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It’s been awhile. Two years, in fact, since we last saw a Zelda title on the Nintendo DS, and 3 years since the Wii’s Twilight Princess. Zelda fans have been craving a new title and Nintendo has finally delivered.

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is the 15th installment in the popular franchise. While the gameplay remains the same, Spirit Tracks does introduce a first for the series: now Princess Zelda plays along side you throughout the adventure. Is it a big deal? No not really, but the adventure does prove to be worthwhile sequel.

The Story

Spirit Tracks takes place 100 years after The Phantom Hourglass. You begin as a young Link who’s trying to get his engineering certificate so you can drive trains along the tracks (known as Spirit Tracks) that crisscross the land. Upon receiving your degree, you are urged to come to Princess Zelda’s quarters where she asks you to investigate a peculiar problem. The Spirit Tracks are disappearing and you need to find out why. Zelda asks you to take her to the nearby Spirit Tower, the center of the land, to see if the answer can be found there. Of course, all hell breaks loose along the way. The track you’re riding on disappears and you crash. You’re then ambushed by a horned demon and Princess Zelda is taken prisoner.

This is where the story takes a twist. When you return to the castle, you are visited by a spirit. But not just any spirit–it’s Princess Zelda! Turns out only her body was taken, her spirit still roams free and she vows to help you revive the Spirit Tracks, recover her body, and once again bring peace to the land.

The Gameplay

Spirit Tracks follows the old Zelda formula. Dungeons are scattered throughout the land. Enter each one, defeat the boss inside, find a few treasures while your at it, and continue on to the next dungeon. Yes, this is Spirit Tracks in a nutshell.

Unlike previous titles you will not find yourself walking from one dungeon to the next. Instead you will be relying on your train. Once Spirit Tracks have been restored across the land, you can use them to travel from one destination to another. This is very similar to the small sailboat in Wind Waker. You chart your course on the touchscreen and the train will take you to your destination. You can move the train forward at two different speeds, reverse, and stop. At times you will have to blow the train’s whistle to scare animals off the track. Once you get to your destination, the gameplay changes back to the classic overhead view. All towns and dungeons are explored the good ol’ fashioned way: on foot.

The biggest gameplay change in this title is the addition of Zelda to your roster of controllable characters. This time the princess accompanies you into the dungeons. Don’t forget, her body has been stolen and only her spirit is along with you for the ride. To get her help you need to find a host, and that’s where the Phantom Guardians come into the picture. These are large metallic brutes that patrol the dungeons. But, if your sword is powerful enough, you can knock them unconscious and let Zelda’s spirit inside. As a Guardian, the Princess is able to destroy enemies that are too strong for Link to tackle or light up dark dungeons with a flaming sword. Teamwork is key to complete the game.

The Controls

If you played The Phantom Hourglass, you will be generally familiar with the controls. But, there is a departure from typical Zelda titles: the D-Pad is not used. Instead, you rely 100 per cent on your stylus which directs Link around the world. If you want him to walk right, you place your stylus on the right side of the screen. Want him to move left, place it on the left side. It take a bit getting used to, but once you play for a few minutes you’ll get the hang of it.

Attacks are also controlled with the stylus. To hit an enemy with your sword you simply tap them. If you want to perform a special move, like a 360 degree sword spin, just draw a circle around Link. Items and menus are all accessible by tapping on the screen.

The tricky part in Spirit Tracks comes down to controlling both Link and Princess Zelda in the dungeons. You can either control each character individually or at the same time. A small icon on the bottom left corner of the screen lets you toggle which character you want to control. Or while controlling Link, click on Zelda (in the form of a Phantom Guardian) and draw a path you want her to take. Zelda will then move along the line you drew on the touchscreen to the location you specified. The same goes for attacks. Draw a path from Zelda to the enemy and Zelda will attack the foe with her mighty Phantom Guardian sword. The process can be time consuming at first but it works fairly well.

Spirit Tracks also makes use of the DS mic. Early on in the game you acquire a pan flute. Playing different melodies on the flute will unlock secrets and activate special objects. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a flute in a Zelda game and chances are it’s not the last. The mic control adds a bit of realism to the game although it is a bit cheesy.

The Graphics

Let me just say this is probably the best looking game out on the DS right now. The graphics are colourful, whimsical and stay true to the Zelda franchise’s look and feel. Fans of the series will not be disappointed. True, some of the graphics appear slightly pixelated at times, but this is coming from someone who plays most of his games on the Xbox 360 and PS3. This game simply looks wonderful on the small screen considering the graphical limitations of the Nintendo DS.

The Downsides

While the entire game is focused on the train, I do find this mode of transportation to be the game’s biggest issue. Traveling from one locale to the next takes place in real time. Even when you crank up the power and put the train into second gear, travel is slow… and boring. Sure, you have to toot your whistle from time to time to avoid animals, avoid rogue trains, and look out for stray rabbits to catch, but I found myself dreading my travel time from town to town, dungeon to dungeon. Thank God a warp system is introduced later on the game.

The Bottom Line

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is a solid game with plenty of good puzzles and tons of secrets to uncover. Fans of the franchise won’t be disappointed. However I must point out, after playing 15 Zelda games now, I yearn for something new. Yes, it is cool to play as Princess Zelda, but it’s by no means an evolution of the series. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed this title. In fact, I strongly encourage any DS owner to pick it up. I just hope Nintendo looks at adding something new to the next Zelda game. Something unexpected that will breathe more life into this aging franchise. Great game, but I’m left wanting more.

The Good

Finally you can control Princess Zelda
Great graphics
Retains classic feel of the Zelda franchise

The Bad

Travel takes forever
Still waiting for new twist to take this classic franchise to the next level

8/10