Hey everyone, I'm posting today to advertise my new video! It's my top 5 songs from Super Mario Galaxy 2. Feel free to post yours in the comments, and I really appreciate you taking the time to enjoy my vids!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rp9IG_MPv0
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Professor Layton and the Unwound Future
Professor Layton and the Unwound Future (DS)
The Professor Layton series has been a hit in Japan and a sleeper hit in Western states. The third installment, Professor Layton and the Unwound Future, hopes to duplicate the success of the first two, but is it enough this time around? Yes.
The game starts out with Layton and Luke receiving a letter from a supposedly future version of Luke. From here, the game spawns an incredible turn of events ranging from time travel to a few run-ins with old friends and fiends. The game's story is phenomenal like always, and constantly keeps you on your toes guessing as it twists itself through plot-twists. That being said, the story felt right. It was never rushed, and was kept at a great pace, just like the first two. I found the story to not be as compelling as the previous title, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, but it still kept me captivated and wanting more each chapter. Speaking of chapters, the game is split into about 10 chapters, and the game will take you 6-8 hours to complete, adding countless more for all 165 puzzles and extra games and challenges. The overworld is huge, mainly taking place in Future London, and spanning multiple areas such as Chinatown and even Present London. Navigating is much easier thanks to the nicely implemented undergrouond railways, letting you go from one place to the
next.
The whole premise of the Professor Layton titles is puzzles. And the game is full of them. Any citizen around town's got puzzles for you, and interacting with items usually spawn Layton or Luke to challenge each other with a puzzle that reminded them of that item. The puzzles are great this time around, ranging from difficult to just right. Hint coins are scattered around town, and these help you unlock hints for those super tough puzzles. New this time around is the super hint, which costs two hint coins, and usually gives away the answer to the puzzle. These puzzles take place on the lower screen of the DS and have great touch-screen compatibility as you slide blocks and write numbers. I did have trouble with handwriting recognition, but that was just me. Navigating around London is easy, just tap the foot in the lower-right corner of the screen and tap where to go.
Aside from the main quest, Layton's chest offers tons of things to do. If you're lost and need to recap on the story, just tap Hershel's journal and you'll be caught up in no time. The puzzle index is also in here, so if you want to replay a puzzle anytime, just stop in here. The new minigames this time around include Luke's toy car, which offers a fun diversion as you navigate yourself around a little course. Also new is the storybook, a Mad-Libs-esque story, letting you collect stickers and complete picture books. The best one, though, takes place in the parrot mini-game. This little fellow, helping you in your main quest as well, helps you deliver packages to citizens in a fun test of skill. If that isn't enough, just like the last game, Nintendo's offering weekly puzzles in the form of Wi-Fi events, but don't expect any if you're not hooked up.
Once more, the music is the best it's been, offering a new remix on a monotonus puzzle tune, and featuring beautiful pieces for the areas of London. The graphics didn't receive much of an update, but it didn't need it. The crisp voice acting and greatly scripted video sequences are a great addition as well.
Professor Layton and the Unwound Future is a fantastic DS title. You can start here, or with any of the previous titles. The story may not be as compelling as before, but it's fantastic puzzles and gameplay keep you around for more. A pure masterpiece on the DS.
Pros:
Phenomenal Puzzles
Great Audio/Videos
Tons to do!
Cons:
Story not as compelling
9.5/10
The Professor Layton series has been a hit in Japan and a sleeper hit in Western states. The third installment, Professor Layton and the Unwound Future, hopes to duplicate the success of the first two, but is it enough this time around? Yes.
The game starts out with Layton and Luke receiving a letter from a supposedly future version of Luke. From here, the game spawns an incredible turn of events ranging from time travel to a few run-ins with old friends and fiends. The game's story is phenomenal like always, and constantly keeps you on your toes guessing as it twists itself through plot-twists. That being said, the story felt right. It was never rushed, and was kept at a great pace, just like the first two. I found the story to not be as compelling as the previous title, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, but it still kept me captivated and wanting more each chapter. Speaking of chapters, the game is split into about 10 chapters, and the game will take you 6-8 hours to complete, adding countless more for all 165 puzzles and extra games and challenges. The overworld is huge, mainly taking place in Future London, and spanning multiple areas such as Chinatown and even Present London. Navigating is much easier thanks to the nicely implemented undergrouond railways, letting you go from one place to the
next.
The whole premise of the Professor Layton titles is puzzles. And the game is full of them. Any citizen around town's got puzzles for you, and interacting with items usually spawn Layton or Luke to challenge each other with a puzzle that reminded them of that item. The puzzles are great this time around, ranging from difficult to just right. Hint coins are scattered around town, and these help you unlock hints for those super tough puzzles. New this time around is the super hint, which costs two hint coins, and usually gives away the answer to the puzzle. These puzzles take place on the lower screen of the DS and have great touch-screen compatibility as you slide blocks and write numbers. I did have trouble with handwriting recognition, but that was just me. Navigating around London is easy, just tap the foot in the lower-right corner of the screen and tap where to go.
Aside from the main quest, Layton's chest offers tons of things to do. If you're lost and need to recap on the story, just tap Hershel's journal and you'll be caught up in no time. The puzzle index is also in here, so if you want to replay a puzzle anytime, just stop in here. The new minigames this time around include Luke's toy car, which offers a fun diversion as you navigate yourself around a little course. Also new is the storybook, a Mad-Libs-esque story, letting you collect stickers and complete picture books. The best one, though, takes place in the parrot mini-game. This little fellow, helping you in your main quest as well, helps you deliver packages to citizens in a fun test of skill. If that isn't enough, just like the last game, Nintendo's offering weekly puzzles in the form of Wi-Fi events, but don't expect any if you're not hooked up.
Once more, the music is the best it's been, offering a new remix on a monotonus puzzle tune, and featuring beautiful pieces for the areas of London. The graphics didn't receive much of an update, but it didn't need it. The crisp voice acting and greatly scripted video sequences are a great addition as well.
Professor Layton and the Unwound Future is a fantastic DS title. You can start here, or with any of the previous titles. The story may not be as compelling as before, but it's fantastic puzzles and gameplay keep you around for more. A pure masterpiece on the DS.
Pros:
Phenomenal Puzzles
Great Audio/Videos
Tons to do!
Cons:
Story not as compelling
9.5/10
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Mario Galaxy 2 - Wii
In 2007, Nintendo released Super Mario Galaxy, their "spiritual" sequel to Super Mario 64. It was praised highly for it's unique level design, fantastic soundtrack, and it's genuine fun factor. 3 years later, we come to Super Mario Galaxy 2. It features great new changes to an already amazing formula, and is a blast to play.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 completely forgets about what happened in SMG 1, ditching the old observatory story and starting fresh, with Mario on his way to the Star Festival. And guess who's back? Yes. Bowser. And guess what? He wants Peach. So he attacks the festival in enormous form and kidnaps Peach. Mario then meets a baby Luma, who fans will remember from the first game. He (she?) takes Mario to the sky, and he lands on a mini-hub world in the form of Starship Mario, a sort of Mario playground letting you take breaks from galaxies and have fun running around. From here, Mario meets a huge purple Luma thingie, and the game picks up.
Like I said, the game ditches the hub world from the first game, and sticks to a traditional world map, like in side-scrolling Mario titles. This works great, and is much easier to navigate than the Comet Observatory. From here, Mario can enter galaxies. In each galaxy, there's about 3 levels, usually one from the start, one hidden one, and one level featuring a comet challenge. To get these comet challenges, one must collect the comet coins. There's one in each level, and once Mario has enough, the comet's randomly show up on the galaxies.
Now onto the gameplay. Superb. If you thought the original SMG was good, think again. The sequel features not only 3-D levels, but a host of classic 2-D levels, reminiscing of the old Mario games. These are fantastic, and every level features intuitive level design, and each offers a new different twist. Mario's got a feast of new power-ups as well. Including Rock Mario, and with a shake of the Wiimote, curls Mario into a ball, letting him flatten and break anything he touches. Also new is Cloud Mario, my personal favorite, which lets Mario create 3 clouds which act as platforms, letting him reach new heights. Nintendo's also brought back Bee Mario, Boo Mario, and Spring Mario. Did I mention Yoshi? He's back as well, and he's got a few tricks of his own. He can swing off of flowers, and eat enemies and spit them out. He's got 3 power-ups, including a Blimp Yoshi, a Dash Pepper, and a Light Yoshi, each offering unique things to the prized gameplay. There are also new gameplay mechanics such as flying with a bird, using a drill to drill through planets, and back from the original is the big rolling ball, and these are all welcome additions.
This game is very tough, and I found myself dying multiple times. Thankfully, the game scatters Hint TVs around levels, and you can watch them and learn hints from them. I didn't use them much at all, but for new players it's great. Also, if you die a lot in a level (and trust me, you will), Rosalina will show up and she'll show you how to get through the level, similar to the Super Guide in NSMB Wii. This is a massive game, spanning 6 worlds with about 8 galaxies in each. Once you have 120 stars, you might think you're done. But no, you must collect 120 green stars, offering a challenging way to keep you back for more.
The controls are pretty much the same as the first game, and they work even better. In the original Galaxy, there was sometimes an awkward camera system, and this sometimes led to frustration. Thankfully, it's all been fixed in the sequel, and it never gets in the way of awesome gameplay. The graphics see a bit of an update from the original, but they're still not earth-shattering. The soundtrack is incredible, but not as good as the first game. These tunes will be stuck in your head for days, and that's not a bad thing.
Galaxy 2 is incredible. The best Wii game to date. A must-have for any Wii owner, casual or hardcore.
Pros: Everything!
Cons: Nothing?
10/10
In 2007, Nintendo released Super Mario Galaxy, their "spiritual" sequel to Super Mario 64. It was praised highly for it's unique level design, fantastic soundtrack, and it's genuine fun factor. 3 years later, we come to Super Mario Galaxy 2. It features great new changes to an already amazing formula, and is a blast to play.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 completely forgets about what happened in SMG 1, ditching the old observatory story and starting fresh, with Mario on his way to the Star Festival. And guess who's back? Yes. Bowser. And guess what? He wants Peach. So he attacks the festival in enormous form and kidnaps Peach. Mario then meets a baby Luma, who fans will remember from the first game. He (she?) takes Mario to the sky, and he lands on a mini-hub world in the form of Starship Mario, a sort of Mario playground letting you take breaks from galaxies and have fun running around. From here, Mario meets a huge purple Luma thingie, and the game picks up.
Like I said, the game ditches the hub world from the first game, and sticks to a traditional world map, like in side-scrolling Mario titles. This works great, and is much easier to navigate than the Comet Observatory. From here, Mario can enter galaxies. In each galaxy, there's about 3 levels, usually one from the start, one hidden one, and one level featuring a comet challenge. To get these comet challenges, one must collect the comet coins. There's one in each level, and once Mario has enough, the comet's randomly show up on the galaxies.
Now onto the gameplay. Superb. If you thought the original SMG was good, think again. The sequel features not only 3-D levels, but a host of classic 2-D levels, reminiscing of the old Mario games. These are fantastic, and every level features intuitive level design, and each offers a new different twist. Mario's got a feast of new power-ups as well. Including Rock Mario, and with a shake of the Wiimote, curls Mario into a ball, letting him flatten and break anything he touches. Also new is Cloud Mario, my personal favorite, which lets Mario create 3 clouds which act as platforms, letting him reach new heights. Nintendo's also brought back Bee Mario, Boo Mario, and Spring Mario. Did I mention Yoshi? He's back as well, and he's got a few tricks of his own. He can swing off of flowers, and eat enemies and spit them out. He's got 3 power-ups, including a Blimp Yoshi, a Dash Pepper, and a Light Yoshi, each offering unique things to the prized gameplay. There are also new gameplay mechanics such as flying with a bird, using a drill to drill through planets, and back from the original is the big rolling ball, and these are all welcome additions.
This game is very tough, and I found myself dying multiple times. Thankfully, the game scatters Hint TVs around levels, and you can watch them and learn hints from them. I didn't use them much at all, but for new players it's great. Also, if you die a lot in a level (and trust me, you will), Rosalina will show up and she'll show you how to get through the level, similar to the Super Guide in NSMB Wii. This is a massive game, spanning 6 worlds with about 8 galaxies in each. Once you have 120 stars, you might think you're done. But no, you must collect 120 green stars, offering a challenging way to keep you back for more.
The controls are pretty much the same as the first game, and they work even better. In the original Galaxy, there was sometimes an awkward camera system, and this sometimes led to frustration. Thankfully, it's all been fixed in the sequel, and it never gets in the way of awesome gameplay. The graphics see a bit of an update from the original, but they're still not earth-shattering. The soundtrack is incredible, but not as good as the first game. These tunes will be stuck in your head for days, and that's not a bad thing.
Galaxy 2 is incredible. The best Wii game to date. A must-have for any Wii owner, casual or hardcore.
Pros: Everything!
Cons: Nothing?
10/10
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Sunday's News
Here's what went on this last week in the world of Nintendo:
Nintendo DSi XL Released
Nintendo has once again remade the Nintendo DS, this time redoing the DSi, making it much bigger, and that's just about it. I don't really see the point, since they're pretty much hinting at a DS 2 to be shown at E3 this year.
Wii Netflix Launches
A while ago, we heard of news that the very popular online DVD service, Netflix, was finally coming to the Wii, after years of being on xBox and PS3. If you're a member, head to netflix.com to get your Wii rental disc in the mail, and then you'll be able to start browsing on your Wii!
More Super Mario Galaxy 2 News
As you all know, I'm a huge SMG fan, so I've been all over the Internet looking for news on the sequel as soon as it hits. As we all know, this time around, the HUB world is gone, and here Miyamoto explains why (http://gonintendo.com/viewstory.php?id=118670>) Also, the game features 240 stars this time, doubling the amount of the original 120. Also, the Super Guide has been talked about, and if it will be implemented into this sequel.
Nintendo DSi XL Released
Nintendo has once again remade the Nintendo DS, this time redoing the DSi, making it much bigger, and that's just about it. I don't really see the point, since they're pretty much hinting at a DS 2 to be shown at E3 this year.
Wii Netflix Launches
A while ago, we heard of news that the very popular online DVD service, Netflix, was finally coming to the Wii, after years of being on xBox and PS3. If you're a member, head to netflix.com to get your Wii rental disc in the mail, and then you'll be able to start browsing on your Wii!
More Super Mario Galaxy 2 News
As you all know, I'm a huge SMG fan, so I've been all over the Internet looking for news on the sequel as soon as it hits. As we all know, this time around, the HUB world is gone, and here Miyamoto explains why (http://gonintendo.com/viewstory.php?id=118670>) Also, the game features 240 stars this time, doubling the amount of the original 120. Also, the Super Guide has been talked about, and if it will be implemented into this sequel.
Pokemon HeartGold/Soul Silver
Pokemon HeartGold/Soul Silver (DS)
Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver are the 6th series of Pokemon adventures. These are a remake of the original Gold and Silver for GBA, which has been called the best Pokemon games ever created. Gold and Silver brought much more to the very full Pokemon table, adding not only full-color graphics, but also gameplay elements you wouldn't think of living without today, such as the cycling clock and daily events.
Pokemon HG and SS follow the same structure of every Pokemon game. Become a Pokemon trainer and battle up the ranks, beating 8 gym leaders and becoming the champion. You all know the formula, and this time around it's no different, providing many hours of beefy gaming. If you played Diamond and Pearl, you'll see no difference in the graphics here, but compared to the original Gold and Silver, they are a major upgrade from the once boxed houses now to full color vibrant cities. In addition to a greatly-needed graphics update, HG and SS provide remixes of everyone's favorite tunes, and these will be in your head forever, which is a good thing.
So, if this is a remake, what's all new? Well, in addition to the revamped graphics and sound as mentioned above, HG and SS bring everything from previous Pokemon games and blend it together into a big fiesta of Pokemon extravaganza. So, you've got favorites such as the Safari Zone, Battle Frontier, but also new places from later games such as the Pal Park and the Global Terminal, a place solely for Wi-Fi trading, battling, and videos. Also, back from the original are the day-to-day events such as the bug catching contest or random people giving you items on certain days, and these are very welcomed back. Also new to HG and SS is the Pokeathlon, a big dome north of Goldenrod City where you and 3 of your Pokemon participate in stylus-based events. This wasn't possible in previous Pokemon games, and it's a lot of fun.
Of course, I can't end this review without mentioning the Pokewalker, a brand new, HG and SS exclusive device, which lets you transfer a Pokemon over to the Pokewalker, and level them up and play with them in your real life. It also functions as a pedometer, and Pokemon level up by walking. You can also find Pokemon and items, and meet up with other Pokemon on other Pokewalkers. The Pokewalker is not just an excuse to get outside, but it's also a deep, fun way to take Pokemon with you wherever you go.
This is a long quest, spanning two regions, 16 badges, and over 450 Pokemon to collect. If you want to collect 'em all, we're talking a very, very lengthly quest. Also this game has a high replay value thanks to the Wi-Fi functionality and day-by-day events.
Pokemon HG and SS aren't just great remakes to the games everyone grew up with, but they're also a great way to get newer players into the world they may have never experienced. 10/10
Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver are the 6th series of Pokemon adventures. These are a remake of the original Gold and Silver for GBA, which has been called the best Pokemon games ever created. Gold and Silver brought much more to the very full Pokemon table, adding not only full-color graphics, but also gameplay elements you wouldn't think of living without today, such as the cycling clock and daily events.
Pokemon HG and SS follow the same structure of every Pokemon game. Become a Pokemon trainer and battle up the ranks, beating 8 gym leaders and becoming the champion. You all know the formula, and this time around it's no different, providing many hours of beefy gaming. If you played Diamond and Pearl, you'll see no difference in the graphics here, but compared to the original Gold and Silver, they are a major upgrade from the once boxed houses now to full color vibrant cities. In addition to a greatly-needed graphics update, HG and SS provide remixes of everyone's favorite tunes, and these will be in your head forever, which is a good thing.
So, if this is a remake, what's all new? Well, in addition to the revamped graphics and sound as mentioned above, HG and SS bring everything from previous Pokemon games and blend it together into a big fiesta of Pokemon extravaganza. So, you've got favorites such as the Safari Zone, Battle Frontier, but also new places from later games such as the Pal Park and the Global Terminal, a place solely for Wi-Fi trading, battling, and videos. Also, back from the original are the day-to-day events such as the bug catching contest or random people giving you items on certain days, and these are very welcomed back. Also new to HG and SS is the Pokeathlon, a big dome north of Goldenrod City where you and 3 of your Pokemon participate in stylus-based events. This wasn't possible in previous Pokemon games, and it's a lot of fun.
Of course, I can't end this review without mentioning the Pokewalker, a brand new, HG and SS exclusive device, which lets you transfer a Pokemon over to the Pokewalker, and level them up and play with them in your real life. It also functions as a pedometer, and Pokemon level up by walking. You can also find Pokemon and items, and meet up with other Pokemon on other Pokewalkers. The Pokewalker is not just an excuse to get outside, but it's also a deep, fun way to take Pokemon with you wherever you go.
This is a long quest, spanning two regions, 16 badges, and over 450 Pokemon to collect. If you want to collect 'em all, we're talking a very, very lengthly quest. Also this game has a high replay value thanks to the Wi-Fi functionality and day-by-day events.
Pokemon HG and SS aren't just great remakes to the games everyone grew up with, but they're also a great way to get newer players into the world they may have never experienced. 10/10
Thursday, January 7, 2010
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (DS)
Sorry for the blog shutdown, guys, I'll be back for a bit.
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is the successor to the first Zelda DS, Phantom Hourglass. PH was fun, but it required you to revisit the same temple about, what, 4 or 5 times? That's too much. Spirit Tracks takes everything bad about PH, and takes it to a whole new level.
Since Zelda games are heavy on story, I'm just gonna give you the rundown. Link is now a train conductor, and is on his way to get his official certificate in Castle Town. He meets Zelda, and they set off for the Spirit Tower, a creepy huge tower looming in the center of Hyrule. It's certainly seen better days, and it's the cause of the Spirt Tracks' (railroad tracks) disappearances all about Hyrule. When they get there, they are ambushed and some dude kills Zelda! That's right. Kills her. Link brings her soul to life at the Spirit Tower, with help of an old lady, and she tells them a big long story.
Spirit Tracks follows a linear format, but with added twists throughout. First, you must retrieve the Spirit Maps from different floors of the Spirit Tower. You get these with the help of your pal Zelda, who's soul is in disguise in a Phantom's costume. Then, you set out to the realm's sanctuary, learn a song, and clear the zone's temple and restore the power to the tracks, then repeat.
The graphics looks great, one of DS's best, and are a step-up from the 2007 predecessor. Control is simple, use the stylus to move Link, just tap and he'll come running. Double-tap to roll, and swipe to slash your sword. The train is one of the biggest additions to Spirit Tracks, and it is incredible. Much better than any of his old boats, the Spirit Train is a great new addition to the Zelda Transportation Library. You trace your route on the map, and off you go, controlling your speed, firing enemies with your cannon, and avoiding enemy trains.
It's a Zelda game, and what's a Zelda game without new items? Spirit Tracks boasts some old favorites, such as the boomerang, bow and arrow, and bombs, all which use great stylus control (especially the boomerang). New items include the Deku Fan, which you blow into the microphone to send a gust of one flying. Perfect for stunning enemies, activating fans, and getting items. The other new item is the Whip Snake, a Indiana Jones-esque whip. Link uses this to attack enemies, swing over pits, and access new areas. Both are great. I would've liked to see the Clawshot somehow incorporated into the DS, but that's just me.
There's a lot of depth and replay value to ST. Spawnning 5 incredible dungeons, tons of villages and places to explore, and fun addictive minigames such as hunting rabbits, stamp collecting, and collecting treasure. The bosses in ST once span both screens, like in PH, but these are much interesting. Each have unique ways to beat them, usually using the item you aquired, and are very tough.
The biggest new addition, in my opinion, is the Spirit Flute, which may even beat the Ocarina in best Zelda Instrument Category. Playing is simple, just drag along the bottom screen to move the flute to its respective holes, and then blow into the DS microphone. You use the flute to restore the Spirit Tracks's power with duets from the Lokomos, access new hidden items, and much more.
That about wraps up the ST review. It beats Phantom Hourglass in every way imaginable, and is one of the best DS games out there. Buy it.
Pros:
Great Zelda Adventure
New Items, Dungeons, and Quests
Spirit Flute
Cons:
Linearity
Overall: 9.5/10
Sorry for the blog shutdown, guys, I'll be back for a bit.
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is the successor to the first Zelda DS, Phantom Hourglass. PH was fun, but it required you to revisit the same temple about, what, 4 or 5 times? That's too much. Spirit Tracks takes everything bad about PH, and takes it to a whole new level.
Since Zelda games are heavy on story, I'm just gonna give you the rundown. Link is now a train conductor, and is on his way to get his official certificate in Castle Town. He meets Zelda, and they set off for the Spirit Tower, a creepy huge tower looming in the center of Hyrule. It's certainly seen better days, and it's the cause of the Spirt Tracks' (railroad tracks) disappearances all about Hyrule. When they get there, they are ambushed and some dude kills Zelda! That's right. Kills her. Link brings her soul to life at the Spirit Tower, with help of an old lady, and she tells them a big long story.
Spirit Tracks follows a linear format, but with added twists throughout. First, you must retrieve the Spirit Maps from different floors of the Spirit Tower. You get these with the help of your pal Zelda, who's soul is in disguise in a Phantom's costume. Then, you set out to the realm's sanctuary, learn a song, and clear the zone's temple and restore the power to the tracks, then repeat.
The graphics looks great, one of DS's best, and are a step-up from the 2007 predecessor. Control is simple, use the stylus to move Link, just tap and he'll come running. Double-tap to roll, and swipe to slash your sword. The train is one of the biggest additions to Spirit Tracks, and it is incredible. Much better than any of his old boats, the Spirit Train is a great new addition to the Zelda Transportation Library. You trace your route on the map, and off you go, controlling your speed, firing enemies with your cannon, and avoiding enemy trains.
It's a Zelda game, and what's a Zelda game without new items? Spirit Tracks boasts some old favorites, such as the boomerang, bow and arrow, and bombs, all which use great stylus control (especially the boomerang). New items include the Deku Fan, which you blow into the microphone to send a gust of one flying. Perfect for stunning enemies, activating fans, and getting items. The other new item is the Whip Snake, a Indiana Jones-esque whip. Link uses this to attack enemies, swing over pits, and access new areas. Both are great. I would've liked to see the Clawshot somehow incorporated into the DS, but that's just me.
There's a lot of depth and replay value to ST. Spawnning 5 incredible dungeons, tons of villages and places to explore, and fun addictive minigames such as hunting rabbits, stamp collecting, and collecting treasure. The bosses in ST once span both screens, like in PH, but these are much interesting. Each have unique ways to beat them, usually using the item you aquired, and are very tough.
The biggest new addition, in my opinion, is the Spirit Flute, which may even beat the Ocarina in best Zelda Instrument Category. Playing is simple, just drag along the bottom screen to move the flute to its respective holes, and then blow into the DS microphone. You use the flute to restore the Spirit Tracks's power with duets from the Lokomos, access new hidden items, and much more.
That about wraps up the ST review. It beats Phantom Hourglass in every way imaginable, and is one of the best DS games out there. Buy it.
Pros:
Great Zelda Adventure
New Items, Dungeons, and Quests
Spirit Flute
Cons:
Linearity
Overall: 9.5/10
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