The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks Preview

I'll start with what I consider to be the most disappointing part of the game: the train gameplay. It runs similar to Phantom Hourglass's boat gameplay, with the stylus used to fire the cannon at varying lengths. However the enormous difference between the two is that you cannot control where you go. This makes the travel portion of the game incredibly dull after the initial "jumping in". Overall, it seems like the train portions (the game's namesake) could be the least exciting part of the game.

The dungeons –  although they seem to be very similarly designed –  actually have an enormous addition from Phantom Hourglass - not only can you control Link, you can now control a Phantom (which you will recognize as the giant Knight-like enemy from the previous game). The Phantom can be used to solve new puzzles, as well as a useful tool to explore new areas, due to the fact that it is completely invulnerable to fire and lava. The demo even had you jump on top of the Phantom as he walked across a pit of lava, while Link was busy attacking enemies along the way.

Finally, I ended my time with Spirit Tracks with the boss battle on display. It was very similar to the bosses from previous games, though that doesn't mean it still isn't exciting. Of course Link pulls out his new weapon (in this case, a cyclone controlled with the microphone), and targets it at the boss' obvious weakpoint. The boss I battled was an enormous beetle (pictured above). Upon defeating him, I was pleased with the interesting use of this new weapon. Although the game seems to be lacking major press from Nintendo, getting hands on with the game has made me very interested to pick up the game when it releases.

You can read our full review of The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Track here.