The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

Join us now as we take a look at the latest game in The Legend of Zelda series, the long-awaited Spirit Tracks, now 100% train-joke free!

Last time I played a Zelda game for any real length of time, the SNES still reigned supreme, motion controls and touchscreens were the stuff of science fiction and the name ‘Playstation’ was to be the battle-cry with which Nintendo would crush the mighty Sega empire.  Actually, last time I played a Zelda game, there was a Sega empire, mighty or not.  Just goes to show how things can change in the lifespan of a series, I suppose.  But I digress, it’s been many, many moons since I spent any significant time with a Zelda game.  I never had an N64 and I think I owned a Gamecube for all of about ten minutes, so I never got to play any version of Ocarina of Time or Majora’s Mask, long considered two of the greatest games ever.  I can see a couple of you recoiling in horror there, wondering how it’s possible for someone to say that and live, but it’s true, I assure you.

So yes, it’s been a long, long time since Zelda was a major feature in my life.  Heck, I wouldn’t even consider myself much of a fan of the series.  Which, contrary to what some of you might think, is probably a good thing.  I don’t know about you, but I always get suspicious whenever I see a review of a big-name game, especially when it’s something as well-respected as the Zelda series.  Are they giving it a high score because it’s so good, or is it because it’s Zelda, and if they give it any less, there will be anarchy?  I mean, look at the furore when IGN ‘only’ gave Twilight Princess 8.8.  Madness, I tell you!

The game opens with Link heading to the castle to meet Princess Zelda.  Nothing unusual there, except this time, it’s for his train driving proficiency license.  During the ceremony, she slips Link a letter, telling him she needs his help.  She needs to get to the Spirit Tower, which generates the Spirit Tracks all trains run on, and she needs his help to do so.  Unfortunately, upon leaving the castle, they’re attacked by Chancellor Cole, who steals Zelda’s body to use as a vessel for his master, the Demon King.  Of course, Zelda’s spirit has something to say about that, and the pair of them team up to get her body back and put an end to the Demon King’s plan.

One of the things that annoyed people with the last game in the series, Phantom Hourglass, was the travel.  Simply put, sailing everywhere, while a nice concept, was boring as almighty hell.  Many people, myself included, found their fun grinding to a halt every time they had to jump back in their boat.  Great idea, Nintendo, but poor execution.  Thankfully, they’ve taken these criticisms and improved on them, leading to the Spirit Tracks of the title.  Rather than wandering around for hours, trying to find a tiny bottle or treasure in the arse-end of nowhere, things are a lot more direct now.  You can still draw on the map here, to remind you of important or suspicious places to check out, something you’ll have to do regularly to solve some of the puzzles.  Several early ones involve you having to follow a certain path to get past, another has you pairing up townsfolk in one of those ‘I like blue, but can’t stand people who whistle’ kind of riddles.

The controls once again use the touchscreen for just about everything.  Personal preference, I’ll admit, but I for one would’ve more than welcomed the option to use the d-pad and buttons.  The main problem with the DS’ touchscreen (and for the record, I’m using a DS Lite here) is that it’s just not accurate enough.  More than once, I went to attack a fast-moving enemy, only to either run that direction or roll into them.  Take it from me, rats will rapidly turn into the bane of your life here, as they’re fast, hard to hit and there’s usually upwards of five or six of them at a time.  There’s also a heavy reliance on the underused DS microphone, best illustrated by two of the first items you get, the whirlwind, used to generate whirlwinds to stun enemies or move objects, and the Spirit Pipes, needed to solve occasional puzzles.

The main differences in gameplay come from having the princess along with you for the ride.  Now, before anyone starts getting any flashbacks to Navi and the constant “HEY! LISTEN!” Zelda’s actually one of the more enjoyable NPC sidekicks I’ve encountered in a while.  Her primary use comes in when you enter the Spirit Tower.  Being a spirit herself, she can possess the Phantom Knights, big suits of armour that can carve you up quicker than you can blink.  By possessing a suit, Zelda can attack or distract enemies, carry Link on her shield and more.  This thankfully doesn’t quite make it a dreaded escort quest, on account of her being capable of fending for herself, and her influence is needed for the vast majority of the puzzles you’ll encounter in the tower.  As an aside, she also has probably the best scene in the whole game, when she finds out exactly what Chancellor Cole has in mind for her missing body.  Frantic desperation was never more hilarious.

On the multi-player side of things, the ever-popular Battle Mode makes a return as you and three friends race to collect the most Force Gems.  Only one card is needed, but anyone looking to annoy random strangers online is going to be disappointed, as only local play is supported.  You can also trade the treasures that you need to upgrade your train.  Everything you need is in the game, for those worried that they’ll have to trade in order to fully pimp out their locomotive, but getting a leg up from a friend is always welcome.

If there’s any real downsides, it’s with the pacing.  The start of the game is slow as hell, as it seemingly takes forever for the plot to start, and for your train to get anywhere.  Likewise, when things do finally get going, a large part of the game seems to consist entirely of fetch quests.  In previous games, you couldn’t get from A to B because you didn’t have the items needed to progress, so you’d have to take a longer route with a few detours.  Here, you can’t go from A to B because the person you need to talk to is preoccupied, or not in until you help someone else, or…  After a while, you feel more like you’re following a trail of breadcrumbs than an actual plot. And while getting rid of the boat does make things a lot more simple, it’s arguable it makes things a little too simple.  In all honesty, things are just a little too linear here.  You almost always have a good idea of where your next destination is, and there’s little of that classic ‘exploration for the enjoyment of it’ that you used to get in the old games.  It’s funny how the old games had this perfectly, yet in the DS offerings, they still struggle to find it.

On the whole, Spirit Tracks is arguably a better game than Phantom Hourglass.  The major problems I had with the last game have been mostly fixed, and while it still doesn’t quite have the classic Zelda feel to it, this is still one of the better adventure games on the DS.  If you’re a Zelda fan, you will not be disappointed.  If you aren’t, you won’t be either.

+ Sharp cartoony graphics
+ Zelda’s reactions never fail to amuse

- Possibly a little too linear for some tastes
- Controls still not responsive enough
- Slow first few hours may irritate some

Score – 8/10