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E3 2009: Zelda: Spirit Tracks hands-on
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Although many Nintendo fans were hoping for a new Zelda on the Wii, the only thing Nintendo has offered up is Spirit Tracks, a brand new game for the DS, which is expected to be released this holiday season.
Spirit Tracks resurrects the cartoony art style from Wind Waker and pairs Link with companions, called phantoms, which can help him explore the many dungeons in the game. The game is entirely touch-screen controlled and the controls work pretty well. You control Link by tapping near him and then dragging the stylus in the direction you want to walk. Tapping on enemies will attack them.
The phantoms are controlled in a similar way. You tap on the pink orb at their feet and then draw the path you want them to take. At any point you can switch between Link and the Phantom by tapping an icon in the lower lefthand corner.
The addition of the phantoms add another level of puzzling to the traditional Zelda formula. For example, in the playable demo, I had to traverse a large pool of lava, but obviously Link can't do this on his own. I had to lead the phantom into the lava and then perch Link on his shoulders in order to cross the obstacle.
These gameplay elements, while not entirely new, can make for some interesting and challenging gameplay. Overall Zelda is one of the best handheld games on display at the show.
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