is a 2009 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. Set a century after The Wind Waker and its direct sequel Phantom Hourglass, the storyline follows the current incarnations of Link and Princess Zelda as they explore the land of New Hyrule to prevent the awakening of the Demon King Malladus. Players navigate New Hyrule, completing quests that advance the story and solving environmental and dungeon-based puzzles, many requiring use of the DS's touchscreen and other hardware features. Navigation between towns and dungeons is done using a train, which features its own set of mechanics and puzzles.
Production began in 2007 following the release of Phantom Hourglass, with half the team including director Daiki Iwamoto and producer Eiji Aonuma returning. Aonuma got the concept from a children's book and incorporated some of its elements into the game. Originally planned as a quickly produced sequel similar to Majora's Mask, production took two years because of the new features. The character of Zelda was given more agency and a key role in both the narrative and several puzzles, breaking away from her earlier passive characterisations. The game was lauded by critics from both dedicated video game outlets and general journalistic sites. Praise was directed towards its narrative and gameplay concepts.
Gameplay
Spirit Tracks continues its style of gameplay from Phantom Hourglass, in which players use the stylus to control Link and use weapons and items. The game is divided into an overworld, which Link traverses using the Spirit Tracks, and towns and dungeons which he travels by foot. The player alternates between exploring the overworld and exploring towns and dungeons in order to complete the game's main story, but may opt to complete sidequests for further rewards. In the overworld and dungeons, the player is able to make notes on their current map as an aid in puzzle solving and continuing the story.
In the overworld, Link is able to direct his train across land, with the ability to control speed and forward or reverse direction, to turn at track intersections, and to blow the train's whistle to scare animals off the tracks. The player is able to automatically set a route for the train by drawing on the map, though not all locations are immediately available. Later, Link is given a cannon that he can use to defend the train from attacks. Link also eventually gains a cargo car, which he can use to move goods between towns. Some missions require Link to transport a passenger along the rails and require the player to keep the passenger happy.
As the game progresses, the player opens more of the map. In towns and dungeons, the player controls Link using the stylus, directing the character where to go. The stylus is also used to perform attacks and dodges and to select items such as bombs and a boomerang, used for combat and puzzle solving. Certain items, in particular Zelda's pan flute, require the player to blow into the DS's microphone. In the case of the pan flute, completing songs can unlock new magical songs, reveal hidden secrets, heal Link, or restore more of the Spirit Tracks. In certain dungeons, the ethereal Zelda can inhabit Phantom Guardians. The player can direct the possessed Phantom along a stylus-drawn path to attack enemies or simply follow Link. Several puzzles of the game require the player to manipulate Link and the Zelda-possessed Phantom to complete a goal. In towns, the player can have Link speak to its residents, buy goods at local stores, and learn helpful tips.
Unlike Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks does not feature Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection multiplayer. Instead, up to four players can play via DS Download Play, using only one game card, and only one game system per player. This multiplayer mode is non-canonical, as all four players play as different Links, each with different-colored tunics (a style that was used in The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures). Each player attempts to collect as many Force Gems (of varying sizes, value and number) as possible within a set time limit. Opposition includes the other players, a varying number of non-partisan Phantoms, who will attack any player on sight; and the play stages themselves, with environmental hazards. Results of the most recent game played will show up on a bulletin in most in-game towns and cities. "Tag Mode", an item trading system, is also available between local players.
Similarly to Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks features a central dungeon, which uses a spiral staircase to access upper floors instead of having the player traverse the same floors multiple times as in the previous game. Also, although safe zones are still present, being used to hide from Phantoms, the dungeon does not feature a curse that Link needs to protect himself from for a limited amount of time.
Synopsis
Spirit Tracks is the third and last game in the Adult Era of the "Victorious Hero" timeline within the Zelda continuity; it takes place a century after the events of The Wind Waker and its direct sequel Phantom Hourglass. Long ago, the Spirits known as Lokomos escaped their realm to end a war with the Demon King Malladus by sealing him away below the Tower of Spirits with the "Spirit Tracks", a network of chains that runs across the region. Following the events of The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass, the previous incarnations of Link and Zelda settled the land, christening it as "New Hyrule" after their old homeland. The inhabitants of New Hyrule develop steam trains that can travel on the Spirit Tracks.
A century later, a new incarnation of Link successfully graduates as a royal train engineer. At his graduation ceremony in New Hyrule Castle, he meets the new incarnation of Princess Zelda and her chancellor Cole. Zelda befriends Link and asks for his aid in escaping New Hyrule Castle to investigate the vanishing Spirit Tracks. On their way to the Tower of Spirits, the source of the Spirit Tracks' power, it is revealed that Cole is a demon serving Malladus. With his accomplice Byrne, Cole disembodies Zelda's spirit from her body. As only a host with sacred blood can sustain Malladus, Cole plans to allow Malladus to possess Zelda's body. Spirit-Zelda flees to New Hyrule Castle, while the Tower of Spirits fragments as the disappearing rails loosen Malladus' bonds. Link attempts to attack Cole, but is knocked unconscious by Byrne.
Link awakens back in New Hyrule Castle, where he meets the disembodied Zelda. They manage to enter the Tower of Spirits, and meet the Lokomo Anjean, who instructs the two to restore the Tower of Spirits and the Spirit Tracks. Link is almost killed by a Phantom, a guardian of the tower, but Zelda saves him by possessing the Phantom. Together, Link and Zelda discover glyphs that restore the Spirit Tracks, facilitating travel to the regions of New Hyrule. Anjean entrusts Link and Zelda with the Spirit Train, which they use to travel throughout New Hyrule, and the Spirit Flute, a magical pan flute that Link uses to duet with Lokomos across New Hyrule to restore more Spirit Tracks. Together, Link and Zelda defeat servants of Malladus that have corrupted temples in New Hyrule and successfully repair the Tower of Spirits.
On their return, Link and Zelda are ambushed by Byrne, revealed to be a Rogue Lokomo. Anjean battles him and teleports Link and Zelda away. Despite the Tower of Spirits being repaired, Malladus is resurrected into Zelda's body and betrays Byrne before fleeing into the Dark Realm. Anjean instructs the group to find the Bow of Light and Compass of Light. Link does so and Anjean gives him the Lokomo Sword which can kill Malladus. Link and Zelda enter the Dark Realm and remove Malladus from Zelda's body. A reformed Byrne sacrifices himself in the process and Malladus possesses Cole in a final desesperate attempt of destroy the entire world. Calling on the power of the Lokomos via the Spirit Flute, Link and Zelda use the Lokomo Sword and the Bow of Light in tandem to defeat Malladus for good. Anjean, the Lokomos, and Byrne's spirit return to the Spirits' Realm as Link and Zelda hold hands.
A post-credits scene shows Zelda writing in her room; depending on a dialogue choice, Link returns as an engineer to whom Zelda waves from her window, either becomes a royal guard as Zelda watches training, or vanishes on an unknown path.
Development
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks was developed by Nintendo EAD. It was developed by one part of the Legend of Zelda team, the other working on Skyward Sword. Director Daiki Iwamoto and producer Eiji Aonuma returned from Phantom Hourglass, along with half the original staff. The team were so pleased with the touchscreen design of Phantom Hourglass that they wanted to develop a sequel on the same platform. Their plan was to produce Spirit Tracks on a short schedule, similar to Ocarina of Time sequel Majora's Mask, using ideas that had been proposed and not implemented in Phantom Hourglass. Due to a number of factors, development was extended to two years, double the estimated time. Despite the increased production time, Aonuma described this as a smooth production compared to other protracted or turbulent development cycles of earlier Zelda games. The graphics were chosen, similarly to Phantom Hourglass, as a result of the decision that toon shading would be best to deliver the games on their chosen platform. Aonuma commented that with realistic graphics, it would make the characters poorly scaled to their surroundings, adding that though possible, it was not ideal. The music in the game was composed by Toru Minegishi, Manaka Tominaga, and Asuka Ota. Minegishi wrote the main overworld music and shared the work on field, character and event themes with Tominaga. Series sound composer Koji Kondo contributed the ending theme, while Ota was responsible for some of the music in the multiplayer mode.
The concept for Spirit Tracks came to Aonuma while he was reading a children's book to his son. The book, titled concerned a group of children creating a railway line in a magical countryside region. Iwamoto felt that Spirit Tracks should not be too like other Zelda titles, citing an argument that occurred that the train was not a good fit for the series, splitting the staff between those who thought the train should be changed, and those who successfully fought to keep the train. Aonuma felt that the team had created new ways of playing, while retaining several elements from the series. Aonuma commented that because the puzzles were designed by a designer who was formerly a programmer, they felt different to him. The use of the train was fixed early on, but the concept of players building train tracks was discarded as Aonuma saw it as a "nightmare" to manage. The Tower of Spirits was originally going to function the same way as the Temple of the Ocean King from Phantom Hourglass, requiring the player to climb the tower each time they restore a new floor by going through the tower again from the bottom until they reach it. As development neared its end, Aonuma made a comment about this never giving the feeling of climbing a tower, resulting in the spiral staircase included in the final design.