wearing that conductor outfit and driving a train you thought what has Nintendo come up with now? I'll be the first to say I was one of those people. But after completing the game I feel like slapping my past self for doubting the potential of such an idea for just a second. Take the jump if you're interested in why I think Spirit Tracks ranks as one of the best Zelda games in the entire franchise's history. Yes, one of the BEST ever.
Story
100 years have gone by since the world was last saved in Phantom Hourglass, and this time a new evil is brewing below the feet of our current heroes. A young boy named Link is finishing up his training to be a full fledged engineer - a conductor of trains to port people and goods across the "Spirit Tracks" that connect the various lands together - but in order to become one he has to attend a ceremony with the Princess who will fully certify him. When he arrives at the castle he soon learns that the tracks have begun to disappear mysteriously, giving way to insults from Zelda's Chancellor, named Cole, that being an engineer means nothing when the tracks themselves aren't present.
After the ceremony is finished Zelda invites Link to her room, where she asks him to secretly take her to the Spirit Tower, where she believes the source of the tracks' disappearance can be found. But when the tracks vanish and their train crashes they are met with none other than Chancellor Cole - who reveals himself to be a demon accompanied by a hired hand named Bryne. The two hope to resurrect the fallen demon Malladus by meddling with the tracks who imprison him underground with their spirit energy. In order to do so, however, they need to disrupt the bond between the Spirit Tracks and take hold of a body with immense spirit energy for their dark lord to host once brought back, and it just so happens that Princess Zelda fits the bill.
After a short scuffle, the event leaves Link and a disembodied Zelda on a quest, with the aid of an ancient race called the Lokomos, to stop the resurrection of Malladus before it's too late; resolving to work as team to piece back together the Spirit Tracks and retrieve the princess' lost body.
Gameplay
If you've played Phantom Hourglass then you know the drill. If not then here's a crash course. The only buttons you'll use in the game are... none. The entire game is controlled by touch via the DS' stylus. To control Link all you got to do is point and drag to your destination and he'll scurry about there in a jiffy. It doesn't take much time to master this, tapping twice to roll, swiping to swing your sword, and pointing at an enemy for a quick pounce attack. It's really a cinch once you're in the middle of battle and puzzle solving.
Items like the boomerang act just as they did before - needing you to draw a path for them to follow. Controlling Zelda also works in this way, but we'll get to that later. New items like the Whirlwind ask of you to use both the DS' stylus and microphone features to perform attacks. Just point to the desired direction and then blow to unleash a gust of wind, which can be used to push unreachable items to nearby ledges, or just put out fires for some interesting puzzle solving. And with the inclusion of the mic you'll also be using it to play the Spirit Flute - the instrument of choice used in the same manner past Zelda games have utilized instruments, though, I got to admit the flute is my favorite by far.
As for the game's layout, it changes the pace up a bit from what you normally expect from a Legend of Zelda title. Not all bosses will be dealt with in temples, and the same goes for puzzles too. You won't be temple hopping as easily as you did in previous games, but instead will be spending lots of time looking for ways on HOW to even get to the next temple, which can be annoying at times. Transporting from one locale to the next can be time consuming but then again riding Epona across all Hyrule wasn't a barrel of laughs either in Ocarina of Time. And the one thing I hated about Phantom Hourglass is yet again present in this installment; after you complete each temple you'll need to return to a central hub, the Spirit Tower, where you'll be granted the next missing pieces of the Spirit Tracks, allowing you to continue further in your journey to new areas. This is the one place where you'll be given control over Link and Zelda simultaneously.
Zelda's control are simple: she is just told where to go. You don't take control of her as you do Link, but rather give her instructions to possess Phantom Knights, which enable you to get passed otherwise impossible obstacles, like lava and spikes. There are four different types of Phantoms she can occupy, each with their own abilities that will come in handy when the time comes. These parts of the game are when you'll really need to have your brain juices flowing, since some of the keys needed to continue can just be indescribably hard to figure out how to get. Patience and time are going to be essential if you're going to want to finish this game without going crazy first.
But when it all comes down to it, yes, the same action adventure, puzzle solving mechanics are all still there that make Zelda games so great. So nothing has really changed in that respect - we wouldn't have it any other way. And I'm sure you don't mind either.
Difficulty
Let me just say that the Sand temple gives the Water temple in OoT a run for its money. It can get pretty time consuming with the level of difficulty some of the later temples have, and that's not mentioning drawing up potentially dangerous routes on the Spirit Tracks, or the visits to the Spirit Tower. On a scale of 1 through 10 I'd give it an 8. It's certainly one of the more difficult Zelda games I've played in recent memory. Kiddies beware, or just have a guide opened up on GameFAQs.
Visuals/Audio
Graphically the game looks superb for a DS game. The cel-shaded look of Wind Waker, The Minish Cap, and Phantom Hourglass returns with the same comedic, yet elegant, art style that first made it popular. Link's dark eyebrows and strange expressions are priceless, the world is rich in color and variety, and seeing Link and Zelda in cartoon fashion outlines their relationship perfectly - an innocent brother/ sister type companionship that is timeless.
Spirit Tracks' soundtrack outdoes Phantom Hourglass' in every way - bringing to you new and original tunes that set you comfortably in the moment. Gentle music plays throughout the game, and it molds well with the type of world you're surrounded by. The Overworld/ Train theme will be everyone's favorite, but pieces of Zelda's Lullaby and the original Overworld theme of past Zelda games of yore can be heard if you pay attention in later parts of your adventure. And let's not forget how awesome the Spirit Flute's songs are. Yeah, they're simple, but they get the job done... especially after you successfully play it after your third or fourth try.
Estimated time to finish
It took me a good 18 hours to finish this bad boy up. I'm going estimate it'll take the average gamer around 15 - 20 hours to complete it, depending on how quick witted you are with the puzzles. I seriously had to just pause the game and think for a good while when I was just plain stuck.
Final Thoughts
Phantom Hourglass was a good introduction to the touch based gameplay style, but Spirit Tracks perfected it. Controls are more or less the same, but the inclusion of all the DS' features; the microphone, the dual screens, and the touch controls; make it all feel like a complete game. Where Hourglass felt like a filler in a series, Tracks feels like the continuation of a narrative. Certain characters come alive like never before; seeing Zelda turn and actually question the fact that she, a princess, would have to accompany a commoner on a dangerous journey was something I thought I'd never see. The feisty side of the princess also made it that much more believable, giving credence to a character who seemingly always was in the background needing to be saved. Watching the two interact with each other, and even save the world together as equals, made me feel like the Legend of Zelda series is on the right track. You'll feel it too when you see the final scene right before it fades to the credits.
Oh, and not to spoil anything major, but the high-five moment put a big smile on my face.
Rent/Buy/Pass
The light hearted nature of this game makes it a perfect fit for kids who are looking to get into the Zelda series, or just enjoy a good adventure story. For us older gamers who've played as Link for countless years will love every second of Spirit Tracks. It's a relief to see another Nintendo game that breaks the mold of what a "hardcore" title should be, and isn't afraid to go out of the box to find new concepts and ways of playing. It may not be Twilight Princess or Ocarina of Time, but the cel shaded style still holds all the charm and gameplay that made us give Link a chance in the first place. For anyone who is into puzzle solving and action adventure games then this one's for you. And for any Zelda fan it's a must have. For me personally I rank it at about third place on my all time list of Zelda titles; behind A Link to the Past and Wind Waker.
