The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks -- Final Opinion.

I have completed The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for the Nintendo DS. Right up front I can say that Spirit Tracks is a better game than Phantom Hourglass. But is that really saying a whole lot if you're in the camp that wishes for an overworld to explore on foot and a glitch free control experience that traditional controls would offer? I am in that camp. So the answer is no, no it's not. The mechanics of the train in Spirit Tracks are superior to those of the boat in Phantom Hourglass. The train just feels more fun. But the train is even more limiting as you're tied to the rails. The boat at least offered a little exploration. There is zero exploration in Spirit Tracks. I also found the mechanic of avoiding the enemy trains to be actively annoying. I found the slow pacing of using the train to get from one location to another to be tedious after a while as you can't just set your course and go. You have to stay there to fend off the inevitable attacks along the route with your canon. The controls in Spirit Tracks are improved. You need to double tap near the edge of the screen to have Link roll this time around compared to drawing loops near the edge. You'll still roll off a cliff from time to time in the game. The controls will mess up every so often. They're still merely functional, and nowhere near what I'd prefer. I still want traditional controls. Get rid of the shitty touch controls. The graphics are slightly improved. Again I'd still prefer a stylized 2D approach instead of the overly plain 3D they've gone with. The graphics could be so much more than they are. Musically the game is much better than Phantom Hourglass. There are a lot more original tracks this time around. And the overworld theme (it's almost criminal to call it that) is one of the better Zelda tracks in a long time. The story of Spirit Tracks is also a step up from Phantom Hourglass. Mainly due to Zelda being around for the entirety of the adventure. She's a bit of a feisty Zelda. Having her around provides the game with a bit more heart. Don't get me wrong, the story is sparse and not at all epic, but it works well. The dungeons and puzzles of Spirit Tracks are considerably improved upon from Phantom Hourglass. The central dungeon theme appears again, but unlike the Temple of the Ocean King, the Tower of Spirits isn't a chore at all. In fact, the later half of the tower might be the toughest dungeon the series has ever seen. The puzzles will take some real thought. And that's very welcome over Phantom Hourglass' too easy puzzle set. The bosses of Spirit Tracks are another vastly improved element over Phantom Hourglass. The Spirit Tracks bosses aren't just a puzzle to be solved, more than a few of them will provide some actual challenge in accomplishing said task. The final battle is especially epic. As I said right off, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is an improvement over Phantom Hourglass. But it retains some of that game's major flaws. If you liked Phantom Hourglass you'll likely love Spirit Tracks. If you wished Phantom Hourglass was something else, then Spirit Tracks isn't going to change anything for you. I'm giving The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks an 8.