It's a Zelda game for the DS. It's published by Nintendo. It's going to have items to use, puzzles to solve, dungeons to explore, bosses and lesser monsters to strike, and swords to hack and slash with. It's taken up 99% of the lives of everyone here at ZeldaInformer for the past month or so. And there will be trains. Lots of trains.

Okay, so that's simplifying things a bit much. Truth is, we've covered a wealth of Spirit Tracks info the past couple weeks, and we plan to sum it up as best we can in our own words as we enter the weekend-before-release.

The Gameplay

Spirit Tracks utilizes the DS's functionality in much the same way as its predecessor, Phantom Hourglass. As before, players will use the stylus to control Link, and the menu interface in this game is largely the same, with a few new additions.

There are two main gameplay themes in Spirit Tracks: the first is, of course, the game's trademark train. While the train has to stick to the tracks, you'll chart your course and fire cannons at monsters and other obstacles in much the same fashion as Phantom Hourglass's steam ship. The train has multiple speeds, and can even go backwards in a pinch. It's also armed with a train whistle that can signal your approach--a handy tool when livestock or enemies block the tracks. Sometimes Link will need to use the train to carry goods or passengers, both within the main quest and in sidequests.

The other gameplay device unique to Spirit Tracks is the extensive tag-team element involving the Phantoms, previously enemies in Phantom Hourglass. While traversing the Spirit Tower, Link will collect Tears of Light in order to power up his sword and strike at the Phantoms patrolling each floor. Once he does so, Princess Zelda will be able to possess the Phantom and use its hulking armored body to assist Link. The Phantom is essentially invincible, so it serves as a powerful weapon against foes and an effective shield against hazards such as fire. We've also seen multiple types of Phantoms, including one with a blazing sword, as well as a number of different ways that Zelda and Link can work together to solve puzzles.

As you progress through the game, you'll notice a flow not unlike what we previously saw in Phantom Hourglass. You'll first head to the Spirit Tower, which functions as a hub dungeon similar to the Temple of the Ocean King. Don't cringe--the repetitive trips through the same floors have been made completely optional this time around, and there's no time limit. There you'll run the gauntlet of puzzles until you find a piece of the map. Each map piece reveals new tracks and a new region of the land, not unlike the maps from Phantom Hourglass.

Head along the new route and you'll uncover new towns and races to investigate, and once you find the guardian sage of each area you'll be able to access a new dungeon. Dungeons hold items, items help you get through the dungeon and defeat its boss, and after each boss you'll unleash a giant Force Gem which will restore some of the Spirit Tracks. Then return to the Spirit Tower to find a new piece of the map and move on to the next area.

There's been a lot of polish to the gameplay mechanics, and the game makes a more concerted effort to take advantage of the unique hardware of the DS. The microphone in particular is used to a much greater extent in Spirit Tracks, and is now even used to activate some dungeon items. And speaking of items, a number of items have been confirmed, some new and some returning:

- New Item: The Spirit Flute

Early in the quest, Link will receive the Spirit Flute, an artifact once owned by the founding Zelda of the new kingdom seen in Spirit Tracks. Link will learn multiple songs with magical effects that can be used to solve puzzles or open new paths. The Flute is controlled by a combination of the stylus and the microphone. Blow into the microphone while lining up the pan pipes with the correct combination of colors to play different songs.

The first song learned is the Song of Awakening, which you'll need to access the first temple. The second song is the Song of Discovery, which works similarly to the Shovel seen in previous games. There's presumably at least one song for each of the various gameplay regions.

- New Item: Whirlwind

The first of the new items to be confirmed, the Whirlwind borrows a number of functions from the Gust Jar from The Minish Cap in that it uses gusts of wind to manipulate objects and enemies. You'll point with the stylus blow into the microphone to aim and trigger the Whirlwind, and a small cyclone will issue from it like a bullet fired from a gun. This tornado can snare objects like keys and make them easier to reach. The Whirlwind is also useful for stunning enemies and blowing away clouds of noxious gas, which will appear starting in the Forest Temple.

- New Item: Whip

Another new item is the whip, which combines the functions of the Hookshot and the Grappling Hook from The Wind Waker. It'll mostly be used to swing across wide gaps by gripping onto an overhanging bar or ledge, but can also grab faraway items and smack around enemies. The Whip appears to be snake-like in nature, with actual fangs gripping onto those grapple points. (Kind of begs the question of why they didn't call it the Rope as a sort of pun involving the name of the snake enemy...)

- Old Items: Boomerang, Bow, and Bombs

The old staples return once again, with basically the same functions as in previous outings. The Boomerang has notably been seen to carry Blue Fire as well as the normal fire it transferred in Phantom Hourglass, but mum's the word on any new uses for the other items.

There'll be plenty of tasks to complete as the game progresses, such as playing match-maker, gathering rabbits, delivering and trading items, and massing a horde of treasures such as demon bits and wood hearts. Watch out for every possible opportunity to make use of items and abilities to find secrets or reach new areas. Any longtime fan should know the drill.

Multiplayer will be similar to Phantom Hourglass in that players will gather Force Gems and avoid the attacks of Phantoms, but this time up to four players can join in, one donning each of the Four Sword colors. Force Gems will now be "absorbed" instead of needing to be carried individually, cutting out one of the annoying features of Phantom Hourglass's system. When players take hits, they drop Force Gems and other players can steal them to increase their score. There are six multiplayer maps based on the various gameplay areas visited during the single-player adventure, adding variety that was missing from Phantom Hourglass. Matches only require a single Spirit Tracks game card no matter how many people join in.

The Story

Spirit Tracks has a deep lore comparable to the more traditional titles, with a few new story quirks. Legends circulate the land, telling of a fierce Demon King threatened the people a long time ago, but was sealed away by the Spirits of Good. Shackles placed on the land bound the Demon King in a dark realm deep underground, and later were used as train tracks--the titular Spirit Tracks. This sounds oddly familiar, but the explanation for the train tracks is an interesting twist.

The game is set in Hyrule, but this time it's well-established that this is a New Hyrule, founded by Link and Tetra after Phantom Hourglass. Link begins as an apprentice engineer who hails from the town of Aboda and lives with a familiar face for longtime fans: Niko, the pirate swabbie from The Wind Waker. But this isn't just another recurring character, a descendant of the previous Niko, it's clear that this is the very same person we saw in the previous games--and that he's seen better days. Alfonzo, Link's instructor, should also look familiar, since he's the descendant of Gonzo, another member of Tetra's pirate gang.

As we set out, we learn that Link is about to head on his way to a graduation ceremony at Hyrule Castle, where he will become a fully-fledged Royal Engineer. When he arrives, however, we meet Chancellor Cole, a top adviser to the Royal Family who's short enough to put Napoleon to shame and who gives off a creepy leprechaun vibe. He remarks about how pointless Link's promotion is, but attends the ceremony anyway. Soon Princess Zelda appears to award Link with his new title, but as she does so she whispers in his ear that she needs his help.

After the ceremony is over, Link sneaks up to the Princess's tower and escorts her stealthily out of the castle. In order not to draw the attention of the guards, she gives him his traditional green garb, which at this time is the clothing worn by Hyrule's soldiery. Link's hood sets him apart, and is usually worn by new recruits. Even with the new clothes, however, Zelda still must sneak away unseen, so Link distracts the guards as she slips past.

They board Link's train and head towards the Spirit Tower, the central hub for the Spirit Tracks, but on their way the tracks disappear from under them and they crash! Chancellor Cole appears and, revealing his true colors, assaults Zelda, separating her spirit from her body. One of his cohorts, the mysterious Byrne, snatches Zelda's body and the two of them run off. At this, the Spirit Tower breaks apart--surely some great evil is on the horizon.

Link will soon reunite with Zelda, but we soon discover that something's amiss--Zelda is a ghost! She asks Link to take the Spirit Flute, which was given to her ancestors a long time ago, and asks him to try to accompany her to the Spirit Tower one more time to visit the resident sage there. Once at the tower, Zelda learns that she can take control of the Phantom guardians--formerly protectors of the temple, now corrupted by the recent events--and use them to help Link reach new places and avoid danger.

Together they track down the sage of the tower, a Lokomo named Anjean. The Lokomo are a new race to the series, and seem to have an affinity with machines. Anjean suggests that the duo head to to the temples of Hyrule, where they will be able to restore some of the Spirit Tracks. It's also imperative that they recover Zelda's body--since she has strong ties to Old Hyrule, her body will make a suitable vessel for the return of the Demon King.

So begins Link and Zelda's perilous quest for gold and glory. We know only sparse details from here on out, most of which were already covered in the gameplay section.

The World

There's lots to be found in this New Hyrule, much of it new and much of it familiar. In terms of the old, the Forest Temple and Lost Woods are already confirmed to make an appearance, as well as the obvious Hyrule Castle and Castle Town. We've reported on the return of an Anouki Village, and the promotional map seen in the first official trailers shows off Gorons in the upper-right corner. New places include the various villages: Aboda, Link's starting village, Whippleton, the village of Lumberjacks, as well as several others that we've yet to identify.

Like Phantom Hourglass's sea, the game is divided into distinct gameplay regions, with various towns, dungeons, and mini-dungeons to find in each one. There are six confirmed regions, plus the central Spirit Tower, and each centers on an elemental theme: Forest, Snow, Ocean, Fire, Sand, and Dark, in that order. Not much is known about most of these areas, although as one trailer revealed the ocean area will take us underwater. Every region has a temple to match, such as the Forest and Snow Temples, but the exact nature of most of the dungeons is still unknown.

The Lokomo are the native inhabitants of the land, and the ones we've seen appear to have taken on the role of the sages from previous games. They guard the temples of the land, and these temples in turn guard the seals on the Demon King. (The demon's name, by the way, is Malladus, so he's probably not related to Ganon as many previously speculated.) We've only heard the names of three of them so far, and their names all seem to be puns related to trains: Anjean (engine), Gage (gauge), and Steem (steam). Some have speculated that Byrne, the enigmatic partner-in-crime to Cole, might also be a Lokomo due to his clothing, which bears similar emblems to those worn by other Lokomo, his mechanical arm, and his name (which is also a pun, on the word "burn").

A recent video revealed that Linebeck is back, probably in the form of one of his descendants since, unlike Niko, he doesn't appear to have aged since Phantom Hourglass. This time he runs a curio shop, probably due to his ancestor's maniacal obsession with treasure. And if his shop is anything like the one in Phantom Hourglass, Link will once again be doing his work for him.

The return of Linebeck was one of the most intriguing surprises yet revealed, and you can bet there will be many more come Monday, when Spirit Tracks hits stores in the U.S. Be on the lookout for our second Spirit Tracks Bombers' speculation piece, which will open up discussion on much of the information mentioned here.