Graphically, Spirit Tracks looks very close to Phantom Hourglass. There’s not a lot of improvements, to be honest- even a stickler would be hard pressed to see any upgrades. Also, you could argue that the train sections look worse than the boat sections in the previous Zelda- because the way the sea worked, meant that pop-in was far less obvious than now you are on land. It also makes the game feel less open as well. Having said that, it’s brighter and more colourful, and no DS owner will end up being disappointed to be honest.

 

Sound is also good, and again, this is some of the best stuff in terms of actual quality that you’ll hear on the DS, but again, there’s nothing new at all. The music is all either classic or re-mixed versions of traditional Zelda tunes, whilst Link’s shouts and cries are the same as always, and he remains a mute protagonist.

 

 

Multiplayer is definitely the worst aspect of the game. The plus point is that you only need one cartridge for four player games, but there’s no benefit if you all have a copy- and no wi-fi play either. The single mode is pretty wierd- you run around trying to collect some gems, competing against the other players, and you drop some if you get hit- but you can’t hit other players yourself, as there are no weapons.

 

It’s not very exciting, and there are far better single cart experiences out there. Even if you had the choice of picking up some of the traditional weapons like a sword or boomerang, this would have been a far better option.

 

"The Legend Of Zelda: Spirit Tracks" is not only not as good as the previous DS zelda game, but is not as good quality as other Zelda games on other consoles. I love this series, and so this is pretty disappointing. For all the letdowns- the boring train driving, appalling multiplayer, and a general lack of innovation, the game still has plenty of high points.

 

The classic music and visuals are a delight, and the temple and puzzle design are excellent. Don’t expect anything new, but if you are looking for a solid, 20 hour RPG/ game for your DS, then Nintendo hasn’t disappointed- Spirit Tracks is definitely worth picking up.

 

 

 

 

+ Pretty lengthy
+ Classic music and visuals
+ Temple Design