Developers: Nintendo
Publishers:  Nintendo
Type: Adventure
System: Nintendo DS
Release: December 7, 2009
Cost: $34.99

Players: 1 player adventure, 2-4 player simultaneous battle
Notices: Mild Fantasy Violence,  a lot of trains

Intro: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is yet another installment to the game series.  You play as Link again.  However, instead of a ship, Link travels the various areas through a train.  Like in many other Zelda videogames, you travel around trying to save the kingdom from an evil person or force.  The biggest difference is the fact that Zelda has a major part in helping you get through the dungeons.

Impression: 9.0
In Zelda games you travel the kingdoms in a very free way, whether it is by horse or boat.  In Spirit Tracks, you have a very fixed position in your movement.  Your power of control is focused on how fast your train moves and choosing whether or not you will turn left or right.  This does not hinder the exploration in the game by very much though, so you can still expect finding easter eggs.  Framerate can get choppy during the larger of fights while on the train.

Left: Zelda can help you get through places Link can’t.  Right: The new boss designs are interesting.

Gameplay: 9.0
It feels like Phantom Hourglass again.  However, controlling Zelda causes the player to create a new approach to the puzzles in the game.  Some puzzles are harder than most Zelda games due to Zelda’s powers, but this won’t stop the gamers (I hope).  Zelda can do most of the thinks Link can’t, with her own restrictions. The challenges given to you through the train system are very interesting and there’s a lot more travelling around than in Phantom Hourglass.  The top-down stylus gameplay may be a little restrictive to how much you can see the screen (DSi XL anyone?).  An additional important notice is that the way you swing your sword is an even more vital skill than inside Phantom Hourglass as it is a helpful strategy(No more stabbing at your screen like a maniac)

Sound / Music: 9.0
I really like the new songs, but it seems like deja vu just hearing them over and over again.   The few songs given to the gamer are well composed though.  The pay for the repeated music could be worth it for the…

Yes, we love getting owned by a knight three times the size of us.

Graphics: 10
The graphics on the Nintendo DS aren’t exactly the best, and the characters seem a wee bit on the polygonical side, however the amount of data for graphics being held in this game is amazing.  When I was playing in the overworld, I took attention to the fields and trees.  The amount of graphics in this game is overwhelming.  Enemies in the field are pretty much all 3D, and there are a good number of dungeons stored into the game.

Lasting Appeal: 9.5
This one has a little more work to be done, at least on the player’s side.  There’s a good focus for the player to work on the characters.  The multiplayer is even more hectic than the last game, since it can involve 4 players now, and that fact makes me pretty happy.  Side quests are abundant in this game.  Legend of Zelda games always take longer to finish due to the plethora of treasure chests, items, and in this case, train parts, that are given to the player.

Overall: 9.1 This game is very enjoyable.  There’s a lot you can do (and a lot kept me occupied).  A lot of train related stuff, which is new, because how many games involve you going around in a train?  This is like a B-side to the Phantom Hourglass, except for the bosses; I might say that Spirit Track bosses are a little cooler.

Images courtesy of ign.com