The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

[FMW]

Spirit Tracks is a unique game that's ended up in rather unique circumstances. It's also fascinating. I'm sure you're all accustomed to reading that by now, I always say games are fascinating. So is this one. I'll be happy to explain why.

 

Spirit Tracks is significant in Zelda cannon because it links up with the Wind Waker timeline directly. It's thematically and artistically very similar to the first two games in this continuity. It features returning characters from both Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass, which is really a first for this franchise. The connections to previous games are not forced upon the player and it is not necessary to have played either of the previous two to understand everything that's going on. With this game following a continuity so closely and Skyward Sword being a direct prequel to Ocarina of Time it's quite clear that Nintendo intends to, at last, create a single overarching Zelda timeline. Way cool.

 

From a business perspective, Spirit Tracks bombed. I'm sure Nintendo remade investment into the project, but it sold considerably less than past Zelda games and considerably less than Nintendo thought it would. There was a bit of an issue in Japan where the initial shipment far exceeded demand for the game, so the price got dropped sharply by retail outlets. This was kind of embarrassing for the big N and was totally unprecedented. This is probably caused by Phantom Hourglass being relatively unpopular and the density of Zelda releases lately, but those are simply guesses. It's something to keep an eye on. It's worth noting that Twilight Princess has sold approximately 6.5 million copies globally.

 

As a narrative, Spirit Tracks continues Nintendo's glacial rate of change. Recent Zelda releases have been moving in the same narrative direction. The games are becoming ever more cinematic in nature, and the character Zelda has become less and less a "damsel in distress". Phantom Hourglass continues both trends, taking them just slightly farther than before.

 

Spirit Tracks isn't really a story driven game, but it sets up it's narrative with full 3D cinematic sequences and major plot points transpire entirely in cutscene. I would say that Phantom Hourglass is a little bit less cinematic than Twilight Princess was, but it's leaps and bounds beyond other handheld offerings including the direct prequel, and is easily one of the most cinematic games on the system. (Barring TWEWY, I'd say the most cinematic.)

 

As for the character of Zelda, she has transformed so much by now that I can hardly recognize her as the helpless maiden of Zelda's past. This Zelda is definitely the most capable yet, acting as a partner through your entire adventure. I don't want to spoil the final boss sequence of the game, but in it she easily holds up half of that battle. She partners up with link for other boss battles and challenges throughout in the story.

 

There's one more detail I think is worthy of mention, and that's the music. Spirit Tracks has one main theme and a couple of character themes that are all it's own. Indeed, the game stays almost completely away from traditional Zelda tracks until busing out the main theme for the very end of the game. I notice that lately each Zelda game has had a particular theme and instrumentation that defines it, and then it's mixed and matched with classic Zelda tunes towards the end of the game. This is working really well for them, and I would argue that this game pulls it off as well as Wind Waker did. It would be pretty cool if the themes from the modern games were used in the mixing and matching too, but for now the Ocarina of Time and Link to the Past tracks are doing just fine.