The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

[tay120n64]

WWHHHYYYY?!?

Why would they do this?

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

This new Zelda title was shown at this year's GDC (Game Developer's Conference) last week. It's not so much the fact that Link is a train conducter that makes me uncomfortable, I'm actually a bit curious to see how that plays out, rather, I am made all the more distraught by their continuance of the Phantom Hourglass engine. Phantom Hourglass was a solid game in it's own right, however, the game was far to linear and simplistic to be considered a true "Zelda" title. However, unlike other "black-sheep" titles (Zelda II, Four Swords), the game lacks any engaging or lasting gameplay elements. The touch-screen gameplay is creative and fluent, yes, but there is no desire to replay the adventure once it has been completed. With Zelda II, the game had a feature where you could replay the adventure with all your magic and levels intact, giving you the chance to repay those early bitches who kicked your ass with a Downthrust and Fire. Then there was Four Swords Adventures, an experience that changed depending on how many people played. Everyone that plays brings their own form of co-op to the table, giving FSA amazing replay value.

Essentially, PH is like a dinner where you have side-dishes, your favorite drink, and an exotic dessert, but someone forgot to cook the main course. Or undercooked it. Either way, you leave the table hungry. Despite how delicious that exotic dessert was, you know what you really wanted was that delicious steak... or whatever.

I'm hoping that Spirit Tracks will be a tad more rewarding for free-roam than PH was, but looking at the trailer it seems like an act of futility.

Thoughts?

[chicken]

link is riding a fucking train... what the hell...

[Blade]

I cry in pain

[Azure Phoenix]

WThen there was Four Swords Adventures, an experience that changed depending on how many people played. Everyone that plays brings their own form of co-op to the table, giving FSA amazing replay value.

ah memories, 'twas fun playing that with friends, all of us running after each other, determined to get the other one back for throwing us in a hole or just hitting us with the goddam flame rod, ah good times, good times

anyway, from what i hear maybe the zelda games are going up in technology, in which case soon will come a time when link is chasing ganondorf over the hills and far away with an AK-47, this would effectively see to the end of the master sword being important. so i think that if they're gonna have a train, they should not go any further than that. i'm not gonna say anything about the game engine as i haven't played Phantom hourglass myself (decided by the fact that i didn't like the graphics used in windwaker) so to be honest i'm not one with much to say on the matter, in fact i personally think that the zelda games are slipping if only as far as i am concerned, although i have to admit that the ball & chain in TP was f'ing awesome free roaming is an odd thing if you travel by train, however if you can get off then good, we'd hate the game to be based on a train and that's the end of it. And now that i've finally seen the f'ing thing because the video has a crap loading speed i think i can safely say i won't get it.

although vague those are my thoughts

[psychokind]

this is so unnecessary... I hope they continue to make the big zelda games on the consoles the good ones

[Freedan]

I'll be honest: it's definitely not what I was expecting when I heard there was a new DS Zelda on the way.

I mean, I thought they'd continue with the PH graphics, and probably borrow some elements from it.... but the train... I definitely didn't see that coming.

I think people are being a bit harsh, though. Aside from the fact that there's a train in it, we know nothing about the game. We don't even know what the train will be like. You could argue that they just remade PH with a train instead of a boat, but for all we know, they may have cooked up something with the train business that we haven't thought of.

You're right, PH was linear, short and easy. Criticizing the Zelda series for being linear and easy is like criticizing George Bush for being an idiot, but PH took it too far. As I say with every new Zelda release, I hope they bump up the difficulty, and violate your mind anally with the dungeons (I don't think a single dungeon in PH, other than the Ocean King Temple, which can fuck off, took more than an hour).

I'm a bit skeptical, but Zelda is my favourite series, so I'm staying optimistic. Though personally, I'm more interested in hearing details about the Wii-Zelda in development.

[tay120n64]

Honestly, I don't see why they can't just give the handheld development back to Capcom. I mean, yeah, Minish Cap was less than perfect, but the Oracle series was amazingly deep and quite challenging. I'd like to see more of that on my DS.

I just don't appreciate the fact that they are trying to merge the handheld and console series' gameplay.

[Azure Phoenix]

aw man, did you haver to mention minish cap, i still can't find the last guy to finish the last force peice thing... whatever it is, i just can't find the guy, i've looked for literally ages and i can't find him.

and yes the oracle series was good, now all they need to do is give link likeable clothes in a game as good as either of those two and they're climbing out of the hole.

seriously, i just dislike the natural link outfit, i spent most of TP trudging around in the magic armor stuff because it's the best looking clothing (except the hat) if they refuse to make him likeable clothing then at least put a 'D' on his hat for dunce

[tay120n64]

aw man, did you haver to mention minish cap, i still can't find the last guy to finish the last force peice thing... whatever it is, i just can't find the guy, i've looked for literally ages and i can't find him.

In the same boat as you are buddy. You have to do all the Green Kinstones early on, or some characters disappear, and since fusions are random, sometimes those characters will be chosen after they disappear. Which is, for lack of a better word, RETARDED.

[eFlare]

I didn't care much for Majora's Mask when it first came out because it didn't feature a Zelda story line... the game entitled the Legend of Zelda, wasn't about Zelda!

I love the concept of the Triforce being in the middle of the story. Ganon tries to take over Hyrule using the Triforce of Power, Link being the guardian of Hyrule, and Zelda playing a large part in Ganon's way to obtain power over Hyrule. Because that's what the Legend of Zelda is about!

I still don't care much for these "sidestep" games. I see them as... Mario Tennis. Sure, it's a fun game on it's own, but it has shit to do with Super Mario Bros., with the exception of Mario being in it. Of course the Mario characters have made it their "thing" to star in different games.. so it's sorta alright now.

Spirit Tracks is said to feature the "intuitive" controls of Phantom Hourglass. I didn't like the controls at all. It completely distracted from the game. The D-pad and the A, B, Y, X buttons on the DS are already damn intuitive to everyone who's played any video game, ever. I would've liked it a lot better to just be able to walk with the D-pad and preform actions with the A, B, Y, X buttons.

The train? Yeah... that's chronologically impossible. Trains weren't invented in the time frame in which any Legend of Zelda game takes place.

*sigh*

I'll be waiting for the next Legend of Zelda... until that comes out.. I'm sure that they'll continue to make "normal" Zelda games.

I'm still going to buy Spirit Tracks, because I have to keep up my reputation. I can't just disgrace my Link plushy, my Zelda figurines, Triforce shirt and the huge Triforce drawn on my bedroom wall.... (Zelda geek moment)

[Azure Phoenix]

look, i see where you are coming from but as it sounds it'd get pretty goddam predictable that way, i know, maybe they could switch the roles about a bit, play as ganondorf and kick the shit out of link, or how about link gets captured for being a mute sissy and zelda has to save him

just a thought.

also i think the triforce is getting a bit boring, 3 golden triangles, whoop de fuckin' do, it's just not interesting anymore, i mean it wouldn't be too hard to make them for yourself, then all you have to do is save some...diety or something, get them to put an enchantment on it or whatever and hey presto, you have a working triforce, last of all i'd like to say this; why the hell dows link throw the master sword away? is he f'ing stupid? while we're at it, how does he get rid of it? does he put it on a plane or something and then the pilot goes and drops it in another forest or some crap like that?

[tay120n64]

how about link gets captured for being a mute sissy and zelda has to save him

I think that they did that on the CD-i, lol.

[eFlare]

why the hell dows link throw the master sword away? is he f'ing stupid? while we're at it, how does he get rid of it? does he put it on a plane or something and then the pilot goes and drops it in another forest or some crap like that?

The Legend of Zelda takes place in an universe that infinity collapses on itself. Each game is a newly born version of that universe, with small traces of those before. That's why references are made from one game to another, that's how the Triforce, the Goddesses, Link, Zelda, Ganon and all main features return in (almost) every game. They are a part of the fabric of the universe.

[tay120n64]

The Legend of Zelda takes place in an universe that infinity collapses on itself. Each game is a newly born version of that universe, with small traces of those before. That's why references are made from one game to another, that's how the Triforce, the Goddesses, Link, Zelda, Ganon and all main features return in (almost) every game. They are a part of the fabric of the universe.

That seems like such a cop-out.

[Azure Phoenix]

why the hell dows link throw the master sword away? is he f'ing stupid? while we're at it, how does he get rid of it? does he put it on a plane or something and then the pilot goes and drops it in another forest or some crap like that?

The Legend of Zelda takes place in an universe that infinity collapses on itself. Each game is a newly born version of that universe, with small traces of those before. That's why references are made from one game to another, that's how the Triforce, the Goddesses, Link, Zelda, Ganon and all main features return in (almost) every game. They are a part of the fabric of the universe.

explain what happens after brawl!

i do believe i have you cornered on that one