The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

 DS
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 395 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 282 out of 395
  2. Mixed: 79 out of 395
  3. Negative: 34 out of 395
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  1. LinkFE
    Jul 13, 2023
    10
    Tremendo Juegazo, fue el segundo juego que jugue de La saga Zelda y el que mas me encanto de los Zeldas de Nintendo Ds, todo en este juego es perfecto, la relacion de Link con Zleda, Las Mazmorras. Todo es perfecto em este juego 10/10❤❤
  2. Mattman6294
    Jun 25, 2023
    9
    This game is a really great game, and a massive improvement on The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass in many ways. It has very good dungeon design, A great soundtrack, and one of the best stories in the Legend of Zelda series. That said, this game is held back by a few things. The biggest problem is the control scheme. It remains largely unchanged from Phantom Hourglass, and will likelyThis game is a really great game, and a massive improvement on The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass in many ways. It has very good dungeon design, A great soundtrack, and one of the best stories in the Legend of Zelda series. That said, this game is held back by a few things. The biggest problem is the control scheme. It remains largely unchanged from Phantom Hourglass, and will likely hurt your hand. That said, while the control scheme takes some getting used to, the controls don't ruin the game at all. Spirit Tracks is a wonderful and unique Zelda experience that should not be overlooked if you are a fan of the Legend of Zelda series.… Expand
  3. Quintijn
    Jun 9, 2023
    10
    My favorite nintendo game of all time. Every 6 months or so, I start up and 100% the game.
  4. yoda55777
    May 27, 2023
    10
    Eu gosto muito desse jogo ele muito bacana e uma os melhores jogos de ds e um dos que eu mais me diverti
  5. Nevbear1206
    Apr 10, 2023
    8
    Focusing on what this Zelda title excels at, dungeons are clever and don't overstay their welcome, the visuals are vibrant and impressive for the system, the music is great, and the story is quite heartfelt and impactful. As far as the rest, mechanics could have been more creative, some quests feel uninspired, and I often felt discouraged by using my finger to control Link while lacking aFocusing on what this Zelda title excels at, dungeons are clever and don't overstay their welcome, the visuals are vibrant and impressive for the system, the music is great, and the story is quite heartfelt and impactful. As far as the rest, mechanics could have been more creative, some quests feel uninspired, and I often felt discouraged by using my finger to control Link while lacking a stylus where I wish I could have just used the D-Pad/circle pad. Still a great title overall, just one that could have been better.… Expand
  6. spencerplewe
    Dec 28, 2022
    8
    While the new train mechanic may sound more restricting than a boat, it actually adds a sense of strategy to the adventure, which being a distant second sequel to "The Wind Waker", continues the younger-fan-focused handheld gameplay we've seen for years already, but with much better cutscenes and the welcomed twist of Zelda herself as a companion.
  7. ReviewerT17
    Oct 26, 2022
    10
    My first and favorite zelda game. I hated the game as a kid because I couldn't figure out how to beat it, but I came back a little later and completed it. I loved the puzzles in the Tower of Spirits with Phantom Zelda the most and I still come back and play the game for that section in particular. There is so much charm and creativity in the game. Will always be my number 1 zelda.
  8. giannis2001
    Sep 4, 2022
    8
    This game is an improvement of Phantom Hourglass by my opinion. The story, the overworld and the dungeons are great. It's a very fun little adventure in the Nintendo DS and one of the best games in the console.
  9. ylnylmn
    Aug 7, 2022
    8
    I love all Zelda games but this game is one of my least favorites. I didn't like traveling on rails. Because it takes too long to go from one place to another and new warps are not opened without the passenger quest. Likewise, 'Zelda with the phantom armor' takes a lot of time to manage. Some dungeons are boring. Some puzzles are weird. The story and characters didn't really interest me.I love all Zelda games but this game is one of my least favorites. I didn't like traveling on rails. Because it takes too long to go from one place to another and new warps are not opened without the passenger quest. Likewise, 'Zelda with the phantom armor' takes a lot of time to manage. Some dungeons are boring. Some puzzles are weird. The story and characters didn't really interest me. Even though the phantom hourglass was weak as a dungeon, it was more fun to go by boat. Most of the time, when I want to go somewhere, another train comes in front of me and I have to deal with it. Anyway. A nice DS Zelda game. Some people's favourite. This is the best feature of Zelda games. Every game has a fan.… Expand
  10. joadson
    Jul 1, 2022
    10
    This was one of the most fun games to have zelda with a companion from the link during her journey
  11. bliv15
    Apr 7, 2022
    10
    Great game. Very underrated and the music is phenomenal. Great final boss too.
  12. Mutty99
    Nov 30, 2020
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Even if i felt like the Train mechanics were a bit limited compared to Phantom Hourglass' more free ship guide (to the point i found them annoying because of the bomb trains), this is a really valid and original title as well, with interesting characters and an original take on princess Zelda, being actually playable through the game; the ost is in par with PH. The worst con are the treasures: there is too much disparity in their rarity odds, having some ones super common, and other ones very rare for every rarity group. I think they should have been equal in odds (Common treasures all of the same odds, and same goes for Uncommon and Rare ones). Furthermore, there is too much treasure farming required if you want to have a lot of rupees or train parts (for the first ones, the Lost at Sea station allows you to have as many regal rings as you want, so that improves the aspect a bit). Even with the worsened treasure mechanics, this game is worth playing through, offering a bit more challenging experience to the players, and a fantastic Link and Zelda co-op final showdown.… Expand
  13. MersuMummo
    Nov 21, 2020
    9
    Very good game overall. But many of the side quests are boring and similiar. And the oundtrack is spectacular. 9/10
  14. tekenart
    Oct 19, 2020
    9
    The game was really fun, and in my opinion, a good improvement in comparison to phantom hourglass. The music was just perfect, specially the train theme. The puzzles were really challenging, but what I appreciated the most were the characters, one character in particular had a really cool arc, and the fact that Zelda is not just a useless pretty face is so good, she's not just anThe game was really fun, and in my opinion, a good improvement in comparison to phantom hourglass. The music was just perfect, specially the train theme. The puzzles were really challenging, but what I appreciated the most were the characters, one character in particular had a really cool arc, and the fact that Zelda is not just a useless pretty face is so good, she's not just an objective, or a price, she's your companion and actually helps you a lot, how cool is that? Aside from that, the flute was really frustrating. Not a perfect Zelda game, but a really good one, definitely.… Expand
  15. WhiteScarfHero
    May 27, 2020
    9
    I know its kinda unfair for me to rate this game since i played it with an emulator on a mobile phone so i don't have problems with the controls and spirit flute. But even if i'm playing this game on the DS and the spirit flute annoys me a lot, i say its still an amazing game and worth the time and struggle
  16. Legendofzelda97
    May 3, 2020
    9
    Honestly one of the best games I've played sometimes the spirit flute is glitchy but other then that being able to play it again is super enjoyable would play it a million times over great story and over all nice game
  17. ShawnEXE
    May 3, 2019
    8
    Music: 5/5
    Game Play: 4/5
    Graphics: 4/5
    Story: 4/5
    Time-Value: 4/5
    Overall:4/5
  18. lihmeh
    Apr 20, 2019
    10
    The game is a piece of art! I totally loved it!
    However... sometimes my hands ached. You can't spend a lot of time in a row playing old 3DS with a stick.
    However, the game was totally worth it :)
  19. Nayruedo
    Jan 17, 2019
    10
    Best portable Zelda ever made. The soundtrack is better than Ocarina, the panflute is amazing.
  20. nintendo-sekta
    Dec 23, 2018
    10
    Игра хорошая. В ней есть хорошая музыка, интересные головоломки, масштабные боссы.
  21. Kick454
    May 2, 2018
    8
    After the disgrace of a game known as Phantom Hourglass, this great game arrives at the station. This game improved upon everything Phantom Hourglass did.

    Pros: + Controls: WAY better than PH's. This was the game that mastered touch screen controls. + Dungeons: Really cool dungeon design honestly. + Items: While it's not the largest variety, it still has really fun to use items like    After the disgrace of a game known as Phantom Hourglass, this great game arrives at the station. This game improved upon everything Phantom Hourglass did.

    Pros:
    + Controls: WAY better than PH's. This was the game that mastered touch screen controls.
    + Dungeons: Really cool dungeon design honestly.
    + Items: While it's not the largest variety, it still has really fun to use items like the Sand Rod.
    + Soundtrack: Riding the train around Hyrule has to have my favorite Hyrule Field theme, if you can consider it Hyrule Field.
    + Trains: Honestly, while trains shouldn't be in Zelda at all, they were pretty good in this game.

    Cons:
    - Final Boss: Portal time! Honestly, that brings the final boss down in my eyes.
    - Zelda: She's extremely annoying in this game, worse than Navi.
    - Rabbits: ...Really tedious fetch quest.

    Overall, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is a really great game and warrants an 8.5/10 from me.    … Expand
  22. fallingyoongi
    Oct 11, 2017
    10
    The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is easily still one of my most favourite games to play, despite it being almost 8 years old. The entire game itself is simplistic but still makes you think enough for it to be classed as a puzzle game. The storyline isn’t entirely a prominent feature it’s more just woven through everything else to progress certain parts without it not making sense, it isThe Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is easily still one of my most favourite games to play, despite it being almost 8 years old. The entire game itself is simplistic but still makes you think enough for it to be classed as a puzzle game. The storyline isn’t entirely a prominent feature it’s more just woven through everything else to progress certain parts without it not making sense, it is however still a good storyline for those who enjoy a good plot.

    The story begins in Link’s home village whilst he’s being told the story of why the spirit tracks actually exist, this obviously sets up the base for the whole game or else nothing would make sense. It quickly begins the tutorial of how to use controls by weaving it into the story instead of just simply stating what to use for what, it’s more immersing using the story as a way of teaching controls.
    It soon begins the real story when Link has to make his way to Hyrule Castle by train to see the Princess and gain his engineer’s certificate, again the train journey mainly being used as a way to teach the train controls rather than being anything else important.
    A lot of cutscenes later the first ‘real’ playing begins when Link has to help Princess Zelda escape so that she can investigate why some of the tracks are mysteriously disappearing, this of course eventually leads to the typical “something bad happens to the princess and she needs saving by the hero himself, Link”.

    After the story is set up for the princess needing to be saved the real and true story begins filled with travelling, puzzles and enemies of all shapes and sizes.
    One of the best features, personally, is the use of the spirit flute for puzzles and shortcuts since it’s a new feature for spirit tracks which adds to everything else.

    The graphics are interesting since it’s much more basic compared to the other games and it’s played more on a 2D basis since you use the stylus to tap and walk around whereas in a game like Ocarina of Time you use the control pad to walk and look around, however I think that it makes it much easier to navigate and fight since you have more control using the stylus, therefore the overall game experience becomes better as you spend less time grasping the controls.

    If you were a fan of Phantom Hourglass you may find yourself a big fan of Spirit Tracks too since they are very similar in style, just you drive a train rather than a boat.    … Expand
  23. Focaccia
    Apr 25, 2017
    8
    I had many problems with phantom hourglass, but most of them have been fixed in this DS sequel: the touch screen controls are now more responsive (although a real pain during the final boss) and the main dungeon (the spirit tower) that you will be returning to during the whole game is much better in Spirit tracks than in Phantom hourglass. The fact that Zelda can control the phantoms addsI had many problems with phantom hourglass, but most of them have been fixed in this DS sequel: the touch screen controls are now more responsive (although a real pain during the final boss) and the main dungeon (the spirit tower) that you will be returning to during the whole game is much better in Spirit tracks than in Phantom hourglass. The fact that Zelda can control the phantoms adds fun gameplay, and Zelda's important role throughout the game makes the story pretty interesting. Driving the spirit train is pleasant, mainly thanks to an amazing overworked theme. Although the game may be linear at times, I don't actually care: excluding Breath of the Wild and the original Zelda for NES every Zelda game is pretty straightforward. The spirit tower and sand temple are some of the best dungeons on a handheld Zelda game: the rest of the dungeons are nothing special though. The boss fights are okay, and the addition of new items such as the sand wand make the game very fun. The best part of this game is undoubtedly the customisable pieces for the spirit train. The game has a very slow start however and getting from one place to the other is sometimes very time-comusing. the touch screen controls although improved are still unresponsive and make link roll instead of attack several times. This game is definitely flawed but its still a good game. If you own a DS and want to play Zelda, get this one it outclasses Phantom Hourglass.… Expand
  24. luisflopez
    Apr 10, 2017
    9
    In 2007 Nintendo released Phantom Hourglass. Most of the people liked it, and a bunch of people hated it. But I think everyone will agree that it wasn’t precisely a stellar Zelda game. So when Nintendo announced Spirit Tracks, a direct sequel with the same gameplay style, the hype was relatively small. Another Phantom Hourglass, but with a train instead of a ship? I totally understandIn 2007 Nintendo released Phantom Hourglass. Most of the people liked it, and a bunch of people hated it. But I think everyone will agree that it wasn’t precisely a stellar Zelda game. So when Nintendo announced Spirit Tracks, a direct sequel with the same gameplay style, the hype was relatively small. Another Phantom Hourglass, but with a train instead of a ship? I totally understand people who didn’t give a **** about this game. But when the game came out, it turned out that it was actually a fantastic Zelda title that surpassed Phantom Hourglass in every aspect by far. Today, it still stands as one of the most unfairly underappreciated Zelda games.

    Spirit Tracks has everything you would expect from a great Zelda game. The overworld is way better than Phantom Hourglass’. It is big, charming ,varied and full of interesting locations to discover. It also feels more lively and believable than PH’s. The villages are all lovely. The story is much better and engaging, with cool characters like Byrne and some pretty good villains, as well as some epic and memorable moments here and there. The dungeons are far superior to those in PH, now offering a bit more of a challenge, as well as a better aesthetic design. The bosses are great too.

    As in any good Zelda game, there is a great deal of side activities to do, like helping other people with their requests, catching the bunnies, a really cool minigame where you have to fight rounds of enemies and finally bosses, and even a secret dungeon. A whole secret dungeon!!! How awesome is that? Speaking of dungeons, this game also has a master dungeon similar to the Temple of the Ocean King in PH, and it is the Tower of Spirits. Needless to say, it is much better designed and way more entertaining than its predecessor. Being able to control a Phantom in the Tower of Spirits is a really nice gameplay mechanic, and I think it was well carried out overall.

    People like to speak **** of this game’s train travelling mechanic. Ok, the train is a bit slow. But I don’t know, I never had an issue with this. Travelling through the world with the train is a nice experience to me, as it managed to immerse me into the game’s world even more. And it’s not like you spend all the time travelling either.

    The soundtrack completely humiliates PH’s pathetic excuse for a soundtrack, and it is clearly among the best Zelda soundtracks of all time. Listen to the Overworld Theme, and you’ll get a grasp of the quality level of this OST. Definitely one of the best aspects of the game. On the matter of music, Spirit Tracks introduces the Flute, which is kind of nice, but can get a little frustrating in some parts. Like, when I played it for the first time, I got stuck for hours on the final boss because I couldn’t perform the flute song correctly. Maybe I was being a stupid kid, because I did it on the first try on my second playthrough, so I don’t know. The flute songs might bother some people.

    Can you think of any other aspect that defines a great Zelda game? Well, if you can, it’s probably present in Spirit Tracks too. 6 years after playing it for the first time, it’s still my favorite game in the DS’ library, as well as my favorite handheld Zelda title.

    Score: 9.3    … Expand
  25. darkzaga
    Mar 31, 2017
    10
    muy contento con este juego, es rico en mecánicas como todo zelda y en mecánica. las mazmorras son muy buenas y también la cooperación que realiza la princesa zelda. Dzaga
  26. AweSplat
    Jan 31, 2017
    10
    The reason why I loved this game was because this was my first Zelda game ever! I played it since I was 7 and I had been making theories about what did the Tower of Spirits look like before Zelda was basically killed. It also had one of the best music and I almost thought of a new Zelda game that takes place after the story that is called The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks X PhantomThe reason why I loved this game was because this was my first Zelda game ever! I played it since I was 7 and I had been making theories about what did the Tower of Spirits look like before Zelda was basically killed. It also had one of the best music and I almost thought of a new Zelda game that takes place after the story that is called The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks X Phantom Hourglass since I also love that game.… Expand
  27. GamecubeLover
    Jul 27, 2016
    9
    The only main problem with this game is that this game is strange and out of place. Overall this game has great gameplay, good controls, and you can play on the go!
  28. TheStudioBoy
    Mar 29, 2016
    8
    This game in a "Deku" nutshell is good. There isn't much that stands out as amazing and there isn't much that is bad either. The towns in this game are fun but they aren't very big with only the dungeons being of any large size for this game. However there are lots of towns/villages with many stations to find on other tracks. The side quests in this game are fun and numerous and theyThis game in a "Deku" nutshell is good. There isn't much that stands out as amazing and there isn't much that is bad either. The towns in this game are fun but they aren't very big with only the dungeons being of any large size for this game. However there are lots of towns/villages with many stations to find on other tracks. The side quests in this game are fun and numerous and they unlock more of the spirit tracks that you have to travel along to reach destinations which allows for faster travel across the lands and adds some tracks that reveal new stations that have things like mini games or treasure on them. I also love the train customization as there is a few choices and all of them are different but you have to collect treasure to build them which is a problem as some are very difficult to find. If it had been done like Phantom Hourglass I would have liked it more but I understand that some people didn't like the way it was done in that game. The bosses are all cool and unique and some can be challenging like the Sand Temple's boss. The problem is that none of these are super unique and everything is done to a good standard. This doesn't mean that it is a bad game but compared to other Zelda titles like Ocarina of Time and A Link to the past it doesn't stand out.

    Thanks for reading my review.    … Expand
  29. timthepunk
    Oct 19, 2015
    9
    This was my first experience with Zelda on a handheld console, and I got it Christmas morning. Didn't put the DS down for hours. Great story, great enemies, and great bosses. My only pet peeve is the use of the microphone in the game which can be hard and touchy. Nintendo should remake this game for 3DS with an extended storyline and DLC.
  30. TharosTheDragon
    Aug 17, 2015
    8
    To get my main complaints out of the way, traversing the overworld is boring and uneventful. You eventually activate Stargate-looking warps but they each take you to one specific spot! It's bad enough that you can't warp from anywhere like in Wind Waker, but once you enter a warp you can't even choose which warp to go to from there! And completionists will have a problem because you haveTo get my main complaints out of the way, traversing the overworld is boring and uneventful. You eventually activate Stargate-looking warps but they each take you to one specific spot! It's bad enough that you can't warp from anywhere like in Wind Waker, but once you enter a warp you can't even choose which warp to go to from there! And completionists will have a problem because you have to collect treasures to buy all the train parts, but you have to rely and randomly getting the right treasures from the environment. You have to grind by leaving and reentering areas over and over again hoping you'll get the right stuff.

    But enough complaining. You're a Zelda fan: if you can get over the train segments then you'll like this game. And interestingly, I think Zelda plays a larger part in this game than any other Zelda title, because the titular princess is now your very own sidekick! This lets you get a better impression of who she is as a character, which I liked. And Spirit Tracks also has the coolest instrument of any Zelda game in my opinion, because blowing into the microphone gives the impression that you are actually playing it!

    Reasons to skip this game:
    - If you don't like Toon Link or Zelda in general
    - If you're a compulsive completionist and can't stand to have missing items
    - The overworld is slow and boring to traverse
    - There's not a lot that's different about this installment in the series

    Key differences between this and Phantom Hourglass:
    - Because of the titular tracks, Spirit Tracks gives you even less control in the overworld navigation
    - Spirit Tracks is more detached from the Wind Waker storyline
    - Spirit Tracks gives you a cool instrument to play like in other Zelda games
    - The recurring dungeon in Spirit Tracks has no time limit, and doesn't require you to redo sections    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best DS Game of 2009
4
#4 Most Discussed DS Game of 2009
4
#4 Most Shared DS Game of 2009

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 75 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 69 out of 75
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 75
  3. Negative: 0 out of 75
  1. Edge Magazine
    80
    Spirit Tracks' aging tricks continue to carry you cack into the narcotic realms of pure ritual, until you're deep in the caverns yet again, holding the magic yellow boomerang once more, and wondering what quirky brilliance it will bring with it this time. [Christmas 2009, p.92]
  2. Official Nintendo Magazine UK
    91
    Not a huge leap forward for the series but a wonderful game nonetheless. Enjoy. [Christmas 2009, p.91]
    Read full review
  3. Computer and Video Games
    91
    A superb quest that doesn't rewrite the rules but delivers another engrossing Zelda adventure. If you own a DS, buy it.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »