The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks Image
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87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 75 Critic Reviews What's this?

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7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 376 Ratings

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  • Summary: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks sets hero Link on a daring new adventure. The game provides players with a new story, more puzzles and even a new mode of transportation. In this game, Link voyages by train, which offers up new possibilities for problem-solving. The game has the same lookThe Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks sets hero Link on a daring new adventure. The game provides players with a new story, more puzzles and even a new mode of transportation. In this game, Link voyages by train, which offers up new possibilities for problem-solving. The game has the same look and feel established in Phantom Hourglass. Link has a valuable new companion. While navigating dungeons, he's accompanied by a Phantom, a hulking suit of armor that responds to his commands. Players can tap the Phantom to take command of him, then draw a line on the touch screen to direct him where to go. The stout Phantom can walk through fire or lava, be used as a platform to carry Link above dangers, or even run interference to block Link from harm. When Link conducts the train, players enjoy a satisfying combination of action and real-time puzzle solving as they determine which track to take and how to best manipulate their speed. When on the train, Link must plot the best route to the end of the line around ever-moving obstacles. While en route, Link might need to fire an onboard cannon at enemies who attack the train or sound the whistle to scare animals off the tracks. Link uses a variety of new items and weapons, including the Whirlwind, which players activate by blowing into the microphone of the Nintendo DS system. As with The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, players can draw notes on the in-game maps using the stylus on the touch screen. [Nintendo] Expand
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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 69 out of 75
  2. Negative: 0 out of 75
  1. 100
    Zelda fans are going to love this - but the multiplayer mode is a little bit boring.
  2. 93
    The bold lines, simple colours and innocent aesthetic emphasises the idealism of the Zelda series at its finest: this tiny, wide-eyed boy can conquer unimaginable evil, and his stoic determination can achieve more than even omnipotent deities could manage. These games might be perfect for children, but they're as fine an example of gaming as any adult could hope to encounter.
  3. All together, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks doesn't quite knock one out of the ballpark, but it's still a better game than Phantom Hourglass for the much needed changes to the Spirit Tower / Ocean King Temple mechanics.
  4. A perfectly solid representation of Zelda. The puzzles are not easy, despite the cartoon appearance of the main character, the characters are interesting, the controls work well, and the story is adequate.
  5. Riding the train is a tad slow-paced, but thanks to some great puzzles and a whole lot of enjoyable side quests, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is yet another great Zelda that will keep your DS running for quite some time.
  6. Though parts of Spirit Tracks are a little disappointing, most of those low points are offset by its terrific puzzle design and a great, fun story that feels noticeably different from the standard "save the princess" saga that series fans are used to seeing.
  7. Your 15th trip through the barren Hyrule countryside sums up not just dodging trains in Spirit Tracks, but basically the entirety of Spirit Tracks.

See all 75 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 62 out of 84
  2. Negative: 10 out of 84
  1. NilsB
    Dec 9, 2009
    10
    The dungeons are much better then in Phantom Hourglass. It is one of the best games of this year!!
  2. Dec 23, 2018
    10
    Игра хорошая. В ней есть хорошая музыка, интересные головоломки, масштабные боссы.
  3. Oct 21, 2012
    10
    I hated Phantom Hourglass. The over world sucked, the music was bland, the puzzles were insultingly easy, and the plot was an excuse. So whyI hated Phantom Hourglass. The over world sucked, the music was bland, the puzzles were insultingly easy, and the plot was an excuse. So why does this game get a perfect ten from me? Because it did just about everything right. Admittedly the over world wasn't as good as in the 3D Zelda games, but it's still a vast improvement. The music offers some of the best tracks in the entire franchise, such as the Sacred Duet and the Overworld theme. The puzzles were easily the best out of any Zelda game, making it a bit more of a puzzle game than an action-adventure title. Finally, the plot was probably the best in the series, involving many great characters with a lot of life to them(Especially Zelda and Byrne). This game is different than other Zelda games, but as we established with Majora's Mask and Skyward Sword, different doesn't mean bad. Expand
  4. MorganW
    Dec 10, 2009
    9
    If you love Zelda games, then this game is a must buy. It feels as though Nintendo took the criticism of Phantom Hourglass and crafted a game If you love Zelda games, then this game is a must buy. It feels as though Nintendo took the criticism of Phantom Hourglass and crafted a game that fixed all the problems. Spirit Tracks is a charming Zelda game and will be enjoyed by Zelda aficionados of all ages. Expand
  5. Mar 29, 2016
    8
    This game in a "Deku" nutshell is good. There isn't much that stands out as amazing and there isn't much that is bad either. The towns in thisThis game in a "Deku" nutshell is good. There isn't much that stands out as amazing and there isn't much that is bad either. The towns in this game are fun but they aren't very big with only the dungeons being of any large size for this game. However there are lots of towns/villages with many stations to find on other tracks. The side quests in this game are fun and numerous and they unlock more of the spirit tracks that you have to travel along to reach destinations which allows for faster travel across the lands and adds some tracks that reveal new stations that have things like mini games or treasure on them. I also love the train customization as there is a few choices and all of them are different but you have to collect treasure to build them which is a problem as some are very difficult to find. If it had been done like Phantom Hourglass I would have liked it more but I understand that some people didn't like the way it was done in that game. The bosses are all cool and unique and some can be challenging like the Sand Temple's boss. The problem is that none of these are super unique and everything is done to a good standard. This doesn't mean that it is a bad game but compared to other Zelda titles like Ocarina of Time and A Link to the past it doesn't stand out.

    Thanks for reading my review.
    Expand
  6. Jan 20, 2012
    7
    A nice game, with controls and visuals that suit the DS well. The boring part about it though is that is too easy, suppose its target audienceA nice game, with controls and visuals that suit the DS well. The boring part about it though is that is too easy, suppose its target audience is kids around 7-8 years old, because nearly every puzzle has an obvious solution. Also, the story is a joke (unless you are about 7-8 years old or younger...). Expand
  7. Jan 22, 2021
    0
    The game receives the lowest score I can grade a game. It left such a sour taste in my mouth, so lets get it al out right now. Lets start withThe game receives the lowest score I can grade a game. It left such a sour taste in my mouth, so lets get it al out right now. Lets start with the gameplay. Its rubbish. The dungeons are really easy and controlling link through the stylist is just akward. But ehat ruined the game is the godamn flute mechanic. Never have I experienced something so utterly stupid. Who testet this?! It just broke the game for me. Ultimy I quit the game at the fire temple and used the pc version to get past the flute sections because it just didnt work on my 3ds. Garbage! Expand

See all 84 User Reviews

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Awards & Rankings

4
4
#4 Most Discussed DS Game of 2009
4
#4 Most Shared DS Game of 2009