The announcement of Spirit Tracks came as somewhat of a shock; it is completely unusual for Link to gift us a sparkly new Zelda experience only two years after the previous release in the series, Phantom Hourglass, which was the first Zelda title to make an appearance on the Nintendo DS. This break in tradition prompted speculation, many questioning whether this new title would be worthy of Nintendo’s seal of quality. Well put simply, it is worthy.
Admittedly, the game has more than its fair share of similarities to its predecessor. The unashamedly boxy graphics of the Phantom Hourglass engine are back, which is actually completely acceptable, as the art direction is frankly sublime, voiding all graphical limitations of the console. Moreover, a number of characters have actually made the move from Phantom Hourglass’ universe. This is an unusual decision from the Zelda team, who have never been ones to admit a direct sequel. Certainly, the opening few hours of the game do stick dangerously close to the Phantom Hourglass formula, which, although solid, suffered from a rather dull, and unnecessarily time consuming method of traversing between the various game worlds, as well as some comparably weak dungeon design to that of the more celebrated titles in the series.
Thankfully though, Spirit Tracks soon reveals itself to be a more thoroughly planned and effectively executed game than its older sibling, with varied dungeon design, well balanced puzzles, and some refreshing new items that stand proudly amongst the series best. Equally welcome, is the much improved transportation system, not redesigned but greatly improved upon, and all-importantly succeeding in breaking up the often heavy dungeon sections, which rest at the core of every Zelda game.
The reason behind my focusing on the relationship between the two DS titles is to stress a simple point, Spirit Tracks, and indeed Phantom Hourglass before it, need not be directly compared to the home console Zelda titles of yesteryear. The reason for this is that unlike many…too many, handheld titles today, Spirit Tracks is specifically designed to make use of the DS’ feature set, with meticulously crafted game-play elements that work with the benefits and drawbacks of handheld gaming. It is all too often the case that a handheld game is given a handicap for its unfortunate format, with titles being branded ‘good for a handheld game,’ which translates as either ‘would have been better on a home console,’ or ‘wouldn’t cut it on a home console’. Well, it is safe to say that Spirit Tracks is not only a strong game in its own right, but would arguably be worse off were it not designed for the Nintendo DS console.
The most notable game feature in this debate is the unorthodox control system. Spirit Tracks may be played from start to finish with only one hand; the stylus can do it all. Many will shudder at the thought of this, imaging a clumsy, questionably enjoyable lark within a wrist crippling land, which you barely get a glimpse of, due to your view being repeatedly obstructed by your podgy, swollen fingers. In fact, countless Phantom Hourglass players pestered the company for the option to manoeuvre Link with the d-pad in the then yet to be released Spirit Tracks. Nevertheless, the developer clearly had faith in the touch screen only controls, ignoring the requests.
Indeed, a short time was needed to grow accustomed to the new and atypical control method; the preliminary temple was a little tougher than it would have been were the expected controls intact, and I found myself frequently navigating Link into never-ending pits of doom. However, another few hours of game-play passed, and my initial impressions were soon forgotten. The experience differs from other games in the franchise in that it is little shorter, slightly easier, more linear, and far less stressful. This may suggest a simple lack of effort on Nintendo’s part, but I can assure you, every decision made was an effort to assure the most pleasant Zelda experience the DS is capable of producing. Honestly, if Ocarina of Time (generally seen as the supreme game of the series) was ported to the DS today, it would fall flat against Spirit Tracks, simply because it would suffer from being the handheld equivalent of a fantastic game.
Nintendo have endeavoured to use every trick in the DS’ inventory, often combining the microphone and stylus to produce some curious and largely marvellous creations. It is safe to say that these are far from cheap gimmicks, employed only for the sake of shoehorning all of the DS’ quirky features into the game. On the contrary, a consistent learning curve gives you that all-important sense of achievement, as you realise you are improving with each new set of challenges.
As stated earlier, the tedious travelling mini-game from Phantom Hourglass has blossomed into a fully-fledged member of the core game-play line-up. Ok, so the boat has just been swapped out for a train, and you are still not given direct control over the craft, but there are enough new elements here to keep you busy.
You are now given multiple paths to each destination, and you’ll have to keep a watchful eye on the map at all times, if you’re to evade the terrifying baddie trains that litter the tracks. Various types of train cannon are available to dispose of additional threats such as boars, spiders, boars with blokes on them, evil snowmen who toss their faces at you, and, err…tanks. Touching the enemy with the stylus is all that is required to fire an aimed shot at it, but this activity acts as a relatively relaxing, and pleasing time waster as you adventure. On top of this, there are a number of interesting side-quests, each possessing the Zelda franchises coveted ability to balance challenge, enjoyment, and reward perfectly. In addition, I should mention that Link has full ownership of a magnificently entertaining train whistle, which he may sound off as frequently as he likes. Uses include, scaring off boars or strange bird creatures, and irritating everyone who is not pretending to be a train driver.
In a first for a Zelda title, the Princess accompanies Link on the entire adventure, acting mostly as a guide, much like the King of Red Lions in 2002’s Windwaker, for Gamecube. There are specific dungeons in which Princess Zelda is able take control of the Phantom Knights, first seen in Phantom Hourglass. These sections of the game present some unique and demanding puzzles, Zelda and Link often having to work together to get through each floor, the Princesses charming and cheeky disposition amusing throughout. Fortunately, the change in game-play on show here is entirely satisfying, the developers ensuring that no ingredient out-stays its welcome, and that each area is fresh with new ideas. Nintendo were clearly in agreement with their fans that Phantom Hourglass was a bit on the repetitive side.
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is a game developed to make the most of the Nintendo DS handheld games console. It is quite different from its revered cousins on the Nintendo 64, Gamecube and Wii, but just as worthy of widespread praise. Spirit Tracks is one of only a handful of DS titles that requires no handicap to face off against next-gen titles, which is quite astounding. It seems that Nintendo were not quite happy with the Phantom Hourglass recipe, but were aware that the foundations laid by that game were capable of supporting one of their finest Zelda titles to date; Spirit Tracks is a triumph.
VideogameUK verdict: 9/10
