The fact that The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks haven’t received remasters on the Nintendo Switch isone of modern gaming’s biggest sins. Link and Zelda’s DS classics are severely underrated, and while they perhaps can’t compete with the likes ofWind WakerorBreath of the Wild, there is still something uniquely special about these portable efforts.
Both games are wonderfully distinct in their mechanics, as you’re let loose on a boat across the expanse of Hyrule before jumping aboard a train to choo choo all the way across the kingdom. Both are vehicles you need to manage intimately, with each acting as Link’s little home on the road and a means of transportation. While Phantom Hourglass has you being accompanied by swashbuckling (and slightly pathetic) pirate Linebeck, Spirit Tracks has Zelda returning to the fray.
Nothing Beats A Sassy Ghost Princess
Taking place a century after Phantom Hourglass, Link is now a train engineer in training who meets Zelda shortly after graduating with flying colours. She asks him to try and investigate the titular Spirit Tracks alongside her, but after a few introductory hijinks, the Princess finds her spirit pulled from her body with no way to return.
Zelda might be a ghost in Spirit Tracks, but she never gets murdered or anything. It’s more ‘out-of-body experience’ and less ‘I’m going to haunt your ass forever.’
With one of the big bads determined to take possession of Zelda’s body and destroy Hyrule, it’s up to Link to save the world with the help of a spiritual monarch by his side. This opening establishes such a delightful tone for the rest of the game, where Link and Zelda are free to explore a fresh new version of Hyrule. It’s a partnership born out of desperation, but one that eventually settles for friendship. I love how the two interact so much, especially how Zelda isn’t afraid to be such a sassy brat when she has nothing left to lose.
There’s asceneearly on where Zelda tries to establish the stakes, saying that she won’t hesitate to haunt Link forever if things go awry. The way her spirit moves across the screen and her voiceless dialogue sarcastically drips out is perfectly representative of Nintendo’s intention for her character. Without a kingdom to rule if she can’t return to her body, Zelda isn’t afraid to be sarcastic and reckless if the situation calls for it.
Zelda Should Be Allowed To Let Her Hair Down More Often
In the majority of entries, whether it be Ocarina of Time or Tears of the Kingdom, Zelda is burdened by the lofty expectations of her position. Not only is she a princess, but the next in line to adopt magical powers destined to save Hyrule itself. She has to live up to this prophecy again and again, even if it means putting her life on the line. Games do a wonderful job of balancing these between the joyful attitude she is so desperate to express with the need to defend her kingdom.
Breath of the Wild’s flashbacks range from Zelda hugging her dying friends on the battlefield to obsessing over wild frogs caught with Link by her side. She is smart, playful, and ever so inquisitive, but again and again these qualities are silenced out of obligation. Spirit Tracks is an example of Princess Zelda letting loose, allowing her wilder side to take the reins in a spirit form where so many of her usual roles are reversed. There’s also plenty of Tetra in her personality and mannerisms despite a century passing since Wind Waker.
During my research for this article I also came across avideoof people shipping Link and Zelda in Spirit Tracks. These fans never stop, and I salute them for their service.
My memory of Spirit Tracks is pretty hazy, but as the DS classic celebrates its 15th birthday, Princess Zelda in her sassy ethereal form rises to the surface of my mind again and again.
