The Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks Funny

I am going to stand up on my chair right at present and shout information technology to the globe: I retrieve The Fable of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is the best Zelda game since undisputed classic Ocarina of Time. Practice I adore Wind Waker? Oh my goodness, yes. Practise I honey Twilight Princess? Yous bet! There was just something about the revolutionary impact screen controls in Phantom Hourglass that made everything old in the Zelda series feel brand new once more.

With that being said, it may seem obvious that I was excited when Nintendo recently appear a brand new Zelda game for the Nintendo DS, a direct sequel to Phantom Hourglass called The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks.

So, how does this DS follow-up play? It looks simply like Phantom Hourglass (hell yes, Toon Link!), only does information technology play equally equally neat? And is seeing Link conducting a railroad train weird? Hit the jump for my hands-on impressions of The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks.

How does The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks play? It is absolutely incredible!

It looks simply like Phantom Hourglass, but does it play equally as groovy? YES!

And is seeing Link conducting a train weird? If past "weird" you mean awesome!

Okay, you probably want a little bit more than than that. Check out the below impressions of the three sections of the demo (as you can tell, I liked what I played):

Demo Section #i – Dungeon

The get-go part of the demo lets yous play through a brusque dungeon — whether this one is in the final game or non is however unknown.

Like Phantom Hourglass, all of the controls are splendidly mapped to the touch screen. You can hold your stylus down to have Link run towards it or you can tap specific things on the screen to interact with something specifically, be it an enemy to assault or a chest to open up.

Correct when the dungeon starts you are introduced to a brand new feature in Spirit Tracks that, I am guessing from the trailers I have seen, will play a large part in the entire experience: A giant armored knight stands right adjacent to Link at the entrance to the dungeon and follows Link around.

This knight is an incredible new addition because he can exist completely controlled by Link and adds a overnice new layer of depth to many of the dungeon's puzzles! Equally Link walks effectually the knight automatically follows him. If Link e'er wants to accept control of him, all the histrion has to do is tap this piffling colored icon in the middle of the knight (you can see information technology in some of the images in this mail). One time the icon is tapped, the histrion tin can draw a line on the screen and the knight will follow the exact same path. Past standing the line to touch "hot spot items" such as a switch or an enemy, Link can club the knight to collaborate with something.

For example: The first puzzle in the dungeon requires two people to stand up on two different switches to go a door to open. The solution is simple: Social club the knight to walk onto the switch, while Link stands on the other one. In a nice add-on, Link tin can fully motion effectually and apply items while the knight performs his duties. I was thinking how annoying it would be if Link was frozen in identify while all of this stuff was happening — luckily, that is non the instance at all.

But, obviously, the puzzles get much trickier from there. In my time in the dungeon, I did some actually creative things with the knight. At one point Link directed him to walk along a separate parallel path to walk in front end of huge spouting fire traps (since the knight is armored, he can withstand things Link tin can't). Equally he walked along the path, I had to control Link to walk past the fire traps at the verbal time the knight blocked the fire. It was an interesting combination of strategy and action.

In fact, this bright trip the light fantastic toe of manipulating the knight while doing things with Link connected through the residuum of the dungeon. In one extended, astonishing sequence, I had to draw a path for the knight to walk over a huge pool of lava. Since Link can't bear on the lava, I had to hop from platform to platform, sometimes even jumping on tiptop of the knight to carry me over the molten obstruction. It was a challenging flake of gameplay, just non hard enough to ever exist frustrating.

Basically, this Link and knight continued until the end of the dungeon demo. I accept to say, I was very impressed by how artistic the design was in this one small piece of the dungeon. I can only imagine how expansive and clever things will get in the final version of the game.

Demo Section #2 – Dominate

Similar all adept Zelda games, the boss fights are a definite highlight. The one boss I got to boxing in the Spirit Tracks demo was no exception.

Right before battling the massive brute, Link discovered a breast with a brand new detail to the Zelda universe inside it: the Cyclone. The Whirlwind looks like the Gale Boomerang (from Twilight Princess) in use, but instead of coming back to you, the Whirlwind sends a huge tornado in the direction Link shoots information technology. Basically you point the stylus in the management you want to shoot, blow into the mic, and the tornado races frontward. And earlier you freak out near having to blow at all in the game (stop the dirty thoughts!), using the Cyclone is non a pain at all. The mic is super sensitive and, if I am not mistaken, I remember I even figured out a mode to shoot the tornado without needing to accident into the mic (although I am not sure how I did it).

Beingness a Zelda boss, I knew immediately I was going to take to use this item to fight information technology.

The dominate itself was a huge beetle creature that filled both screens with its massive, armored torso. Like most Zelda bosses, it had an obvious weak point on its backside. Past directing the Whirlwind towards the protrude's back, the tornado blows away a protective shield of poison, exposing the boss to Link'due south attacks.

After knocking him down a few times, the beetle boss flies high on the second screen and tosses explosive enemies down at Link. At this point, Link has to shoot the Whirlwind into the enemies to blow them into the air and knock the beetle out of the heaven. Once I did this a few times the boss was defeated.

The protrude boss felt a little uncomplicated compared to almost bosses, just it nevertheless perfectly showed off the great uses of the Cyclone and the flawless, classic Zelda design that volition continue with Spirit Tracks.

Demo Section #3 – Train

The one role of Spirit Tracks that I knew nothing about was how the railroad train was going to work. I had seen it in trailers, simply didn't know how information technology was going to function when compared to other classic forms of Link transportation (horse, boat, etc.).

My initial idea was that players were going to be able to use the stylus to draw their own path for the railroad train to follow (similar to the gunkhole in Phantom Hourglass). Sadly, this was non the case in the demo. That doesn't mean that won't happen in the terminal version — and, honestly, I take a gut feeling that will be implemented — just in the demo Link followed a set path of pre-existing train tracks.

The railroad train section of the demo basically entailed Link traveling from i side of a huge, open, beautiful field to reach a cave.

The train moves forward automatically, with players able to pull a lever on the side of the bottom screen (using the stylus of course) to adjust the speed. The four settings on the lever are fast, normal, finish, and reverse — pretty much everything you lot could ask for with train controls.

Also on the bottom screen is a concatenation that you tin can pull to blow the train whistle (it needs to be mentioned how nice the animation is when y'all pull the concatenation — it dangles with impressive realism). I thought this ridiculously beautiful-sounding whistle was but for fun, but and so the surprising depth of the railroad train controls kicked in.

Like the boat in Phantom Hourglass, Link can shoot a cannon from the train in Spirit Tracks by clicking anywhere on the bottom screen — this weapon is cracking for defeating pesky enemies. All the same, in improver to the evil creatures that populate the field, there are cute, friendly creatures — in the demo they were cows — that shouldn't be attacked. If you practice set on them (accidentally or otherwise), the cows will attack yous but like the chickens in previous Zelda games.

The whistle is used to get these friendly cows out of the manner when they happen to be grazing on the train tracks! It is bright! Instead of shooting them with the cannon or running into them (both which result in hot moo-cow revenge!), the whistle will warning the cow and move him out of the way. Again, information technology adds so much depth to an already really fun sequence.

In addition to shooting cannons and blowing whistles, Link can likewise trigger switch tracks (using the stylus) to alter directions and move onto other tracks. This became very important when Link entered a crazy grid section of train tracks and had to avert a bunch of indestructible flop trains that were journeying along the same sets of tracks and would instantly impale Link if touched.

After making it to the end of the train section, Link fought a miniboss, of sorts. Equally he traveled through the cave, the photographic camera flipped in forepart of Link's train as the massive creature ran behind him. At this point, Link just had to aim his cannon to hitting the beast in its giant heart a few times to defeat him.

After playing through the surprisingly tense (and tough!) train sequence I tin confidently say that information technology makes for a cool, unique addition to the Zelda universe. I tin can't wait to play more.

I know it seems obvious now, but I loved my time with The Fable of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. If you loved Phantom Hourglass you will absolutely adore this direct sequel. The controls are perfect, the graphics are gorgeous, and the tried and true Zelda gameplay feels fresh as ever due to some very welcome additions.

From what I played, I can't recommend this game plenty!

Based on my hands-on time with the game, I am giving my impressions of The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks a 9.v.*

*This is a ridiculous scoring system and has nothing to do with the concluding game. I only thought it would exist fun to score all the games I play this calendar week based on my easily-on time with them all.

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Source: https://www.destructoid.com/e3-09-hands-on-with-the-legend-of-zelda-spirit-tracks/

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