It’s arguably the DS event of the entire year, but does The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks have what it takes to distract us from our more powerful next-gen home consoles? Read our Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks review to find out.
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is arguably one of the finest pieces of software currently available for Nintendo’s DS so trying to top it is obviously not going to be an straightforward task. However, with The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, Nintendo has definitely succeeded, although it isn’t quite as innovative as we might have hoped.
Much of what made Phantom Hourglass so essential has been carried over. The sublime stylus-driven control system, the sharp cartoon visuals, the jaunty music and the humorous dialogue all make a welcome return, reminding you that no one else is quite capable of weaving glorious magic into their video games like Nintendo.
As you’ve probably gathered from the pre-release hype, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks focuses heavily on moving from place-to-place via train. If that calls to mind visions of stale sandwiches and endless delays then you’ll be pleased to learn that Link’s journeys are a little more eventful than your average 3:15 to Waterloo.
Read our Professor Layton and Pandora’s Box review now
Along the way you’ll get to fire cannons to ward off enemies and toot your horn to force dozy animals off the rails. After the freedom granted by the naval travel seen in Phantom Hourglass, being confined to tracks might seem like a regression but it actually makes things more challenging, and prevents players from becoming lost.
Elsewhere in The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, you’ll get to control a ghostly Princess Zelda following a nasty incident where her spiritual and physical entities are separated; because of this she’s able to pass through obstacles that would harm Link and is even able to possess certain enemies, which comes in handy when you feel the need for additional muscle.
Other additions to The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks are less innovative – there’s some tiresome microphone-blowing thanks to the introduction of a magical item known as the Spirit Flute, for example – but on the whole Spirit Tracks takes the already near-perfect blueprint laid down by its predecessor and embellishes it with several small enhancements, the end result of which is a game that is arguably superior in almost every respect.
Released just in time for Christmas, this title is sure to come in particularly handy during those dull moments when your loved ones are all falling asleep in front of the telly after consuming too much turkey and mulled wine. It may not be devastatingly original but it has bags of truly top-notch gameplay and will be a permanent fixture in your DS cartridge slot well into the New Year.
