I was lucky enough to try out two Nintendo games before their release this week. One was obviously New Super Mario Bros Wii as indicated by my awesome preview below. The other was the direct sequel to Phantom Hourglass (which was the direct sequel to Wind Waker, can you believe it?), Spirit Tracks. I didn’t get to play it for quite as long as Mario, but I played enough to feel confident in giving you guys a small preview. Let’s get to it.
The Expected
It, graphically, looks like Phantom Hourglass. Which – also like PH – looks surprisingly better running on the DS than on video or screens on the internet. The game also had the same Wind Waker brand of cutesy gag humour that actually had me chuckling a bit. While some people complained about the all-touch controls of the first DS Zelda, it’s difficult to deny that they are absolutely the best touch controls on the DS. Spirit Tracks is no different. It feels fast, intuitive, and fun. The set-up is also the same: go to an annoying repeat dungeon in the middle of the map to unlock more sections of the world map. At least it looks like the annoying repeat dungeon might have measures to make it less annoying this time around. I’m not holding my breath for that yet, though. Just speculation based on some things I saw.
The Unexpected
How quickly I was hooked. Like the entire universe, I was extremely skeptical of this title the first time it was shown. Link on a train? Really? But seeing the world, hearing the music, exploring the puzzles, and realizing that Link wouldn’t be in that ridiculous conductor outfit, I instantly started craving more. Because this is the first “cartoon” Zelda game to take place on a major land mass, I realized that I was really excited to see what Nintendo did with it. This “New Hyrule” is only 100 years old and so there’s the opportunity to show the beginnings of new cultures and maybe even the revival of ancient ones. The music seemed to be a great mix of the Wind Waker/Phantom Hourglass style combined with hints of a brand new style. So while at first this game looked to be a disappointment, I now believe it has the potential to be the best of the Cel-shaded Zeldas.
Surprisingly, I didn't draw this
The train. It’s definitely better than I originally feared. There are many branching paths, and to be honest, it’s not like you had to turn all that often in the boat, anyway. You can control speed, scare animals out of your path, and I’m more than sure that there’ll be upgrades to keep the experience fresh. That being said, I can’t imagine that it won’t get a little tiring. Also, going backwards is a bitch, and no matter how smooth the train experience, I’d still rather be on a horse. Spirit Tracks also marks the return of a musical instrument, which I love. However, it’s a set of wind pipes that will require you to literally blow into your DS to work. It strikes me as lame and gimmicky. Still, I didn’t really get a chance to test it out, and since the rest of the game has surprised me, I’m open to letting my mind be changed.
The Outlook
Strong. Just a few weeks ago, Riddles and I were talking about how we were feeling apathetic toward the title even though we’re both massive fanboys. But Nintendo has lured me in with their unbeatably tight game design and the promise of entirely new Hyrule lore. The train thing is still ultimately ridiculous, but like Kingdom Hearts: Dumb Name, there’s a place to relentless poke fun at a great game. These few weeks look to ease a little bit of the pain Nintendo has caused by not releasing any of their first party gold in ages.
I couldn’t have done better than the folks at MEGATONik with that hilarious picture above, so thanks to them for drawing the perfect picture for me to steal.