Pay attention, we all know what you’re going to say, the pan flute nonetheless haunts your nightmares. However even with that dastardly tune ruining your run within the remaining dungeon, Zelda: Spirit Tracks nonetheless stays one of the vital satisfying Nintendo DS video games within the collection. With a completely attractive soundtrack, the dual-screen boss fights, and the actual fact you’ll be able to drive a practice at will, all of it serves to remind us that Spirit Tracks is a cult traditional for a great motive.
Zelda: Spirit Tracks was like an amalgamation of Majora’s Masks and Phantom Hourglass, with puzzles that had been robust however didn’t make us wish to launch our DS throughout the room, sidequests that by no means felt boring, and the added bonus of lastly seeing each Hyperlink and Zelda combat collectively on two screens. And regardless of the practice tracks, the sport by no means felt closed-in or too linear as a result of it allow you to discover at will with out the necessity for a plan or route. With how large open-world motion video games are typically these days, it’s good to recollect our roots, and Zelda: Spirit Tracks gave us that a lot sought-after freedom all the best way again when within the late ‘00s.
Positive, it’s no Breath of the Wild, nevertheless it pays to look again with a nostalgic eye as a result of we wouldn’t have the Zelda video games we all know and love at the moment with out the originals. Spirit Tracks pushed the boundaries of what the Nintendo DS was able to and utilized completely the whole lot the system needed to provide, from the touchpad to the microphone, and even the sleep mode. There are many gameplay parts that might solely discover a dwelling on that particular console however this ingenuity boxed it in, and when Spirit Tracks first appeared, many die-hard Zelda followers had been fast to dismiss it.
However Spirit Tracks got here with arguably a few of the greatest boss battles in your entire franchise, like Fraaz the Snow Temple boss and Cragma, the cycloptic lump of molten lava within the Fireplace Temple. They had been robust, and rightly so, however they had been oh a lot enjoyable to go towards.
Even simply the lead-up to the ultimate boss, the place each gameplay component was lovingly woven collectively, from driving the practice, utilizing Phantom Zelda, enjoying the Spirit Pipes, after which utilizing the twin display of the DS to regulate each Hyperlink and Zelda, it’s nonetheless apparent even at the moment that there was plenty of love that went into the sport. Simply have a look at the response to Zelda: Echoes of Knowledge the place you’ll be able to play as the woman herself once more – Spirit Tracks received it proper even again then.
It may not have obtained the identical quantity of affection upon launch, however 15 years down the road and we nonetheless wish to experience the practice round Hyrule and snort at Zelda freaking out about her physique being possessed. Positive, Nintendo leaned closely into the DS gimmicks, making it near-impossible to even entertain the potential of a port, however typically classics are greatest stored of their rightful houses. Go on, go dig your DS out of storage and provides it a go once more. We promise it’s not as dangerous as you keep in mind.
If you happen to’re wanting again with a fond eye and questioning what the most effective Zelda video games are, then we’ve received a listing of all of the Zelda video games so as in case you actually wish to make a journey – or a practice experience – down reminiscence lane. We’re nonetheless questioning the place the Zelda Twilight Princess Swap port is, however we will preserve you within the know with all the data on a brand new Zelda recreation.
