Zelda fans were kind of hesitant when Phantom Hourglass hit the scene. The new control scheme and Wind Waker style graphics had some skeptical but in the end it all actually worked very well, minus some minor problems with the controls. Well Nintendo has taken all of the criticism from the last title and tighten them up significantly and have brought you Spirit Tracks the next iteration in the Zelda franchise.

Link begins his adventure in the final stages of training to become an engineer. He is off to the ceremonial inauguration when Princess Zelda slips him a letter asking him to meet her in her quarters. You get to try out the new co-op feature in order to escape the castle which is new to the series. Then after a short cut scene you find out that an evil force is trying to resurrect Malladus, who is the demon king. In order to do that they steal Zelda’s body to use as a vessel. Of course you need to get her body back and restore the Spirit Temple to its rightful place. In order to do this you need the help of Zelda’s sprit, your weapons and items and finally a train.

Most of you are probably thinking that this is basically Phantom Hourglass with a new train transportation feature. While yes that is true, it has a freshness about it that doesn’t make it seem like another gimmick to move you from place to place. You move about by drawing on the tracks where it is you want to go and just like in the previous games enemies will try to attack you so paying attention is a must. Another new item is the pan flute which Link uses much like the ocarina from OOT. This adds some more to the game and adds some new features to the style of play having you blow into the mic to play the flute. The biggest addition besides the train is the fact that Link is no longer alone. You have Zelda to accompany you in your quest. She plays a big part in the puzzle solving which control wise and plays very well throughout the game.

Major complaints of the game include the hour or so tutorial at the start of the game. This makes the player feel dumb at times, especially if you have played a Zelda game before. It goes by at a snail’s pace and could have honestly wrapped up in under 30 min or less. Another complaint is the side quests in which you can partake. While not necessary for the game they seemed to serve no real purpose other than adding in some extra game play time. While it’s good to have side stuff, if it isn’t fun to do then why would you do it?
Once you’re finished with the game you can connect and play multiplayer. You and up to four of your buddies can play battle mode. In this mode you are trying to collect as many gems as you can in the allotted time. Phantoms move about the map and pit traps will have you fall to your doom, while you’re each scrambling to get the most gems. This is surprisingly lacking since you cannot actually battle one another or even use your sword. You just run about trying to collect stuff quicker than the other guys. The other mode is tag mode. Here is where you can trade stuff with other players when you DS goes into sleep mode. While both of these modes offer up some uniqueness to them. I don’t really think anyone will be playing these two modes much if at all. The lackluster approach on these makes them feel tacked on not added for better replay value.

Spirit Tracks has a wonderful story, beefed up graphics and some very good music. While it may lack in the multiplayer aspect, the game offers up a lot for you to do and explore. So grab your engineering cap and get ready to shovel some coal in the burner and start your adventure with Link and princess Zelda.

*We accidentally posted an early draft of this review yesterday, this early draft lacked parts of the above final review and was pulled during the day. We pulled the review on our own accord, until our writer could provide the final version. We apologize for any confusion.