Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks Poster Nintendo DS Link w/ Phantom and Spirit Train

Description

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is the fifteenth installment in the The Legend of Zelda series. Developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console, it was released worldwide in December 2009.

Like its prequels The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks features a cel-shaded art style. Link, the protagonist of Spirit Tracks, travels across the game’s overworld using a cannon-equipped steam train much like the steamboat in Phantom Hourglass. The player is also able to control Phantoms, one of the more difficult enemies from Phantom Hourglass, and play an instrument called the Spirit Flute.

Phantoms are recurring enemies in The Legend of Zelda series. They serve as guardians for the Temple of the Ocean King and the Tower of Spirits in Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, respectively.

Spirit Tracks takes place one hundred years after the events of both The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass.

The Spirit Train is the primary means of transportation in The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. This huge locomotive is used to navigate one’s way around New Hyrule. Like the S.S. Linebeck from The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, the parts of the Spirit Train can be replaced with other parts. Apparently created by the Spirits of Good, the Spirit Train is a powerful, fast locomotive that was placed in the Tower of Spirits and turned to stone, only to be used by a hero in times of danger. Link, a train engineer, turns out to be this hero, and the Spirit Train is his to command. On the front of the locomotive is emblazoned a depiction of the new royal crest, likely owing to the fact that it seems to be the symbol of the spirits.

The game is set in the land of New Hyrule, a new kingdom founded by Tetra, some point after the events of Phantom Hourglass. An incarnation of the protagonist Link, an engineering apprentice ready to become a qualified train engineer, travels to Hyrule Castle to receive his engineer’s certificate from current incarnation of Princess Zelda (Tetra’s granddaughter/descendant). Although Zelda’s adviser, Chancellor Cole, believes the ceremony is pointless, as the Spirit Tracks that make up the train systems around Hyrule are slowly disappearing, Zelda continues with the ceremony. Once finished, Zelda secretly gives Link a note to meet her in her quarters later and a warning to not trust Chancellor Cole. There, Zelda implores Link to help her escape the castle and take her to the Tower of Spirits with his train, where she believes the mystery of the disappearing tracks can be solved. To sneak out of the castle, Zelda gives Link the Recruit Uniform (with the same design as the Hero’s Clothes from The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass) of the castle guards to blend in, distracting them while Zelda sneaks past.

While en route to the Tower of Spirits with Link’s engineering teacher and former soldier Alfonzo, the tracks they are on disappear, nearly causing the train to tip over. As Link and Zelda watch, the Tower breaks into pieces, hovering above one another. They are ambushed by Chancellor Cole, revealing himself to be a two-horned demon, and has a henchman named Byrne. Alfonzo and Link are unable to protect Zelda from Byrne’s power, and Chancellor Cole uses dark magic to separate Zelda’s soul from her body. Cole and Byrne then take her body and depart, leaving Link unconscious.

Link wakes up in Hyrule Castle, with both he and Alfonzo having been rescued. After leaving the room, Link sees Zelda’s spirit floating into the castle and goes after her. After trying to call on the castle guards for help, who, like everyone else, are unable to see her, she floats to her chambers. Not knowing that Link has followed from behind, the two finally see each other. Zelda tells him they must go to the Tower of Spirits through a dangerous underground passage after retrieving the Spirit Flute, a magical pan flute that has been passed down from generations of the royal family, from her quarters before leaving. When they arrive at the lobby of the Tower of Spirits, they are met by Anjean, a Lokomo (a servant of the Spirits of Good) who is the previous owner of the Spirit Flute (Anjean gave it to Zelda’s ancestor Tetra to help protect the kingdom), and can see Zelda’s spirit form. She explains that many years ago, the Spirits fought the evil Demon King Malladus, and in the end, he was imprisoned deep beneath the earth. The Tower of Spirits and the Spirit Tracks that connect to it were built to contain Malladus, but with their disappearance due to Chancellor Cole’s involvement, Malladus will soon be able to escape, using Zelda’s stolen body (containing the dormant power of the Spirits) as his vessel. Horrified and panicking, Zelda then demands to know how to prevent the Demon King’s return, to which Anjean replies that the Spirit Tracks have to be restored by retrieving and completing several ancient rail maps (one for each of the four realms of Hyrule) from the above floors of the Tower to restore the Spirit Tracks. Then, the Tower must be linked up by the Spirit Tracks to four different temples, one in each of the four known realms. When Zelda tells Link to get moving while she waited in the tower lobby, Anjean tells then that “ascending the tower alone is impossible,” meaning that Zelda will have to accompany Link. She reluctantly agrees after the Lokomo reminds her that “this kingdom is your responsibility.” After saving Link from a Phantom (a Tower of Spirits guardian), she realizes that by collecting three Tears of Light and then having Link attack the Phantom from behind, she can possess the Phantoms to help Link within the Tower of Spirits.

With the help of Zelda and the other Lokomos, Link restores the Spirit Tracks and most of the Tower of Spirits. After obtaining the final rail map, Byrne shows up to kill Link. Anjean shows up as well, revealing that Byrne is also a Lokomo that went rogue at a young age. This information shocks Link and Zelda, and Anjean teleports the duo down to the lobby before having an apparent battle with her former apprentice: Byrne. After restoring the Tower of Spirits and the Spirit Tracks to normal, Link and Zelda go back to the tower, There, they are blocked by Byrne, who had apparently defeated Anjean. The two overpower him and reach the top of the tower, where both Malladus’s spirit and Zelda’s body are located. Malladus successfully enters the vessel, and, knowing that Byrne was a servant of the spirits, attacks him when he asks for the great power he hoped Malladus would grant him. It is shown that he is not yet used to his new vessel, and leaves with Chancellor Cole on the Demon Train.

Anjean and a now-reformed Byrne then direct the two to find two artifacts they will need to find and defeat Cole and Malladus: the Compass of Light and Bow of Light. After retrieving both, Anjean gives Link the Lokomo Sword and joins Link and Zelda as they head for the Dark Realm where Cole and Malladus await. In the Dark Realm, Link battles the Demon Train, Cole and Malladus, securing Zelda’s body and destroying the Demon Train. As Zelda prepares to rejoin her spirit to her body, Malladus attempts to possess her body again, but Byrne interferes and helps Zelda rejoin her body. Malladus instead destroys Byrne. Without a vessel, Malladus takes over Chancellor Cole against his will, completing his resurrection. However, Cole’s body is unable to contain Malladus’ spirit for long, though he vows to destroy the world before he is completely rejected. Once again, Link and the restored Zelda work together to defeat Malladus with Zelda’s magic, the Bow of Light and the Lokomo Sword, destroying the entity along with Cole forever.

After the battle, Anjean reveals that she and the other Lokomos are leaving the kingdom, their duty to protect it from Malladus now complete. Anjean also reveals that Byrne is not dead, but only a newborn spirit which will be restored many years from now. Anjean, Byrne’s spirit and the other Lokomos then ascend into the heavens, as Link and Zelda watch, holding each other’s hands.

Near mint condition.