Yet another excellent installment in Nintendo's beloved fantasy series!
STORY: Okay, the story is pretty cliche. The princess is kidnapped, go save the princess, yaddah yaddah yaddah. But this time, there's a twist. Princess Zelda actually DIES in the game, and you have to help her spirit (which tags along with you throughout the game) reclaim her body. So, you, the player (or Link), must embark on a long and epic quest to save the Princess of Hyrule. Yet again. Now, this time, you get to actually control Zelda in a Phantom armor suit, which is pretty fun, though its only used in the main temple, the Tower of Spirits. There are also a great assortment of characters in this game, even greater than the cast of Phantom Hourglass, I believe. Heck, since this is technically a "sequel" to Phantom Hourglass and the awesome Wind Waker (though you use a different generation of Link and Zelda), Nintendo decided to add some characters not only from its predecessor, but its predecessor's predecessor. That is to say, they put in some characters from Wind Waker in the game (like good old Niko, in which case he IS old in this game), which is a great touch, since I got really attached to that game when I was younger. Of course, the game adds new characters like Byrne and Anjean. Also, the characters tend to show a little more personality and character than in PH. Lastly, this game has some awesome cutscenes, which are much better than those from PH, with some "voice acting" (more like grunts and such), and adds a LOT of character and emotion to the story. 9/10
GAMEPLAY: The gameplay is pretty much EXACTLY the same as Phantom Hourglass's, though they've tweaked a few things (rolling is MUCH more easier). Instead of riding steamboat, you get to ride a train to get around. Personally, I think I liked the boat better, since there's a whole lot more freedom, but that's not to say the train isn't fun. You can blow the whistle, change the speed of the train, use emergency brakes, catch rabbits, and best of all- use the cannon! Being confined to just the tracks can be both good and bad, however. You don't really have to set a course, as long as you take the right path. However, there are Phantom Trains that will cause a one-hit-KO if you crash into them, that occasionally appear on the tracks. This makes the player think ahead when using the tracks, since crashing causes you to start the whole trip from the last train station all over again. Another thing is stations. Several are towns, where you can buy things or talk with the locals to initiate sidequests, while others are sanctuaries or dungeons or optional sidequests. Sanctuaries are important to the game, as usually you must restore the tracks leading to the next dungeon, and you do this by using a new item- the Spirit Flute. The Spirit Flute is the equivalent of the Wind Waker or Ocarina of Time of their respective games- you use it to go places and help you out in certain situations that require its use. You use it by blowing into the mic and sliding the stylus to play the notes. While it usually works, it can feel a little gimmicky since the mic doesn't always pick up your breath.
Anyway, the dungeons are really awesome, but with five in total, the main quest can feel short. Luckily, each dungeon is expertly designed, and have some of the absolute BEST puzzle design in all of Zelda's games. They also feature some of the most epic Zelda boss battles on a handheld, like the Fire Dungeon's giant rock monster. And if you somehow don't get enough out of the near-perfect dungeons, there a great number of sidequests to perform, unlike Phantom Hourglass. There are such a great number of sidequests that you could easily compare it to the N64's excellent title Majora's Mask. Anyway, each sidequest grants you a force gem upon completion, which adds new tracks to the overworld to explore, allowing for new stations to solve or more bunnies to capture. Other sidequests lead you to a great a piece of treasure that you could use to trade for a Train Part. Unfortunately, unlike PH, train parts can only be found by trading in treasures for them, while in PH you could find them in undersea chests.
However, like Phantom Hourglass, there is a main dungeon that you must keep going back to, similar to the Temple of the Ocean King. However, as tedious as that was in PH, this time you don't have to go back to the same floors that you previously solved, and there is no time limit. And, you get to control Phantoms, which is great and offers some more excellent puzzle solving. Overall, the gameplay is excellent. 10/10
GRAPHICS: Like Phantom Hourglass, the visuals are quite stunning for the DS's capabilities. It is still cel-shaded, but that doesn't take away from its excellent gameplay. 9/10
MUSIC: While I said in my PH review that its music was bland, Spirit Tracks has some really great music. It is a definite step up from PH's quality, and several tunes will be stuck in your head for a time. And, each dungeon has its own tune, with some sharing the same music. This isn't bad, though since the music is great. 9/10
All in all, this is a must-have game. Not just for Zelda fans like me, but for every gamer that owns a DS. Oh, and the ending is just awesome.