- Joined
- May 16, 2008
- Location
- Kentucky, USA
I just got done beating Spirit Tracks and I have to say, it is a very good game. I hated PH and even though ST plays using the same engine, I like ST so much better. Anyway, I wanted to do sort of a short review here of the game and mention some things that caught my attention.
Graphics- 9/10 - Of course this game has amazing graphics, even seemingly improved over PH at times. For a DS game, Spirit Tracks is one of the best looking games you can get, graphic-wise.
Gameplay - 8/10 - Since the gameplay was very similar to PH, I can't give a perfect score here. Some things were aggravating at times, but the roll option being made easier and some great new items, like the sand wand and the whip, made gameplay a lot more entertaining. The train also wasn't bad at all like most people assumed it would be. In fact, after beating the game, you realize how necessary the train really is, and how well-done the controls for it are.
Storyline - 7/10 - I've been waiting for the true sequel to WW; the sequel that involved the newly discovered Hyrule. I have to say, Spirit Tracks doesn't disappoint. There are many small references to old characters, especially Niko, who plays a bigger part than others from WW. Tetra is mentioned, and while a lot of people thought Anjean was Tetra, this was never confirmed. This is the only downside, IMO. While ST has a strong storyline, a lot of it is copied from other storylines, like some common ones we've all heard about Ganon being sealed and taking over people's bodies. Its all in ST, just with a different label. I think it will also be somewhat difficult to have a future game in this New Hyrule, seeing as how in ST the entire land revolves around the Spirit Tracks and the Tower of Spirits. Nintendo will likely have another game in this new Hyrule and not have a trace of the Spirit Tracks or Tower, but logically its hard to imagine something else taking place in new Hyrule while completely avoiding the Spirit Tracks or locomotives.
Music - 10/10 - I really don't think they could have done a better job with the music in this game. Everything just fits so well and is put together very nicely. Of all the Zelda games, I would have to say that Spirit Tracks is easily in the top 3 for best musical score.
So that's a somewhat short review. All in all, Spirit Tracks is basically a much better version of Phantom Hourglass, and is what I consider the "true sequel to Wind Waker".
Another thing I wanted to mention is the relativity of so many things in this game to other things in past Zelda titles. For instance, Malladus is a lot like Ganon. From Malladus taking over Zelda's body (reminiscent of Twilight Princess), to him transforming into a huge half-man, half-demon boar thing (which moves and acts a lot like TP's Ganon) to the obvious fact of him being a "Demon King" and being sealed away, only to escape. There's also the Dark Realm, similar to the Dark World in that it is where the demon train goes, and where you begin the first few parts of the final battle. Battling Malladus in his "Chancellor Cole" form is also very reminiscent of OoT's battle against Ganon.
Another major similarity is the Lokomo Sword to the Master Sword, of which the Lokomo Sword was quite obviously modeled after the Master Sword, only with subtle changes to its design to relate it more to Spirit Tracks. Both swords are also known to hold a special power that can defeat evil.
Spirit Tracks did this a lot: Showed players a person or item that resembles and acts like a previous known person or item, with the same backstory, but it just was kinda there. If there is one downside to Spirit Tracks, it is the lack of backstory. Sure, we all find out that Tetra and Link eventually found a new Hyrule, which is now inhabited completely by different races. But the biggest issue I had was that we aren't told what became of Tetra, Link, or really anyone else other than Niko and Linebeck. I believe the game leaves a perfectly good opportunity for Anjean to actually be Tetra and either just drops it or makes it such a subtle thing that it could only be speculated about. Though the story of ST is good how it is, as a long-time fan I was hoping for a little more backstory detailing PH to ST.
And that's my review. Discuss.
Graphics- 9/10 - Of course this game has amazing graphics, even seemingly improved over PH at times. For a DS game, Spirit Tracks is one of the best looking games you can get, graphic-wise.
Gameplay - 8/10 - Since the gameplay was very similar to PH, I can't give a perfect score here. Some things were aggravating at times, but the roll option being made easier and some great new items, like the sand wand and the whip, made gameplay a lot more entertaining. The train also wasn't bad at all like most people assumed it would be. In fact, after beating the game, you realize how necessary the train really is, and how well-done the controls for it are.
Storyline - 7/10 - I've been waiting for the true sequel to WW; the sequel that involved the newly discovered Hyrule. I have to say, Spirit Tracks doesn't disappoint. There are many small references to old characters, especially Niko, who plays a bigger part than others from WW. Tetra is mentioned, and while a lot of people thought Anjean was Tetra, this was never confirmed. This is the only downside, IMO. While ST has a strong storyline, a lot of it is copied from other storylines, like some common ones we've all heard about Ganon being sealed and taking over people's bodies. Its all in ST, just with a different label. I think it will also be somewhat difficult to have a future game in this New Hyrule, seeing as how in ST the entire land revolves around the Spirit Tracks and the Tower of Spirits. Nintendo will likely have another game in this new Hyrule and not have a trace of the Spirit Tracks or Tower, but logically its hard to imagine something else taking place in new Hyrule while completely avoiding the Spirit Tracks or locomotives.
Music - 10/10 - I really don't think they could have done a better job with the music in this game. Everything just fits so well and is put together very nicely. Of all the Zelda games, I would have to say that Spirit Tracks is easily in the top 3 for best musical score.
So that's a somewhat short review. All in all, Spirit Tracks is basically a much better version of Phantom Hourglass, and is what I consider the "true sequel to Wind Waker".
Another thing I wanted to mention is the relativity of so many things in this game to other things in past Zelda titles. For instance, Malladus is a lot like Ganon. From Malladus taking over Zelda's body (reminiscent of Twilight Princess), to him transforming into a huge half-man, half-demon boar thing (which moves and acts a lot like TP's Ganon) to the obvious fact of him being a "Demon King" and being sealed away, only to escape. There's also the Dark Realm, similar to the Dark World in that it is where the demon train goes, and where you begin the first few parts of the final battle. Battling Malladus in his "Chancellor Cole" form is also very reminiscent of OoT's battle against Ganon.
Another major similarity is the Lokomo Sword to the Master Sword, of which the Lokomo Sword was quite obviously modeled after the Master Sword, only with subtle changes to its design to relate it more to Spirit Tracks. Both swords are also known to hold a special power that can defeat evil.
Spirit Tracks did this a lot: Showed players a person or item that resembles and acts like a previous known person or item, with the same backstory, but it just was kinda there. If there is one downside to Spirit Tracks, it is the lack of backstory. Sure, we all find out that Tetra and Link eventually found a new Hyrule, which is now inhabited completely by different races. But the biggest issue I had was that we aren't told what became of Tetra, Link, or really anyone else other than Niko and Linebeck. I believe the game leaves a perfectly good opportunity for Anjean to actually be Tetra and either just drops it or makes it such a subtle thing that it could only be speculated about. Though the story of ST is good how it is, as a long-time fan I was hoping for a little more backstory detailing PH to ST.
And that's my review. Discuss.
