Spirit Tracks What Do Think of the Spirit Flute?

[ihateghirahim]

The Spirit Flute is an interesting instrument. It's central to Spirit Tracks, and it has a certain charm to it. The flute is first and foremost and pain to play. The touch controls combined with the need to simultaneously blow into the mic is an absolute bomb as far a controls. It feels like a blemish on an otherwise sharp control system. The songs are nigh impossible to play without awkwardly craning your neck to position the 3DS properly. The songs are also limited because you are also almost limited to playing one note and then a note right next to it due to the control system. One song is actually just two notes and nothing else.

This all being said. It still brings some nice musical properties to the game. The songs are all lively and diverse; even if you personally don't play all the notes. It's the closest they've come to recreating the infinitely epic Ocarina of Time, and come to think of it the Ocarina songs had some effects put into them as well . The Wind Waker's songs sounded too similar and none really left an impact, and TP took a big step back by limiting music to a few under-used tunes you either listen to through plants and or awkwardly howl. Don't even get me started on the o so obvious musical genius of SS. I guess the Spirit Flute really does bring back some charm back to the music that we haven't seen in a while; even if it is a pain to play. So what do we call it?

 

[Ventus]

I definitely call it a miss, and not because of the concept; the concept is cool enough, but the problem is the mic. I've played ST on a legit 3DS, legit DS Fat, and PC. None have a microphone that is "just right" for the title - at least not for me. It's probably my fault that the mic doesn't work when i blow into it. I try blowing hard, softly, medium, etc. None work when I want them to! Is it by fluke or am i the one causing the flute to fail?

 

[A Link In Time]

None have a microphone that is "just right" for the title - at least not for me. It's probably my fault that the mic doesn't work when i blow into it. I try blowing hard, softly, medium, etc. None work when I want them to! Is it by fluke or am i the one causing the flute to fail?

I experienced similar frustration with the Spirit Flute. I'm not a musical person, therefore, my rhythm was completely off. Even though I hit all the correct notes, my timing wasn't in tune with the Lokomos'. Searching the songs on Youtube helped me understand the beat and I usually succeeded my first or second try after doing so.

Fortunately, I didn't encounter the same difficulty with regular Spirit Flute songs like the Song of Awakening and Song of Birds.

 

[DarkestLink]

I never understood how people feel challenged by playing the songs...I mean, I'm running this on a 3DS now and I have asthma. I never struggled after the first two songs on any playthrough. I'm not trying to brag either...but...it just...amazes me. I even made a guide on it once back at IGN. I mean people go around saying Cave of Ordeals and Lightning Round are easy, but THIS is what stumps them? I'm not even a musical person...in fact, I'm as far away from musical as you can get.

I experienced similar frustration with the Spirit Flute. I'm not a musical person, therefore, my rhythm was completely off. Even though I hit all the correct notes, my timing wasn't in tune with the Lokomos'.

Notes really don't matter that much. Rhythm>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Notes

 

[DuelMark]

Disliked it. Had to hold it in the "right" way and blow with my nose because my hand kept getting in the way when I did it with my mouth and holding it normally.

 

[The Jade Fist]

Very miss, I literally quit playing the game over the flute several months back when i was going to play through it.

After Over an hour of failing to get into the ocean temple, i was like screw it, i'm done.

I mean, maybe its just my DS or just me, but it would always still think i'm blowing for a moment after i quit blowing into the mic, combined with the fact its annoying task to begin with blowing and touch pad dragging.

Ya don't get me wrong I like the idea of a playable instrument returning, but seriously the controls on it were so gimmicky and just plain awful. Its all good and fine untill you have to skip over a note.

Replaying thru the game earlier today, and I finally got past it but even then it still took several tries. I mean its 3 bloody notes, it shouldn't be hard. It wouldn't be that hard on a real pan flute, it wasn't that hard on the N64, why can't we at the very least push buttons to make link blow into the flute or to play the notes.

 

[Krazy4Krash]

Honestly, I think it's brilliant. I have never, not once, had trouble with the Spirit Flute. I don't care for many of the songs, but the instrument itself and its execution I absolutely love.

 

[Azure Sage]

I really liked it. The Spirit Flute was a neat addition and playing it was really easy and a lot of fun. I also really loved all of the Lokomo songs. They all sounded really nice. I really can't grasp the idea that people have trouble with it. If you're having trouble with it, you must not be doing it right if there are plenty of people with no issues with it. Blaming the flute or the function for your being unable to do it seems rather unfair to me.

 

[Keeseman]

It was an awesome concept, but I have to go with miss. It was difficult and occasionally annoying to play. It had a lovely sound, and was a great instrument, but it could get annoying at times, something I never felt with the Ocarina (but I did get that with the Goddess Harp sometimes, too).

Also, it made me look like an idiot while playing in a public place...

 

[The Jade Fist]

I really liked it. The Spirit Flute was a neat addition and playing it was really easy and a lot of fun. I also really loved all of the Lokomo songs. They all sounded really nice. I really can't grasp the idea that people have trouble with it. If you're having trouble with it, you must not be doing it right if there are plenty of people with no issues with it. Blaming the flute or the function for your being unable to do it seems rather unfair to me.

Its not my fault i wasn't blowing but it still played the extra note between, how much more not wrong can I do it then not blow when I move over the note?

 

[Azure Sage]

Its not my fault i wasn't blowing but it still played the extra note between, how much more not wrong can I do it then not blow when I move over the note?

...? I'm a little confused by your wording. You're saying it's not your fault that you weren't blowing, but the game still picked up an extra note? Do I have that right? If I do, then you probably blew too much and it carried over or something. If that's the case, then it is your fault for putting too much force in your previous breath. This is a great example of "blaming the system for your not doing it right".

 

[The Jade Fist]

...? I'm a little confused by your wording. You're saying it's not your fault that you weren't blowing, but the game still picked up an extra note? Do I have that right? If I do, then you probably blew too much and it carried over or something. If that's the case, then it is your fault for putting too much force in your previous breath. This is a great example of "blaming the system for your not doing it right".

If i don't blow hard enough then it doesn't pick it up.

For as many people who didn't have trouble with the flute, there was just as many people who did. And when half the people playing the game struggle with the controls, then there is a problem with the game itself.

So yes i'm blaming the game, and its gimmicky controls. If it was a fair challenge puzzle or obstacle, I wouldn't have room to complain. But when success/ failure comes down to hoping controls actually respond correctly thats whole other issue.

 

[Azure Sage]

If i don't blow hard enough then it doesn't pick it up.

For as many people who didn't have trouble with the flute, there was just as many people who did. And when half the people playing the game struggle with the controls, then there is a problem with the game itself.

So yes i'm blaming the game, and its gimmicky controls. If it was a fair challenge puzzle or obstacle, I wouldn't have room to complain. But when success/ failure comes down to hoping controls actually respond correctly that's whole other issue.

It's not about hoping, it's about blowing with the right amount of force. If you can't seem to get that down, then you might want to try practiing some more. That's probably why each Lokomo gives you the opportunity to practice before each song.

I personally disagree with your idea that half = problem. I will give you that maybe the controls were difficult for some people to grasp, but that doesn't mean there's a problem with it. You say half the people struggle, but I could just as easily turn that around and say half the people don't struggle. I don't think that's enough to say there's definitely a problem, but that's just me.

 

[The Jade Fist]

It's not about hoping, it's about blowing with the right amount of force. If you can't seem to get that down, then you might want to try practiing some more. That's probably why each Lokomo gives you the opportunity to practice before each song.

I personally disagree with your idea that half = problem. I will give you that maybe the controls were difficult for some people to grasp, but that doesn't mean there's a problem with it. You say half the people struggle, but I could just as easily turn that around and say half the people don't struggle. I don't think that's enough to say there's definitely a problem, but that's just me.

Half is a problem. Its not even a puzzle or memory challange, or high paced action , or some kind of combat. Controls should never be themselves the obstacle. For a fighting game if you have to remember combos thats one thing, this isn't about experience or skill, its about the DS mic isn't the best mic in the world. Its not even rhythm.

I mean the controls are bad themselves, combined with a ever declining motivation to even care if you complete it because you realize, if this wasn't on DS i could just push buttons and not have to waste an hour trying to get the game register that I didn't play the yellow note.

If you like it thats fine, but you can't ignore the fact that if 50% of the people playing the game hate it and struggle for no other reason then bad controls, then it has a serious flaw.

Bad controls are what made and broke games back in the NES days. If the game handled well all the sudden its a top seller, if it was hard to control, no one wanted to buy it. It wasn't that games that were hard like Contra were shunned for being hard, on the contrary they handled very well, and so despite how hard they were still are considered classics today.

Its basic game design, if 50% of the people playing a game got mad at controlling it, they certainly wouldn't recommend their friends buy it, if this wasn't a Zelda game you know it would have been much more highly criticized for that. You gota consider if its bad controls that can be forcibly over come, do you even want to over come it? Couldn't it have just been designed GOOD instead?

edit:

Also it wouldn't even be such a big flaw, if it were a mini game for a piece of heart or something, but its literally required to progress the story, and thus just as required as the smooth touch pad controls for the rest of the game.

 

[Keeseman]

Mediating time! Here we go:

I'm kinda with JF on this one. If there are so many people who struggle with it, and if it is a simple thing, there's gotta be some problem with it. Honestly, you would think something like this wouldn't be that hard, but there seems to be enough people complaining about it. It may not have necessarily been a problem with development, and might just be people's actual skill levels (even I disagree with that, it may be possible), but that's still Nintendo's fault.

Why? Simple. Nintendo didn't develop it well enough for their audience. I know that my little sister would struggle with playing the Spirit Flute just as much as I did, and my Dad would fare even worse than the both of us. I think Nintendo just didn't make it simple or convenient for everyone to use. The fact that there are enough people complaining about it means that there's a marketing problem.

I agree with you, Az, on where you say that it was good that the Lokomos gave you an opportunity to practice. But sometimes even that didn't help. So turning around and saying that half the people didn't struggle with the Spirit Flute doesn't really apply. It's kind of like saying that if half the people found the Water Temple easy that it is automatically an easy dungeon. Not the best example, but I think you get my point.

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Couldn't it have just been designed GOOD instead?

*well