Zelda: Spirit Tracks Aims For "Wider Age Group"

[Keane Ng]

Zelda: Spirit Tracks Aims For "Wider Age Group"

Nintendo's newest Zelda game for the DS, Spirit Tracks, will be released in the latter half of this year and aim for a "wider age group," according to remarks made by Nintendo in its new fiscal year report.


We don't know much about Nintendo's newest handheld Legend of Zelda game aside from what little the company revealed during its GDC press conference: it borrows the same stripped-down Windwaker art style used in Phantom Hourglass, and instead of sticking Link on a boat [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QwM4vXex7c], he's on a train. Thus, Spirit Tracks.

Well, now we know just a little bit more about where Nintendo is taking this train. Buried in the company's fiscal year earnings report, stashed underneath a morass of boring figures and business talk, is an interesting little tidbit about Spirit Tracks: "Nintendo is developing software, such as 'The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (tentative name)' which will appeal to a wider age group of people, and will launch in the latter half of this calendar year."

The most pertinent thing, obviously, is the bit about a "wider age group of people" being the demographic. Zelda already has a pretty wide appeal, at least among gamers it speaks to almost everybody, young and old, Nintendo fanboy or not. "Wider age group," then, could mean non-gamers who are older, maybe people like the older women who help make up the elusive "casual" demographic. Or it could mean the series will skew even younger in its appeal, and Link will be riding around on Thomas the Train and singing songs with Barney to rescue Zelda. Who knows.

The other two info nuggets - the bit about the name being tentative (I think Spirit Tracks is a pretty good name but "tracks" might be too loose a term) and the part about the game coming out later this year, are no real surprises. In any case, there's a look at the future of Zelda, whatever it may hold.


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[Iggy Rufflebar]

Atleast nintendo is trying....new things..? I personally don't like the looks or the concept (a train..? huh? talk about a rail shooter ) never really liked the cell shaded links either, just "anoother" milking of the Zelda franchise, like nintendo haven't got enough lon lon milk yet -_-

 

[Random Argument Man]

Mmmm, wider age group eh?

Role playing moment:

Me: Hey grampa! Can I have my DS back.
Gramps: No! Back up you young idiot. I need to shoot my boomerang up Ganon's ass!

Side comment: I admire what they are doing with Spirit tracks. They moved the timeline to the industrial age with the train thing.

 

[Aura Guardian]

I just hope it's better than Phantom Hourglass. I didn't like going to the same temple over and over.

 

[ZeroMachine]

La La La

I can't hear you, this game doesn't exist.

La La La

 

[G. Alarimm]

A train?
...Nintendo's running out of ideas.

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

I'll wait for E3 to see if they release a motion plus Zelda for the Wii, because that's the only Zelda I'm waiting for.

I guess it won't matter just now anyway, I haven't even properly started Twilight Princess, and knowing myself I'll probably start some other random game first.

 

[FryerTuck]

I thought I heard that Nintendo would completely redo the Zelda franchise when they made a new game.

 

[APPCRASH]

I hate trains.

 

[demotivational fail]

La La La

I can't hear you, this game doesn't exist.

La La La

This. However I grew up with Zelda, Zelda is fine, leave Zelda alone! It has a beautiful system where it never changes and is pretty. Leave it alone kkthxbai.

 

[Avatar Roku]

Atleast nintendo is trying....new things..? I personally don't like the looks or the concept (a train..? huh? talk about a rail shooter ) never really liked the cell shaded links either, just anoother milking of the Zelda franchise, like nintendo haven't got enough lon lon milk yet -_-

Wait, you think the cell shaded games are cash ins, or this one in particular? If the first, I and many others consider Wind Waker the best Zelda game.

Side comment: I admire what they are doing with Spirit tracks. They moved the timeline to the industrial age with the train thing.

It already was; the ships in Phantom Hourglass were steam powered.

Anyway, it might just be because I got into Zelda later than most, but I don't have too much of a problem with this. I quite liked Phantom Hourglass, so maybe I'm a freak. I mean, moving out of medieval stasis could very easily be bad, but it could also be good if done well.

 

[Iggy Rufflebar]

Anyway, it might just be because I got into Zelda later than most.

I was literally stunned when I read you considered that wind waker was the best Zelda game. There are more of you who think that?!? E-gad each to thier own I guess but OOT and the original Legend of Zelda are by far superior.

Although as you are late to the Zelda scene I guess it's understandable. What was your first Zelda game? the wind waker? If so I guess it makes sence.

As with most nintendo games the newest bunch of Zelda games have been cash ins, although I found the twilight princess pretty awesome *for the gamecube ofcourse*

 

[Avatar Roku]

Anyway, it might just be because I got into Zelda later than most.

I was literally stunned when I read you considered that wind waker was the best Zelda game. There are more of you who think that?!? E-gad each to thier own I guess but OOT and the original Legend of Zelda are by far superior.

Although as you are late to the Zelda scene I guess it's understandable. What was your first Zelda game? the wind waker? If so I guess it makes sence.

As with most nintendo games the newest bunch of Zelda games have been cash ins, although I found the twilight princess pretty awesome *for the gamecube ofcourse*

Nope,I played them in this order:
-Phantom Hourglass
-Twilight Princess
-Ocarina of Time (Virtual Console)
-Wind Waker

Honestly, I love them all, but Ocarina has to be the lowest (except Phantom Hourglass). Maybe because I'm not seeing it from behind the rose tinted glasses of nostalgia. But seriously, Wind Waker had a unique aesthetic style and genuine charm, which I found refreshing. Not to mention the gameplay. The sailing got a bit tedious, but all in all, it really was a great game. What did you not like?

 

[About To Crash]

I grew up with Zelda, Zelda is fine, leave Zelda alone! It has a beautiful system where it never changes and is pretty. Leave it alone kkthxbai.

This is what I thought at first. I heard about Spirit Tracks and was very upset with the idea of the Hyrule changing. I agree, the world is amazingly well made, and we've all grown up with the world of Hyrule as a nice, constant place.

However, I find the concept of Hyrule changing and evolving an exciting one. I want to see how the world changing, and what new elements they can add to it. Yeah, they could really screw it up, and destroy what we once loved, but the Zelda series has always been on that Nintendo takes extreme care of, so I doubt that they will screw up the time advance meant thing. I think it would be quite interesting if Zelda did go in a direction of technological advancement.

So, I'd say, look at the past, and think of the changes Zelda has gone through. Nintendo is careful. They won't wreck such a good thing if they can avoid it, and they know what keeps Zelda fans happy.

 

[UltimatheChosen]

Side comment: I admire what they are doing with Spirit tracks. They moved the timeline to the industrial age with the train thing.

It might be done well... but I'm not sure. What would be awesome would be a dystopian industrial age city, where Link is the resistance, fighting a tyrant (who is NOT Ganon). Of course, we know how much Nintendo hates to change things.

 

[Avatar Roku]

I grew up with Zelda, Zelda is fine, leave Zelda alone! It has a beautiful system where it never changes and is pretty. Leave it alone kkthxbai.

This is what I thought at first. I heard about Spirit Tracks and was very upset with the idea of the Hyrule changing. I agree, the world is amazingly well made, and we've all grown up with the world of Hyrule as a nice, constant place.

However, I find the concept of Hyrule changing and evolving an exciting one. I want to see how the world changing, and what new elements they can add to it. Yeah, they could really screw it up, and destroy what we once loved, but the Zelda series has always been on that Nintendo takes extreme care of, so I doubt that they will screw up the time advance meant thing. I think it would be quite interesting if Zelda did go in a direction of technological advancement.

So, I'd say, look at the past, and think of the changes Zelda has gone through. Nintendo is careful. They won't wreck such a good thing if they can avoid it, and they know what keeps Zelda fans happy.

Yeah. I guess this means we can now conclusively place the original game and The Adventure of Link in the Twilight Princess timeline, as Hyrule there wasn't particularly advanced.

 

[9of9]

I've never understood the appeal of Zelda (at least, not any more than I've ever understood the appeal of any Nintendo game). Given that from what I know of the series it appears to be aimed almost exclusively at a pre-pubescent demographic, maybe a 'wider' age group would be actually interesting. Something to capture the attention of more mature, adult gamers?

 

[Escapefromwhatever]

Can I just step aside and ask why everybody is upset about the train? Jee-zuz Christ! Its just an overworld navigator, and while boats and trains will never have the same appeal to me as Epona, they won't kill the game for me. Anybody who is upset over the inclusion of a train in this game should really get over himself or herself, at least until the game comes out.

On Topic: How in Oden's beard do you make Zelda appeal to a wider age group without screwing it up? The only ways I could see that being possible is: a) make the puzzles easier, b) make Link ride bubbles and hit bad guys with a friendship rod which would turn them into puppies, or c) make Link a jaded old war veteran who wants to return Hyrule to its grass-roots ways. And all of those would be silly.

 

[Flunk]

As much as I used to like Zelda, THIS HAS A TRAIN. Stupid as hell.