Many games populate the cluttered timeline ofThe Legend of Zelda, some being canon, and others spin-offs.The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracksis technically the former, but one would be forgiven for mistaking it for the latter in spite. Released for the Nintendo DS on June 29, 2025,The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracksis the second portable sequel toTLoZ: The Wind Waker, and it’s one of the greatest oddities in the series because of that.Zelda’s typical lack of direct sequels andWind Waker’s follow-ups jumping from console to handheld are unusual details, but they’re just the beginning ofSpirit Tracks’ strangeness.
WhileThe Legend of Zelda: Spirit Trackshas a fairly unassuming reputation amongZeldafans today, its age and inaccessibility not helping matters, it was a fairly radical game for its time. There had never been atrue narrative trilogy in theZeldaseriesbefore, and remaining a touchscreen-controlled game like its predecessor,Phantom Hourglass, was also a surprise. Even 15 years later, there are still plenty of ideas thatSpirit Trackseither pioneered or refined that modernZeldatitles have yet to revisit, and doing so could be worth the effort.
Zelda and Link Can Share The Spotlight
One of the biggest selling points thatSpirit Tracksoffered toLegend of Zeldaveterans was the chance to play both series protagonist Link, and the titular Princess Zelda.The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdomalso focused the princess, but that Zelda took precedence over Link. A Zelda-focused setup has its own appeal, butSpirit Tracksmade bothLegend of Zeldaprotagonists playable at once. Future games don’t need to keep Princess Zelda in the action as often, but more balance between the two in gameplay could serve aZeldatitle well.
Smaller Zelda Games Don’t Need Typical World Traversal
A less popularSpirit Tracksdetail was its lack of a proper overworld, or at least regular connective areas. Instead of the standard Hyrule Field, an open world, or evenThe Wind WakerandPhantom Hourglass’ naval navigation,Spirit Tracksplaced players on interconnected railroad systems, with regular gameplay resuming at stops along the way. This particular approach is fairly blunt about restricting the player, but it demonstrates that aZeldagame can forgo the massive world its name would imply and still hold an adventurous spirit. Any smaller upcomingZeldaspin-offs would be well served by taking note of this.
Constants Like Hyrule or Ganondorf Can Be Left Behind
Besides an unusual mode of travel,Spirit Tracksalso inherited a considerably different setting thanZelda’s norm fromThe Wind Waker. The Triforce, Ganondorf, and even the kingdom of Hyrule itself were all dealt with definitively inthis timeline by the end ofThe Wind Waker, soPhantom HourglassandSpirit Tracksrelayed the story of the Hylian people finding and colonizing a new land they also name Hyrule. Even if there are plenty of familiar elements, breaking away fromLegend of Zeldatradition helpedSpirit Tracksbuild its own identity, and upcoming games can follow suit.
Any Zelda Game Can Support A Direct Sequel
The most understated, but perhaps most important, trait thatSpirit Trackscan offer futureZeldatitles is its nature as a sequel. Nothing else in theZeldafranchise has had as many direct sequels asThe Wind Waker, and even if opinions on them are divided, they are still fullZeldagames contributing to the franchise’s mythos and gameplay.Revisiting fan favoriteZeldacharacters, settings, and features could be easily justified by giving other titles direct prequels and sequels as well.The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracksmay be old, but its worth to the series means it should never be forgotten.
