I thought that I'd post some of my older reviews on here too, so I'm starting with my Spirit Tracks review.
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
Spirit Tracks is the second Zelda game for the DS, and it is probably better than the first one they released earlier. While the game isn't perfect, it is a really nice game for Zelda fans, and even if you're not a Zelda fan, you're guaranteed to enjoy it. This is one of the games in which you control Toon Link. Spirit Tracks is special though, while you had to battle and run the Phantoms in the first game, Phantom Hourglass, you can have one to aid you in this game! Zelda loses her body, and gains the possibility to hide in a Phantom Armor. This is one of the things that makes the game great.
Story 7/10
Zelda games never have a great story, we all know that. It's always save the princess, clear some dungeons, gain the Master Sword and beat the game. Even though this kind of story gets repetitive, the story in this one is pretty good. The Tower of Spirits breaks apart, and the Spirit Tracks start to dissappear. Link needs to clear a few temples to make them reappear, so the great demon can't escape from his seal. That sounds pretty basic, but usually Zelda gets abducted and you have to save her. Yes, you still have to save her from the clutches of evil, but she is alongside you to help you in battle! Her bodyless soul follows you trough the game in the quest to recover the lost Spirit Tracks and rebuild the Tower of Spirits.
Yes, I gave it only a 7 and that's probably the highest a Zelda game will ever get from me for his story. I really enjoyed the story in this game though, because of the changes from the 'usual' Zelda game.
Gameplay 9/10
I have to admit it, this gameplay is great and it is in every Zelda game. You obtain one item in each dungeon and they all have a different goal. Aside from the items though, this game has a few great features that I really enjoyed. The Spirit Tracks are an original way of travelling, and an easy solution for the fact that the player has to recover them bevore he can drive on it. That is not the greatest feature though, I loved the idea of the Stamp Book and I hope it will return in the other Zelda games. While playing the game I always felt the urge to get every Stamp, and I didn't even know what kind of reward I would get if I completed it. Turned out to be nothing major, but I loved it nevertheless. An unique feature in Spirit Tracks is the fact that you can control the Phantoms. In Phantom Hourglass, you had those creepy armors in the Temple of the Ocean King that followed and eventually killed you. This time, they still do that, but you can actually control these guys. And the fact that you have DIFFERENT kind of Phantoms makes the gameplay in this game great.
I am quite generous with my 9, but I think this game needs to be noticed by the gameplay, and not the graphics or the music.
Graphics 7/10
Well, I can't comment on the graphics that much. They look okay I guess, but it's not like I really like them and praise them to heaven. While the game has nice semi 3D graphics, I don't like the style. They could have done something more like Wind Waker, or heck, even like Twilight Princess. The DS is a pretty powerful console that could handle those 3D models. I don't "like" or "hate" a game because of the graphics, and I won't ever do that. I really love the pixelly SNES graphics too, it's just a question of taste.
Like I explained above, I gave it a 7. I did wonder if I shouldn't have given it a 6, but it came out as a 7.
Music 8/10
The music in this game was great! While it isn't OoT with the great themes, I liked the music the way it was. It had some nice themes, and it even had a masterpiece; the Chancellor's theme. I don't think I can comment on this aside from the fact that this is a game you'd have to try if you like the sound of the other Zelda games.
So yeah, I gave it a 8 out of 10.
Total 7.8/10
Even though this game is great, I can't reccommend it to everyone. The game is nice in itself, but the new style the DS has introduced isn't right for everybody. The original Ocarina of Time style is lost, and everything is just a little bit less detailed and nice. The sound is what it has always been and the story is quite refreshing. It's a choice you'd have to make: stick to the old Zelda, or the new ones.
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
Spirit Tracks is the second Zelda game for the DS, and it is probably better than the first one they released earlier. While the game isn't perfect, it is a really nice game for Zelda fans, and even if you're not a Zelda fan, you're guaranteed to enjoy it. This is one of the games in which you control Toon Link. Spirit Tracks is special though, while you had to battle and run the Phantoms in the first game, Phantom Hourglass, you can have one to aid you in this game! Zelda loses her body, and gains the possibility to hide in a Phantom Armor. This is one of the things that makes the game great.
Story 7/10
Zelda games never have a great story, we all know that. It's always save the princess, clear some dungeons, gain the Master Sword and beat the game. Even though this kind of story gets repetitive, the story in this one is pretty good. The Tower of Spirits breaks apart, and the Spirit Tracks start to dissappear. Link needs to clear a few temples to make them reappear, so the great demon can't escape from his seal. That sounds pretty basic, but usually Zelda gets abducted and you have to save her. Yes, you still have to save her from the clutches of evil, but she is alongside you to help you in battle! Her bodyless soul follows you trough the game in the quest to recover the lost Spirit Tracks and rebuild the Tower of Spirits.
Yes, I gave it only a 7 and that's probably the highest a Zelda game will ever get from me for his story. I really enjoyed the story in this game though, because of the changes from the 'usual' Zelda game.
Gameplay 9/10
I have to admit it, this gameplay is great and it is in every Zelda game. You obtain one item in each dungeon and they all have a different goal. Aside from the items though, this game has a few great features that I really enjoyed. The Spirit Tracks are an original way of travelling, and an easy solution for the fact that the player has to recover them bevore he can drive on it. That is not the greatest feature though, I loved the idea of the Stamp Book and I hope it will return in the other Zelda games. While playing the game I always felt the urge to get every Stamp, and I didn't even know what kind of reward I would get if I completed it. Turned out to be nothing major, but I loved it nevertheless. An unique feature in Spirit Tracks is the fact that you can control the Phantoms. In Phantom Hourglass, you had those creepy armors in the Temple of the Ocean King that followed and eventually killed you. This time, they still do that, but you can actually control these guys. And the fact that you have DIFFERENT kind of Phantoms makes the gameplay in this game great.
I am quite generous with my 9, but I think this game needs to be noticed by the gameplay, and not the graphics or the music.
Graphics 7/10
Well, I can't comment on the graphics that much. They look okay I guess, but it's not like I really like them and praise them to heaven. While the game has nice semi 3D graphics, I don't like the style. They could have done something more like Wind Waker, or heck, even like Twilight Princess. The DS is a pretty powerful console that could handle those 3D models. I don't "like" or "hate" a game because of the graphics, and I won't ever do that. I really love the pixelly SNES graphics too, it's just a question of taste.
Like I explained above, I gave it a 7. I did wonder if I shouldn't have given it a 6, but it came out as a 7.
Music 8/10
The music in this game was great! While it isn't OoT with the great themes, I liked the music the way it was. It had some nice themes, and it even had a masterpiece; the Chancellor's theme. I don't think I can comment on this aside from the fact that this is a game you'd have to try if you like the sound of the other Zelda games.
So yeah, I gave it a 8 out of 10.
Total 7.8/10
Even though this game is great, I can't reccommend it to everyone. The game is nice in itself, but the new style the DS has introduced isn't right for everybody. The original Ocarina of Time style is lost, and everything is just a little bit less detailed and nice. The sound is what it has always been and the story is quite refreshing. It's a choice you'd have to make: stick to the old Zelda, or the new ones.
