The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks Review

By Oli Welsh Published 8 December, 2009

Toot sweet.

Version tested: DS

It would be easy to use the railroad theme of this latest DS Zelda as a metaphor for how precisely formulaic Nintendo's adventures have become: shuttling their young hero along pre-ordained paths from one faithfully-observed tradition to the next, keeping to a strict timetable, unfolding like an engineering schematic as much as a fairytale. There'd be some truth to it, too. Never in the series' self-referential history has one instalment followed the structure and style of its predecessor so closely (and seldom so quickly) as Spirit Tracks does those of 2007's Phantom Hourglass.

But if you were to interpret Spirit Tracks' train as a sign of weary creative emptiness, you'd be dead wrong. It's the heart and soul of a delightful, irrepressible game. The train's urgent puffing sets the brisk rhythm and breezy tone, and jumping into it inspires the simple, stirring excitement of setting out on a journey that Zelda games have always done so well. Being a train driver is a childish fantasy for sure, but that's just it - it's evoked with such infectious joy as to keep this ageing series (not to mention its players) young at heart.

It helps that hero Link is reborn each time as a wide-eyed pup in a brand new land that just happens to have a Princess Zelda and a Hyrule Castle - although in Spirit Tracks, there are a few veiled references suggesting that it's set in the same world as Phantom Hourglass, a couple of generations down the road. That's as close as any Zelda game gets to admitting it's a sequel. This Link is off to see this Zelda so she can officially induct him as a train engineer, a heroic job in a society that revolves around magical train tracks that, the tales say, are chains created by the spirits to bind a great demon in his underground prison.

Needless to say, there's a plot to release the demon, the tracks start disappearing, the Princess is kidnapped, and Link somehow ends up with a sword and shield in his hands and a green sock on his head, travelling the world and unpicking the mechanical mysteries of a series of dungeons in order to restore the Spirit Tracks and save the Princess. Or rather, to save the Princess' body - it's been taken as a vessel for the demon, but her spirit has been left behind. So Zelda accompanies Link on his whole adventure for the first time, if only as a ghost.

'The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks' Screenshot 1

It's like Brief Encounter, only with less crying and you get to drive the train.

In practical terms, that's no major departure. For most of the game, she serves much the same role as a Navi or a Midna, a voice in your ear who giggles, nags, hints, comments and lays out your options. Sometimes, however, Zelda takes your side for real - more on that in a second - and her impact on the tone of the game is something else again.

Link's usually a lonely hero and Zelda a distant ideal, but in Spirit Tracks they're inseparable, engaged in an adorable, innocent childhood romance straight out of a Hayao Miyazaki film. It's eloquently spelled out in the exchanged looks and gestures of the animation and in the simple zest of the script (even though Link, as ever, doesn't say a word). They even high-five at one point, one of many moments in which the game's youthful exuberance runs away with it (you respond to questions with "Yep" or "NO WAY!"; one character actually says "Woot!"), but it's so charming it always pulls it off. It's a long way from the melancholy lyricism of Ocarina of Time or Twilight Princess; Spirit Tracks must be the happiest, most heart-warming Zelda to date.

In gameplay terms, Zelda only comes into her own when she comes into someone else's. She can possess Phantoms, the invincible patrolling suits of armour in the Tower of Spirits, the 30-floor über-dungeon you need to return to and inch through in between each of the game's regular temples. It's a reprise of Phantom Hourglass's central Temple of the Ocean King, and also something of a Metal Gear tribute as Link sneaks around, avoiding the guards' gaze by diving into safe zones, while solving some of the game's trickier puzzles.

The Temple of the Ocean King's less popular features - its maddening time limit, and the need to start from the beginning on each visit (albeit with shortcuts) - have thankfully been ditched. You're even allowed to best Phantoms eventually, at which point Zelda can possess them and you can control her and Link simultaneously by drawing a path for her to follow, and pointing out things for her to interact with, with the stylus.

This is occasionally fiddly, but also exploited for some marvellous bifurcated puzzles and fights that contrast Link's agility with the Phantom suit's durability, as well as some cute role-reversal horseplay between the two romantic leads. There are even several variants of Phantom suit with clever powers. The Tower of Spirits still does odd things to the time-honoured pacing of a Zelda game - generally, the last thing you want to do when you step out of a temple is dive straight into another one - but it's a huge improvement on its predecessor, feels a lot less like filler, and supplies many of Spirit Tracks' standout moments.

'The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks' Screenshot 2

Scrawling on maps with a pen is something that should be in every Zelda game.

The regular dungeons don't have such strong identities. Suspicions that Nintendo's designers are going through the motions somewhat aren't helped by the unprepossessing names (it's hardly a spoiler, I hope, to reveal that Wooded Temple is in Forest Land and Blizzard Temple in Snow Land) - and truth be told, beyond their rote elemental themes, they do blend into each other a bit. But that's partly because top-down Zelda dungeons have become so abstract over the last 23 years, which is precisely what allows them to be so densely packed with ideas. Un-knotting their secretly linear tangle of traps and riddles and boss fights is as satisfying and stimulating as it ever was, and in Spirit Tracks the difficulty is paced to absolute perfection. There are a few proper posers, but nothing completely obtuse, and that blissful Eureka moment always feels within your grasp.

It would be more of a spoiler than any plot revelation to tell you about the new toys for Link's toolbox of delights, since discovering these surreal Swiss Army weapons is a sacred moment for any Zelda fan. It's a mixed bag: one is a cute idea but a chore to use, one is rather limited in its application although it makes inspired use of the DS stylus, and one is a cracking instant classic that blends the utility of some old favourites with (the internet tells me) a tip of the hat to another, more obscure Nintendo series. I'll let you figure out which is which.

It's no surprise that the traditional bombs, bow and boomerang are back, enjoying the same pinpoint stylus control as in Phantom Hourglass, and the latter is put to some extremely imaginative uses. This year's magical musical instrument is the Spirit Pipes, a set of pan pipes you slide left and right while blowing into the microphone to sound; embarrassing in public, but more like playing an actual instrument than anything in Wii Music.

Spirit Tracks uses exactly the same all-stylus control scheme as Phantom Hourglass - Link follows where you point, faster if it's further away, with taps, swipes and circles executing sword attacks. It proved divisive two years ago, and for the life of me, I still can't imagine why. It's swift, snappy and unfailingly precise. It's the best non-traditional control scheme for a traditional game anywhere, and one of the most transparent and intuitive in Nintendo's long (and glorious) history of making great videogame controls. However, if you didn't like it then, you won't like it now.

Also divisive, longer ago, was the bold, bright cartooning of the Wind Waker art style. Few would dispute its suitability for these top-down DS games, though, especially with the portable really starting to show its age. The geometry and texturing in the environments are sometimes shockingly basic, but that's surely because the important things - the characters, the enemies, the train - are so detailed, so expressive, so exquisitely animated. Sound is magnificent too, with the trademark tinkles, smacks and booms, and the squeal and hiss and chuff of the train, popping out of the DS' speakers over catchy, rollicking folk music.

'The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks' Screenshot 3

Boss fights and a few other moments use both screens to majestic effect.

Spirit Tracks' world simply hops and hums with life, bursting out of the tiny confines of the console. And, unlike Phantom Hourglass, it's at its best away from the dungeon crawl. True, the locations are a little basic and clichéd; the strict separation between on-foot exploration and open-world navigation is still a trifle forced by the series' organic standards. But the web of characters and collectables and secrets and side-quests and errand-runs, etched out in the Spirit Tracks themselves, proves more compelling.

Perhaps it's just that the train is more fun, more involved and more inviting than Phantom Hourglass's paddle steamer. Freight and passenger runs are absorbing games in themselves - with a premium on a smooth or speedy ride as well as blasting away at hazards with your cannon - and there's a tactile joy in tugging at the whistle and cranking the levers that made this grown man feel about eight years old. On that note, it's worth pointing out that Spirit Tracks is probably the best game for children released this year - deep yet upbeat, without a whiff of condescension and with plenty of longevity.

It is, in other words, vintage Nintendo. Maybe a bit too vintage - Spirit Tracks is, like New Super Mario Bros. Wii, a straight rehash, a derivative sequel of the kind the company used not to make, and based on a decades-old template. You could easily mark it down for that. But that would belie the fact that it's also a tighter and more rounded game, crafted with more care, than not just Phantom Hourglass but most modern games for grown-up consoles. As an all-ages adventure with a spring in its step and a twinkle in its eye, it's hard to beat. All aboard!

9 / 10

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About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (98) 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Dizzy #1 2 years ago

    Sold. Something to play when I go boarding in a few months.

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #2 2 years ago

    "It's a reprise of Phantom Hourglass's central Temple of the Ocean King"

    "a set of pan pipes you slide left and right while blowing into the microphone to sound"

    NO SALE.

  • spazmo #3 2 years ago

    There was a time i would be shaking with excitement over a new Zelda release. Just not feeling it with the DS games.

  • OnlyMe #4 2 years ago

    I quickly gazed over the review to see if I found anything regarding the controls. Do you control Link the same way as in the first game? If so, no sale.

  • Heybunny #5 2 years ago

    Brilliant - I have a limited edition GAME version on it's way to me as I type this. I simply can't wait. :D

  • insincere_dave #6 2 years ago

    To be fair, Stuart Campbell, nobody's actually given a fuck about what you think for a least a decade.
    Edited by 1 at 08/12/09 @ 12:18

  • gjgjg #7 2 years ago

    hmmmmm. liked 1st ds one, but not seeing the instant appeal of this one. i think this will be a new year sale purchase

  • superdelphinus #8 2 years ago

    " Zelda only comes into her own when she comes into someone else's."

    this made me aroused

  • Singularity #9 2 years ago

    Sounds great. Instabuy.

  • leftlion #10 2 years ago

    it all sounds good to me. admittedly the spirit temple thing did start to put me off but seeing as it doesn't have a stupid time limit i don't think i'll mind at all. the controls in the first one were good. don't know why some people are against them.

    SALE!

  • 3william56 #11 2 years ago

    "You could easily mark it down for that"
    Like the shoeing Ratchet and Clank collected a few weeks back, perchance?

    There's no denying Ninty have a great touch for games, but they really need to quit pumping out re-heated old slop and god forbid take a chance on something new. And by new I mean new, not NSMBW new as in old.

  • JohnnyWashnGo #12 2 years ago

    Sounds wonderful. I love the Miyazaki type of relationship between Link and Zelda in this one. Hopefully it will prove less annoying than previously partnerships with Link.

    As for Rev. Stuart Campbell... maybe if it was an iPhone game you would be more inclined to buy it?
    Seriously, every Zelda game recycles bits from previous Zelda games, why is this so different?

  • MORZTAN #13 2 years ago

    Temple of the Ocean King was something Satan shat out on a bad day. I sure as hell hope this new Temple is one million times better. It sucks that it's there in the first place.

  • stevetuck #14 2 years ago

    Too many great games on nintendo consoles and so little money :(

  • Charlie789 #15 2 years ago

    Brilliant! Can't wait to play this, can't believe I only knew it was coming out 2 days ago!!! - My DS was starting to gather dust after Chronotrigger but I guess I'll have to dust it off.

  • swissorc #16 2 years ago

    Was going to buy regardless but still SOLD :)

  • Tomo #17 2 years ago

    I fucking hated the Temple of the Ocean King. It stopped me from completing the game it was so gash. That it's in this too is pretty smelly. At least you don't have to go through the top floors over and over... hmm. Not sure whether I should pick this up or not. PH was fantastic aside from that deal breaker.

  • Bazfrag #18 2 years ago

    Time to spirit my DS away from my sister. Day uno purchase.

  • smernicki #19 2 years ago

    sounds great, might have to dig out the DS for this! :-)

  • penhalion #20 2 years ago

    My DS battery no longer holds a charge. I get 2 hours gaming if I'm lucky. Oh well I'll have to leave this until the DSi XL makes it over here.

  • HermitArcader #21 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 09:17:39 22-12-2011

  • JonFE #22 2 years ago

    Sweet score! I enjoyed Phantom Hourglass and I'm sure I'll enjoy this one as well :)

  • roz123 #23 2 years ago

    You guys do realise you dont have to repeat floors of the temple in this one

  • rhinoxious #24 2 years ago

    My other half thought this was going to be a new Zelda game for the Wii, one we could play together.

    Broke her heart when she realised it was on DS, though that didn't stop her playing the last one in her dressing gown till well into a weekend afternoon.

  • makeamazing #25 2 years ago

    Just interested (sure i will get negated for it)... how many people who want this game are over 18? Perhaps i am just getting too old and dont understand the appeal of this (or Pokemon)... but would be interested to know why.

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #26 2 years ago

    "Seriously, every Zelda game recycles bits from previous Zelda games, why is this so different?"

    It's not the recycling from previous games, it's the fact that the endless repetition of the TOTOK is so utterly shit that it eventually stopped me playing Phantom Hourglass, which was far and away the most enjoyable Zelda game I've ever played. And ANY game involving mic-blowing is worse than Hitler. Put both those things in the same game and you can fuck right off.

  • Stompy #27 2 years ago

    "To be fair, Stuart Campbell, nobody's actually given a fuck about what you think for a least a decade."

    Years of experience?
    A modicum of grown up readers who still value his opinion?
    A focus on what is important and right to say, not just what is popular and easy?

    I trust Stu over you.

  • Stompy #28 2 years ago

    "And ANY game involving mic-blowing is worse than Hitler."

    You don't like karaoke then, Stu?

  • el_pollo_diablo #29 2 years ago

    "The endless repetition of the TOTOK ...stopped me playing Phantom Hourglass, which was far and away the most enjoyable Zelda game I've ever played."
    Agree with you 100%.

    edit: I'm quite looking forward to the blowing into the mic bit though.
    Edited by 1 at 08/12/09 @ 13:03

  • AgentBalti #30 2 years ago

    My missus still can't beat the final boss on Phantom Hourglass (any tips, folks?) Luckily for me this seems to be awesome - plenty of time for me to play DJ Hero whilst she battles away with this. Good stuff, Christmas Day = Saved.

    Edit: Seriously, who minused me for this? Come on!!!
    Edited by 1 at 08/12/09 @ 13:36

  • FreakyZoid #31 2 years ago

    "To be fair, Stuart Campbell, nobody's actually given a fuck about what you think for a least a decade. "

    Not like that insincere_dave chap whose opinions everyone values so highly.

  • el_pollo_diablo #32 2 years ago

    "To be fair, Stuart Campbell, nobody's actually given a fuck about what you think for a least a decade. "

    Have some fucking respect for other people.

  • space_ace #33 2 years ago

    so it's far from a train wreck and doesn't derail the series?

  • insincere_dave #34 2 years ago

    Oh look, a load of sycophants have turned up from Campbell's forum, what a surprise!

  • makeamazing #35 2 years ago

    Seriously i only asked what type of players and age play this game (its the same for Animal Crossing, i know a 23 year old who plays it, why i do not know)... i am interested in games/games design, and i find this kind of thing fascinating, obviously some fanboys cant even bring themselves to answer a simple question..and go into a minus pressing rage...lol

  • Ignatius_Cheese #36 2 years ago

    Brilliant review, Oli. Completely agree with it. Self-referential yes but far superior to Phantom Hourglass IMO.

  • JonFE #37 2 years ago

    @ makeamazing:

    Well, since you asked, I'm 39 and I look forward this game.

  • Slipstream #38 2 years ago

    SOLD! Even though I was going to buy it regardless!

  • Xerx3s #39 2 years ago

    "To be fair, Stuart Campbell, nobody's actually given a fuck about what you think for a least a decade. "

    Ah but so much is true for just about every human, especially on the internet. :)

  • kincaide #40 2 years ago

    IS TINGLE IN IT?

  • JayKwon #41 2 years ago

    There are 2 different boxes available for this game. I don't know which one to pick :(.

    Can't wait!

  • Javier·de·Ass #42 2 years ago

    ahaha. what's with the -1 action going on for stuart here? did anyone actually enjoy temple of the ocean king? anyone enjoy blowing into the fucking microphone? there's no fucking chance in hell anyone enjoy either of these. stop being idiots.

  • thedaveeyres #43 2 years ago

    Not hugely excited about this... which inevitably means it'll be one of my favourite games of the year. Should have it tomorrow.

    I'm 35.

  • Ced_Flanders #44 2 years ago

    I'm 25 and very much looking forward to this game. There is a lack of happy "blue skies" games, I don't see what's so "mature" about shooters where you only hear marines shout tough one-liners to each other.

  • chubster2010 #45 2 years ago

    'It is, in other words, vintage Nintendo. Maybe a bit too vintage - Spirit Tracks is, like New Super Mario Bros. Wii, a straight rehash, a derivative sequel of the kind the company used not to make, and based on a decades-old template. You could easily mark it down for that.'

    I won't mark it down...I'm just not going to buy it! I love Zelda as a series, but have just grown tired of the same old same old.

    I'm hoping the next Wii instalment mixes things up a little.

  • Cid #46 2 years ago

    There's nothing like a new Zelda. Can't wait.

  • webcider #47 2 years ago

    Stuart Campbell

    Is right on the money i agree with everything he said

    The Temple of the ocean king killed Phantom Hourglass for me it was just not fun to play, im not playing games to feel like i'm doing work.

    And blowing in the mic feels extremely awkward and im not looking forward to blowing in a microphone. heck i wish that Microphone had never been structured inside the DS it really kills the fun out of any game (Beside Phoenix Wright i might add) It did feel like the blowing was apart of the procedure to get evidence so i accepted it. Zeldas way of doing it is way more than i look forward to doing. I guess no sale. maybe a rent from a friend to see if i am completely out of my mind. :)

  • jamhead #48 2 years ago

    This is a disaster. The mic on my DS is knackered!

  • jim1975 #49 2 years ago

    the blowing is completely stupid imo. you have to do it loads in the second dungeon. loads. totally arbitrary. makes you look a moron. mean i cant play on the train or at work.

    other than that so far its great.

  • Stompy #50 2 years ago

    "Oh look, a load of sycophants have turned up from Campbell's forum, what a surprise!"

    You don't have any to back you up? What a surprise!

  • Javier·de·Ass #51 2 years ago

    "Stuart Campbell is right. Phantom Hourglass wasnt all that apart from its lovely stylus controls"

    what, that's not what he said at all. haha. he said "far and away the most enjoyable Zelda game I've ever played".

  • andromeda #52 2 years ago

    Zelda rules!

  • Floppy #53 2 years ago

    Blowing into the microphone is a minor inconvenience, and not much of a hinderance. It's not as if blowing into the microphone is the main gameplay interface. I just hope there's no 'shout into the microphone' shenanigans as with Phantom Hourglass, where you had to bellow as loud as you could to get a cheap price on the cannon.

    Now THAT was frickin annoying.

  • GingerNathan #54 2 years ago

    "nd blowing in the mic feels extremely awkward and im not looking forward to blowing in a microphone. "
    You don't actually need to in Spirit Tracks, you can just rub your thumb or stylus over the Mic and it's sensitive enough that it thinks you're blowing into it.

  • jim1975 #55 2 years ago

    @Floppy

    in the second dungeon its all you do.

    im at work at the moment and ive just spent na hour on it at my desk. and seriously the whole hour was spend blowing into my DS like a loony.

  • andromeda #56 2 years ago

    im inspired to get a DS for this..the blue sky gaming bit has done it for me....
    I want some happy in my gaming for a change!

    Last and favourite 2d zelda was Minish Cap, loved that game

  • Paulie_P #57 2 years ago

    @ makeamazing

    I'm 27 and I have played the Zelda games since A Link to the Past on the SNES.

    The reason I play these games is because each one is a world full of secrets and suprises. The game rewards exploring the world and provides subtle and not-too-subtle clues to it's treasures. Each dungeon in the game is full of fun puzzles that make use of a combination of all the items in your inventory. These puzzles force you to think of new ways to use these items and this also extends to the bosses. Each boss is like a puzzle itself and they cannot be killed by hacking away at it with your sword for a hour.

    There are many brillant moments in each of these games, I remember entering Dark World for the first time in a Link to the Past or waking up in the future in Orcarina. The windmill guy from Orcarina, the moon from Majora's mask. The horse battles in Twilight princess, that entrepenuerial kid from Twilight Princess.

    These games are like those movies at the cinema that you can take your kid to enjoy but also contain references that adults get.
    Edited by 1 at 08/12/09 @ 15:05

  • SG #58 2 years ago

    9/10 - knew it!

  • FenderMaster #59 2 years ago

    it's a good game, no doubt, and the stylus controls work very well, but they will never feel as natural as good old fashioned D pad controls... theres something about having my right hand/stylus obscuring the screen, that takes me right out of the action... even 2 hours in, i still reach for the d pad at times only to bring up the menu.

    the train also totally eliminates overworld exploration.... after the empty blandness of TP and PH, that may be a good thing, but compared to OoT, LttP, or other traditional Zelda's, it's definitely sorely missed.

    i just don't feel the old Zelda magic with this game, yet the familliar staleness is there in spades...

    it's still worth a 7/10 simply becaus it's so well made, but 9/10 is a bit too generous imo.

  • Floppy #60 2 years ago

    @jim1975

    Oh, that is quite depressing. At least with Soul Bubbles you had the option of blowing like a looney, or just using a stylus swipe. I guess @jamhead is stuffed for this dungeon then :)

  • dr_faulk #61 2 years ago

    Oh sugar! Stop releasing so many good games so close together!

  • JeroenZM #62 2 years ago

    I'm 26. Toot toot!

    Also, that guy with the two hats looks deliriously evil.

  • Nikanoru #63 2 years ago

    ahaha. what's with the -1 action going on for stuart here? did anyone actually enjoy temple of the ocean king? anyone enjoy blowing into the fucking microphone? there's no fucking chance in hell anyone enjoy either of these. stop being idiots.

    lol oh god you complete and utter fucking retard. "Stop being idiots"? From some loon who thinks he knows exactly what people are thinking despite what they're saying? Go fucking walk into traffic, you plank.

    As to why people are voting down that clown? Here's a hint:

    And ANY game involving mic-blowing is worse than Hitler.

    After that I'm almost convinced he's gotta be fucking with us. Funny man.

  • OnlyMe #64 2 years ago

    Still waiting for the "Nintendo DS gave me the swine flu" scandal, considering all the blowing and whistling. Don't use other people's DS's kids! :D

  • makeamazing #65 2 years ago

    Thanks to those that were mature enough to answer a simple question :) much appreciated. I am in the process of making iphone games and its interesting to see how/why certain games tick. There wasnt any negative reason for asking (even if i did get quite alot of minus clicks), ive always been interested in why certain concepts bridge the age gap, which is quite important for handheld games. Thanks for explaining why you like it :)
    Edited by 1 at 08/12/09 @ 17:08

  • MoGamer2006 #66 2 years ago

    @EarlBassett

    Yes, because everyone knows that if it weren't for the mic blowing, playing a handheld in public when you're above the age of 11 makes you look like the coolest goddamn dude in the universe. ;)

  • JonFE #67 2 years ago

    @ EarlBassett:

    In all honestly, I feel that the sight of an adult sitting in a train playing with a DS would raise a few eyebrows, regardless of blowing and whistling...
    Edited by 1 at 08/12/09 @ 17:20

  • roz123 #68 2 years ago

    I always whistle when im on the train and need to blow.

    The temple of the ocean king was flawed and annoying because of the repetition involved, if you didnt write down everything it was a bit of a pain. But i do like the idea of the temple that you go back to, it splits the dungeon crawling into nice little handheld sized segmants.

    This was an instabuy for me and im 23. I do like shooting games aswell but every zelda game i've played has been great imo. Great atmosphere, music and gameplay.
    Edited by 2 at 08/12/09 @ 17:24

  • Incarta #69 2 years ago

    I may just have to purchase this on day one.

  • muppet86 #70 2 years ago

    " it's set in the same world as Phantom Hourglass, a couple of generations down the road. That's as close as any Zelda game gets to admitting it's a sequel."

    Wasn't 'Phantom Hourglass' a sequel to 'Wind Waker'? I'm fairly sure the Wind Waker story is explained right at the beginning of that game, which would make that a much more direct sequel!

  • gaselite #71 2 years ago

    oli welsh in rates nintendo ip highly shocker

  • Rev.StuartCampbell #72 2 years ago

    "Fairly sure not that many did even back then. His popularity was pretty much always only in his own mind. Nice to see that hasn't changed much. "

    Hoo boy. All I did was post a comment in the thread, same as everyone else. So how come there isn't a queue of sad little dicks queueing up to wank on and on about everyone else's alleged self-importance, every single time anyone posts a comment about anything ever? Just curious, like.

  • Genome #73 2 years ago

    "That's as close as any Zelda game gets to admitting it's a sequel."

    Phantom Hourglass is a direct sequel to Wind Waker, as muppet86 points out.

  • oerhoert #74 2 years ago

    <em>"did anyone actually enjoy temple of the ocean king?"</em>

    I don't get why everyone hates that temple. It's one of the points where Phantom Hourglass actually DID deviate from Zelda cliche, integrating speed run culture into the dungeon design. You don't have to do the first floors over and over once you've gotten past the first five. It evolves. I liked it.

    I also disagree that blowing into the microphone is inherently bad. It's often lazy design, but it doesn't have to be. See Yoshi's Touch & Go for a great example of how intuitive it can be.

    That said, I love Stuart Campbell. He's still a distinctive and interesting voice, writing about games I do not necessarily hear about elsewhere, like obscure DS puzzlers, shmups and racers. Most games writers fail to stand out and offer something unique, and that's not the case with Stu. Althouh I would have liked him to write a little bit more, for instance at this site right here.

  • peterfll #75 2 years ago

    I pre-ordered this today for my beloved as a little Xmas bonus and something to take away on our winter holiday next month. He is 39. I expect I'll have a little go on it myself. And I'm 37.

    "you're never too old for a bit of Zelda"

  • smelly #76 2 years ago

    Quote : Stuart Campbell - "NO SALE. "

    Like you would have bought a DS game...

  • smelly #77 2 years ago

    "To be fair, Stuart Campbell, nobody's actually given a fuck about what you think for a least a decade."


    See - why should i care about whether or not he says he's going to buy it. As someone who makes money from games but yet is too cheap to buy them and is proud to be a pirate, and who probably still lives with his mum - it's not exactly likely he would've bought it in the first place is it?

  • WJF #78 2 years ago

    Jeez, this character assassination of Mr Campbell is pretty uncalled for.

    His two points were valid - the temple WAS annoying after a while and blowing bits ARE a bit shit (on every DS game I've played...don't get me started on what they did with Diddy Kong Racing.) I would also add that the ship also became a bit of a drag after a while, too....but it was still the best Zelda since Majora's Mask as it was great fun to play and the puzzles were genuinely good and different. Hell, even the multiplayer was surprisingly enjoyable, although I doubt many people played it.
    .

    (Of course, no-one will read this comment because you'll all neg me for supporting SC.)

  • smelly #79 2 years ago

    >Jeez, this character assassination of Mr Campbell is pretty uncalled for.

    No its not. He's a sad old man who probably lives with his mum - who sees no irony/nastiness/cantquitethinkoftherightwordhere at all in making money writing copyrighted material about games which he's pirated...
    Edited by 1 at 09/12/09 @ 16:15

  • robson_wii #80 2 years ago

    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
    Jeez, even Mr Campbell's mum moved out in 4 hours after those comments.

    Phantom Hourglass was good fun. Slightly agree with comments on TOTOK repetition but each time through took less time and notes on the DS made it easy to remember sequences in each room even after weeks/months without play. New weapons and jump points shortened the sequences further. Glad time limits have been removed.

  • el_pollo_diablo #81 2 years ago

    Looks to me like there's a fair amount of "ooh, someone whose name I've heard of has posted. I can show how cool and unaffected by celebrity I am by being needlessly confrontational to them" going on around here.

    Which is a bit of a shame.

  • varsas #82 2 years ago

    I really don't understand why people didn't like the main temple or controls of PH.

    One did have to repeat floors in the temple but after a point it was possible to skip most of them and one had tools to quickly dispatch the remainder. I wonder how old you must be to not be able to deal with this especially given older games required far more repetition and trail and error.

    Aside from the inaccurate roll feature that they have changed for this game what was wrong with using the stylus?

  • Nikanoru #83 2 years ago

    It's really great to see there are at least some people in here who understood the ocean king temple, and didn't ragequit it like some ADD ridden child after the first try. I have some faith left in mankind after all. :0

  • WJF #84 2 years ago

    'It's really great to see there are at least some people in here who understood the ocean king temple, and didn't ragequit it like some ADD ridden child after the first try. I have some faith left in mankind after all. :0'

    Well I finished it, but still thought it was a weak section. Wait, what does that make me now? A child without ADD? Someone who...has an opinion that's different to you?!

    Seriously, it's a good game. I just don't get why people are so upset when someone thinks the Temple sections were maybe, just maybe, not very strong.

  • Khab #85 2 years ago

    The time limit imposed on them was straight from hell, other than that I could have liked them. As it was, I loved PH, but those sections were not what I looked forward to when playing.

    The missus ragequitted after dying once too many in that temple though. :)

    I'm looking forward to this new one - I came onboard with the Zelda series with Wind Waker, and much prefer that graphical style. (Yes, I'm a heretic, kill me now etc.)

    Oh, and I'm 30.

  • varsas #86 2 years ago

    Great review! I'm looking forward to it even more now.

    Why does anyone have a problem with the control method? I only found the roll mechanic annoying and that has been fixed in ST.

    Also what the problem with the temple? Yes there is repetition in the central dungeon but lots of other games and old ones are far worse; it's also possible to skip most of it later on and by then there are tools to make short work of the remainder.

  • Enzeru #87 2 years ago

    I dunno, haven't finished it yet but I'm in the last dungeon, and I didn't enjoy this half as much as I did with Phantom Hourglass. I think it's just too much of the same stuff, and done with less imagination. Or maybe the first one was just too much of a fresh wind for a sequel to be able to live up to.

  • Burkey123 #88 2 years ago

    This sounds amazing. PH has been my favourite DS game since it came out so I'm wondering if this will top it. By the sounds of it, yes! Going to wait til Christmas day to open it, can't wait.
    And for people complaining about the blowing and whistling, I really don't think Nintendo would put it into the game if it didn't work or if it didn't feel right. And by the sounds of the review, it does work magnificently!

    Edit - Great review Oli, really enjoyed it.
    Edited by 1 at 09/12/09 @ 17:53

  • originaljohn #89 2 years ago

    i wish i was a millionaire

  • varsas #90 2 years ago

    @WJF: It might have been a weak section but it's far from being a game breaker and that is what most complaints have indicated with people not finishing the game.

  • redcrayon #91 2 years ago

    I'm really looking forward to the puzzles in the Tower of Spirits, the dungeon puzzles are really what I play them for.

    Oh, and I'm 30. Zelda games are pretty timeless, really.

  • electrolite #92 2 years ago

    I'm 32 and still love Zelda, Mario, Sonic (the good ones) etc. I have no worries about playing different types of games as long as I like them, and no worries about what other people think of me for playing something 'childish'. I'm very comfortable in my own skin.

  • webcider #93 2 years ago

    Temple section was horrible well good idea but horrible executed, absolutely horrible executed.
    But as i understand the deal breaker in this is definately the Microphone section just read Neogaf to look how frustrating it can be. Absolutely lame. But i am glad some people enjoy it i did enjoy Phantom Hourglass the first 15 hours sadly that it became a chore to finish. Im not looking forward to experience the same thing with this game so no deal nice try though i respect the effort.

  • tonkei #94 2 years ago

    The Campbell's comments are (almost) always welcome with me, if I agree with him or not. In this case I think he's just being a tired old games journo, thank goodness there were no 'leaps of faith' or 'pressing up to jump' :)

    The Ocean King Temple wasn't ideal, it's intended sense of urgency (time limit), although artificial, added to those sections for me.

    I'm definitely looking forward to opening Spirit Tracks on xmas morning, it beats the fuck out of another pair of socks. As a 34yr old dad & uncle, it's law that we get crap presents :'(

    But I'm surprised at the amount of negativity (to Campbell, not the game), I always thought the Eurogamer community were all fluffy bunnies!

  • lucky_jim #95 2 years ago

    I think there are some people who'll never forgive Stuart Campbell for being right about Sensible Soccer 2006, and because of that he gets far more personal abuse than any other poster on this site would be expected to tolerate.

    I certainly value his comments far more than I do insincere_dave's.

  • canIdoyabombsforya #96 2 years ago

    Re: Rev Stu
    His reviews are well worth a read and it's always funny to have a bitter Jock reviewing a World Cup related video game.

    http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.co...

  • Javier·de·Ass #97 2 years ago

    after actually having played the game now. I think the tower is fine this time. but the flute is just hilariously bad. there's no defending this annoying thing.

  • sonmi451 #98 2 years ago

    I'm so rubbish at the pan-pipes that I keep hyper-ventilating every time I struggle to play a tune.

    I've found the solution is to gaffer tape a straw to your mic* which gives you precision blowing every time (oooh, matron).





    *not really