Is anybody else excited about Spirit Tracks?

[SHMUPGurus]

@ Helios:

Ah, I see what you mean about the interface. I like all these new ways to play myself, example Twilight Princess on the Wii was really fun because of the new aim mechanics with the Wiimote. What's fun about all this new interface is that items we've never seen before can be introduced in the series, like the whip in Spirit Tracks. I have no doubt that there will be other new ingenious items in this game, and I simply hope that Nintendo will try to create new gameplay elements with Wii MotionPlus for the new console Zelda as well. I also agree that you at least reuse your items more than once in this game than in any other Zelda, but you also have to consider that there were not many items to choose from in this little adventure in the first place. The most important ones you'll mostly use are, once again, the usual ones we've always seen in other Zelda games: boomerang, bow & arrows, bombs and the hook that resembles the hookshot more than anything. The Hammer, which you get late in the game, only comes into play in one dungeon, and then you use it for other treasures or complete the Temple of the Ocean King faster (it's such a cheap weapon too, haha!). If I remember correctly, you don't even need it in order to complete the game. One last thing I want to say about the gameplay is about the puzzles in the game. I thought it was a bit too obvious in temples that the bosses' weaknesses were the items you just obtained in them. That made it way too predictable and easy, and even the temples became pretty linear after you obtained the respective items in them. I can clearly say all the temples in this game were the easiest ones in the Zelda series mostly because of that.

Oh, and let me tell you that I haven't found a story as amusing as this one in any other Zelda game. I guess the fact that it is a handheld Zelda makes it more possible and believable, but I have to be honest and tell you that this is what's bugging me a bit. This game is short, and the story is made simple to appeal to a certain audience. With that said, I believe how they handled some story elements were a bit too "shoved in your face" in some parts. The best example I have here is Oshu suddenly appearing on the Ghost Ship after you find Tetra, explaining what makes you the hero in the story and how he involved you into all of this. They didn't explain how Oshu got on the ship in the first place! I feel like there would have been better ways to introduce this scene, like maybe add a segment where you need to drag Tetra to Linebeck's ship first (imagine all the good lines that could have come out of this scene), etc..

And Linebeck... hmmm, what I can I say about him? To be honest, he's the one making the story possible just like The King of Red Lions and Midna did in previous games. If you look at it from a certain perspective, he's allowing you to travel on his ship so you can fulfill your destiny and help both Tetra and the Ocean King. Like the other important characters like him in other games in the franchise, he's basically just there to make the game possible. So, in other words, while you may think he makes Link's band more interesting, he's not that different from Midna and other key characters as he serves the purpose of the key element to the story. There's nothing new we haven't seen here, and it's quite obvious that his character development is important. And about character interaction, there have been many in the past Zelda games too. An excellent example I have is in Majora's Mask: the whole Anju+Kafei sidequest. Once again, Phantom Hourglass might have handled these little character interactions with Linebeck the best... but that's it. In other words, it's lucky Linebeck is in the game because there wouldn't be much of a story without him.

So, like I said, PH didn't really introduce anything new to the franchise, at least as far as story goes. I'd even say it falls short on explaining a few things, but at least they kept the Zelda feel in the game, and that's exactly what I was looking for! =P

*EDIT: About that last point of yours, the quest items you get in the Minish Cap allow you to use a better version of the Picori Blade, which enables you to summon many versions of yourself to solve puzzles when you step on some lighted floortiles. Your attack power is also greater for sure. Same in the Wind Waker, the Earth and Wind Temples would allow you to obtain the definitive version of the Master Sword in order to defeat Ganondorf. So, it seems like the many Zelda development teams thought about ways to implement a balanced story-gameplay interaction way before Phantom Hourglass, and it was especially well made in the Minish Cap. Thinking about it... The Minish Cap was truly an amazing handheld Zelda game!