I sat down at Nintendo’s Redwood City office to get a good look at the single-player mode for myself (since all I had to go on were Nintendo Power previews and Stephen Totilo’s experience) before diving into the multiplayer mode. I was given a choice: I could replay the same demo Nintendo Power and Totilo had already covered, or I could be one of the first to see the second dungeon in the game – the Snow Temple.

What kind of correspondent would I be if I didn’t go for the latter? A copycat, that’s what!

What Is It?
The Snow Temple was described to me as the “second” dungeon in the game once Zelda and Link are sent to the Tower of Spirits to restore the Spirit Tracks of Hyrule. The level began outside the snow-covered structure with the train parked out front and Zelda hovering beside Link.

What We Saw
The temple had about three floors and judging from the main room that requires puzzle solving, I’d say I completed three quarters of it before having to stop to play some multiplayer.

How Far Along Is It?
The game comes out December 7. I was playing on a normal-sized cartridge that could well be a final version of the game.

What Needs Improvement?
My Snow Temple For An Item-Toggling Button: Link started this dungeon with the Whirlwind item and earned the Boomerang about halfway through. To use an item, you’ve got to select it from a menu so that it appears in an icon in the upper right-hand side of the lower screen. Tapping that icon activates the item and then you do whatever is required of you to use it (blow in the mic for the Whirlwind, draw a path on the screen for the Boomerang). There came a point in this dungeon where you had to use the boomerang to create a path of ice over water (by crossing its path through an ice torch and back across the water) – and then quickly change to the Whirlwind to activate a switch out in the middle of the water. Because the ice path melts quickly, your timing has to be spot on and it can get pretty fiddly when you’re trying to bust out the Whirlwind, aim it and THEN blow into the mic. I died at least twice, wishing in vain that a tap of the shoulder button would switch between items.

Dude, Where’s My Zelda? As soon as I set foot in the Snow Temple, Zelda shrank and faded away with a sigh. It turns out she can’t go with you or help you within the Temples and you can’t talk to her for advice the way you could with other companion characters in other Zelda games. This turned Spirit Tracks into an experience that was an awful lot like Phantom Hourglass. Phantom Hourglass was good, so that’s not an automatic minus – but I think people were expecting the all-new Zelda gameplay to be a consistent feature instead of an area-specific thing.

What Should Stay The Same?
Shallow Learning Curve: Truthfully, I never beat The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and it’s been ages since I’ve touched it. But it really didn’t take long to master the stylus-only controls and the menus weren’t at all difficult to navigate and interpret. People who missed out on Phantom Hourglass are going to be just fine adjusting to Spirit Tracks.

Sure Rings My Bell: The entire temple was based on moving three bells into a main room together so that Link could trigger them in a sequence to open a door. This objective was communicated entirely through visuals (little panels with bells on different note lines, panels on the floor, etc) and all of the puzzles were familiar slide-the-block, clear-the-room-of-monsters affairs that I know and love in Zelda games. I got so caught up in the familiar, simple gameplay, I didn’t mind dying twice and getting stuck three different times.

Final Thoughts
Despite not having beaten Phantom Hourglass and not really liking The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker (yeah, I said it – you wanna fight?!), playing Spirit Tracks felt like coming home. That’s probably the best feeling I could ask for from a game, especially so close to the holidays when I long for that feeling and have all this extra time to play games.

But anyway, Spirit Tracks has multiplayer. Boy does it ever have multiplayer, and boy did we ever play it. Here’s what we liked:

What Is It?
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks’ multiplayer mode is akin to The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures for the GameCube — four people each control one colour-coded Link and move around the same map as the other Links. The difference in Spirit Tracks is that instead of trying to help each other, you’re racing each other to collect Power Gems and trying to royally screw each other up on the way.

Note: It’s local-only.

What We Saw
I played two matches against a developer and two publicists at Nintendo’s Redwood City office after finally getting my hands on the single-player mode.

How Far Along Is It?
Spirit Tracks is out December 7. I was playing on a normal-sized cartridge that may have been a final version.

What Needs Improvement?
Little Bit Laggy: When dashing around the dungeon map, things start off steady and the Power Gem drops are few and far between. As the match picks up pace, however, and players start falling into traps or getting sliced up the Phantoms, huge amounts of Gems will suddenly spill out onto the map. That plus all four players frantically running to that point to scavenge Gems caused a couple of super-laggy moments in an otherwise smooth experience.

Trap Door Confusion: There are trap doors in every map that are either random or triggered by switches. I honestly couldn’t tell you which, though, because sometimes I’d press a switch and a trap door would open and sometimes the door seemed to open and shut in a kind of rhythm. It was confusing — and that much more frustrating when I fell into one because I didn’t know if I should blame somebody for it.

What Should Stay The Same?
Spreading The Phantom: Numerous Phantoms — those big guys in helmets from the last Zelda DS game, Phantom Hourglass — wander the maps, prowling for Links. When one spots you, a little icon pops up above your head, indicating that it’s got a bead on you. If you fail to run for your life, the Phantom will speed toward you and cut you – costing you precious Power Gems and precious seconds as you scramble to get up and recover them before the other players get there. The fun part about this mechanic is the bit where you can pass the Phantom’s bead onto other players you run by — like spreading Chlamydia. It’s amusing.

The Invisible Zone: One map we tried out had a patch of water in the centre that rendered players invisible when they ran in. You could still see ripples where their feet landed in the water — and if you look closely, the ripples are colour-coded like the Links — but with all four players running around in there and Phantoms bearing down on one or more of them, it was blind panic. And freaking awesome.

Mario Kart-style Pick-ups: Occasionally, an orb with a question mark on it will fall from the sky. Players that snag this pick-up are treated to several things like a random Gem drop, invisibility or a lightning strike that you can inflict on other players. It keeps things interesting and can be the salve to the wound of a player who just went from 51 Gems to two after a string of Phantom infections.

Single Cartridge Play: I am so happy that it doesn’t require four people to actually buy the game to enjoy this mode.

Final Thoughts
The multiplayer mode in Spirit Tracks certainly isn’t the main attractions of the game — but it’s a solid addition that deserves to be played if you can tear yourself away from trains and princesses for a little while.

Last Friday, Reggie Fils-Aime sat with Kotaku and got to discuss the unusual: Releases, within a month of each other, of new games in his company’s two star series (no offence, Pokemon).

The Mario hype train was already trundling along by the time we spoke, charging through a Sunday release of New Super Mario Bros. Wii, a game Nintendo is marketing heavily as a four-player twist to the most classic of its video game franchises.

Fils-Aime, who chatted with me in his suite at New York’s Waldorf Astoria, was ebullient. “I really do believe that New Super Mario Bros. Wii will satisfy even your most jaded, even your most competitive player,” he said. “I’ll tell you, there’s nothing like playing New Super Mario Bros. with three of your friends. You’re picking each other up and throwing each other into the lava pits and the crevasse. This game is the most fun.”

The biggest concerns I had seen from Kotaku readers prior to the game’s release has been among those who believe their lives don’t allow for co-op shared-couch Mario adventuring. They’d either have to play the game alone or lament its lack of online play.

Fils-Aime maintained that the game is “superb” for single players, but he admitted desire for online options. Nintendo’s multiplayer racing and fighting series, Mario Kart and Smash Bros., did have online on the Wii. New Super Mario is the odd one out.

“This was a decision made purely by the developers,” he said. “They believe this experience, in the same room, to be elbowing your friends and family members as you’re playing the game [is ideal]. It was really their decision. I personally would have loved for it to be online capable as well, but having played the game, I really can’t fault it for not being online multiplayer.”

In just a few weeks Nintendo will release a Zelda game as well: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. Fils-Aime refers to it as the game he is “personally looking forward to most” this Christmas. Despite that enthusiasm it’s among the Zelda games Nintendo has kept most quiet about. The company announced it in March, showed it at E3 in early June but offered little news about the game since, before publicising in recent weeks that hero Link would spend this adventure alongside an active Princess Zelda this time.

Why keep so quiet about this game for so long?

“We believe that to tease fans over an extended period of time really doesn’t do the gamer just service,” he said. “So, we have always been mindful of: When’s the launch date? When’s the right time to share information? How do we break information? In particular, with this game, given the Zelda dynamic — which you find out about right at the start of the game — we really wanted to keep that secret and have it be a big reveal. That is something very new and very different in a Zelda game, [having] Princess Zelda essentially playing along with you. That’s essentially what drove the strategy for how we reveal the information, when do we reveal the information and the fact that it had to be fairly late.”

I related to Fils-Aime the discussion that the blog Press The Buttons started regarding the different box art for Spirit Tracks in Europe, Japan and America. For the American gamer, the box is darker and Link looks a bit tougher than he does on the package being sold in other regions.

“We just thought the package art we developed with [Nintendo's Japanese headquarters office] NCL that highlights the train and highlights the Phantom… was a great representation of the game,” he said. Does it show that Americans want a tougher, more aggressive Link? “Not at all,” he replied. But he did note that he was proud that Zelda sells more copies these days in the US than in other regions, meaning Japan and Europe.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii is in stores for the Wii now. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks will be released in North America on December 7 for the Nintendo DS.

Princess Zelda has been getting herself kidnapped on a regular basis for 23 years now, and Nintendo is ready for a change. Today the company announces that for the first time ever, Zelda will be accompanying Link on his quest to save Hyrule — at least in spirit.

Seen in the GameTrailers exclusive trailer below, Princess Zelda’s body still gets kidnapped, but her spirit is free to help Link out as he rides the rails on his customisable train and delves deep into the various dungeons littered about the countryside like gopher holes on a golf course. In said dungeons, Zelda’s spirit will be able to possess Phantoms, hulking suits of armour, allowing the player to control both characters in order to win battles and solve puzzles. With Zelda having a constant presence in the game, fans can expect a closer look at the character than ever before.

“More than two decades into its rich history, The Legend of Zelda has introduced another historic first for players as Link and Zelda unite to save Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Combining these unprecedented new story and game-play elements with the series’ innovative touch-screen interface on Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi, the game is sure to surprise and delight new and longtime fans.”

Leave it to Princess Zelda to figure out a way to bug Link constantly while being kidnapped for the umpteenth time. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks pulls into retail stores on December 7.

A FEATHER STYLUS.

In Japan, those who pre-order the game can get a stylus that Nintendo was giving a few years ago. Progress!

Green told me that this is part of a trend, one I’d not been privy to. It goes back to Kirby, that pink puffball of a Nintendo character who was given some angry eyebrows for his American release.

Based on Green’s comparison of the box arts I’ve reprinted here, Europe will be sold the upcoming DS game The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks with Link the train conductor. America gets a swordsman. For a little more on the comparison and its history, check out the original article.

American Link Is Hardcore [Press The Buttons]

The list is long and likely full of third-party goods for both the Wii and DS platforms that won’t appeal to the general Kotaku readership, so here are some highlights.

• The Legend of Zelda: Spirits Tracks has been dated for December 7th in North America. You might already know that.
• Sadly, there is no specific release date for New Super Mario Bros. Wii. It’s still listed as a “Holiday” release.
• Shantae: Risky’s Revenge is coming to DSiWare from developer WayForward Technologies.
• Art Style: Digidrive adds another bit Generations title to DSiWare and the Electroplankton DSiWare releases are coming stateside.
• Nintendo will release Pinball Pulse: The Ancients Beckon and Sparkle Snapshots via DSiWare, titles previously unannounced.

But if you want the full list, here it is…

Wii

2K Sports
NHL 2K10 – Sept. 15
Baseball Blast! – Sept. 28
NBA 2K10 – Oct. 6

2K Play
Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom – Fall
Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: Super Game Day – Fall
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus – Fall

505 Games
My Ballet Studio – November
Baby and Me – November

Activision Publishing, Inc.
Animal Planet Vet Life – Sept. 15
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 – Sept. 15
Cabela’s Big Game Hunter 2010 – Sept. 22
Rapala We Fish – Sept. 22
Bakugan Battle Brawlers – Oct. 20
iCarly – Oct. 20
Madagascar Kartz – Oct. 20
Mountain Sports – Oct. 20
Hidden Mysteries Titanic – Oct. 27
Barbie and the Three Musketeers – Oct. 27
Jurassic Hunter – Oct. 27
DJ Hero – Oct. 27
Chaotic: Shadow Warriors – Nov. 10
Hot Wheels Battle Force 5 – Nov. 10
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex – Nov. 10
Tony Hawk: RIDE – Nov. 17
Band Hero – November
Guitar Hero Van Halen – Dec. 22

Aspyr Media
My Baby and Me – Nov. 17

Atlus U.S.A., Inc.
101-in-1 Party Megamix – Oct. 27
Trauma Team – Spring
Shiren the Wanderer – Spring

Capcom Entertainment, Inc.
Spyborgs – Sept. 22
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles – Nov. 17

City Interactive USA, Inc.
Chicken Riot – November
Combat Wings: The Great Battles of WWII – January
Art of Murder – March

D3Publisher
Family Party: 30 Great Games Outdoor Fun – Sept. 22
Astro Boy: The Video Game – Oct. 20
THE SECRET SATURDAYS: BEASTS OF THE 5TH SUN – Oct. 20
BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE: Vilgax Attacks – Oct. 27
Kamen Rider Dragon Knight – Winter

Destineer
We Wish You A Merry Christmas – Oct. 13
Buck Fever – Oct. 20
Alien Monster Bowling League – Oct. 27
Marines: Modern Urban Combat – Nov. 3
Satisfashion – Nov. 17
Rec Room – Nov. 17

Disney Interactive Studios
Disney Sing It: Pop Hits – October
Princess and the Frog – November

Electronic Arts
MySims Agents – Sept. 22
Dead Space Extraction – Sept. 29
Spore Hero – Oct. 6
CHARM GIRLS CLUB Pajama Party – Oct. 20
SimAnimals Africa – Oct. 26
LITTLEST PET SHOP FRIENDS - October
NERF 2: “N-Strike” Elite – October
HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT 2 – October
FIFA 10 – October
Need for Speed Nitro – Nov. 17
EA SPORTS Active More Workouts – November

Knowledge Adventure
JumpStart Escape from Adventure Island – Nov. 1

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
Walk It Out! – October
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories – November
Storybook Workshop – November
Karaoke Revolution – November
Ultimate Party Challenge – November
DanceDanceRevolution Hottest Party 3 – November
pop’n music – November
Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 – Q4

LucasArts
Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes – Oct. 6
LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues – Fall

Majesco Entertainment
Our House: Party! – Sept. 22
A Boy and His Blob – Oct. 13
Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 – Oct. 20
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel – Dec. 1
The Daring Game for Girls – Holiday

Mastiff
Shimano Xtreme Fishing – Sept. 29
Remington Great American Bird Hunt – Oct. 27

NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc
Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo – October
Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked – November
We Cheer 2 – November

Nintendo
Wii Fit Plus – Oct. 4
New Super Mario Bros. Wii – Holiday

Playlogic
Sudoku Ball Detective – Sept. 22

SEGA
Wacky World of Sports – Sept. 22
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games – Oct. 13
Planet 51 – Nov. 17
Jambo! Safari: Animal Rescue – Q4
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing – Feb. 10
Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll – Early 2010

SouthPeak Games
My Baby First Steps – Holiday
Sushi Go Round – Holiday

Square Enix
FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: THE CRYSTAL BEARERS – Dec. 26

Storm City Games
The Island of Dr. Frankenstein – Oct. 6
Vegas Party – Oct. 27
Bermuda Triangle: Saving the Coral – Nov. 9

Tecmo
Family Fun Football – Sept. 29

THQ
The Biggest Loser – Oct. 6
Cars Race O Rama – Oct. 13
Marvel Super Hero Squad – Oct. 20
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 – Oct. 20
SpongeBob Truth or Square – Oct. 26
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader: Game Time – Oct. 26
World of Zoo – Oct. 26
All Star Cheer Squad 2 – Oct. 27
Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter – Oct. 27
Daniel X – Jan. 12
World of Outlaws: Sprint Cars – Feb. 2

TOMY Corporation
NARUTO Shippuden: Clash of Ninja Revolution 3 – Nov. 17

Ubisoft
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs – Sept. 15
Where’s Waldo: The Fantastic Journey – Sept. 22
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-up – Sept. 22
The Price is Right 2010 Edition – Sept. 22
Family Feud 2010 Edition – Sept. 29
CSI: Deadly Intent – Oct. 20
Monster 4×4 Stunt Racer – Oct. 27
Rabbids Go Home – Nov. 3
Academy of Champions – Nov. 3
Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage – Nov. 8
Just Dance – Nov. 17
James Cameron’s Avatar The Game – Nov. 24
Your Shape Featuring Jenny McCarthy – Nov. 24

UFO Interactive Games, Inc.
Army Rescue – Sept. 29
Rock Blast – Oct. 20
Arcade Shooter: Ilvelo – Oct. 27
Geon Cube – Oct. 27
Smart Series Presents: JaJa’ Adventure – Nov. 10

Vir2L Studios
Medieval Games – Oct. 20

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Scooby-Doo! First Frights – Sept. 22
Where the Wild Things Are – Oct. 13
Game Party 3 – October
LEGO Rock Band – Holiday
SCENE IT? BRIGHT LIGHTS! BIG SCREEN! – Holiday

XSEED Games
JU-ON: The Grudge – Oct. 13
Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga – Fall

WiiWare

Aksys Games
BIT.TRIP VOID – Q3
BIT.TRIP series (3 additional titles) – Q4, Q1

Broken Rules
And Yet It Moves – Q4

Frontier
LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias – Q4

Gameloft
Ghost Mansion Party – Q3
The Oregon Trail – Q4

Ghostfire Games
Rage of the Gladiator – Q1

Incredible Technologies
Carnival King – Q3

Konami
Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth – Q3
Frogger Returns – Q4

Nabi Studios
Toribash – Q4

Natsume
Moki Moki – Q3
Harvest Moon: My Little Shop – Q4

Nicalis
Cave Story - Q3
Night Game – Q1
La Mulana – Q1

NinjaBee
The Amazing Brain Train – Q4

Nintendo
You, Me, and the Cubes – Q3
Eco Shooter: Plant 530 – Q4

Nintendo/TPC
Pokémon Rumble – Q4

Press Play
Max & the Magic Marker – Q4

React Games
Archon: Classic – Q1

Taito
Arkanoid Plus! – Q3

Team Meat
Super Meat Boy – Q1

Telltale Games
Tales of Monkey Island: Lair of the Leviathan – Q3
Tales of Monkey Island: The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood – Q4
Tales of Monkey Island: Rise of the Pirate God – Q4

Nintendo DS/Nintendo DSi

2K Play
Dora the Explorer: Dora Puppy – Oct. 26
Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: New Year’s Celebration – Oct. 26
The Backyardigans – Oct. 26
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus – Fall

505 Games
My Ballet Studio – November
Discovery Kids SpiderQuest – November
Dream Diary – November
Picture Perfect Hair Salon – November
IL2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey – Sept. 15

Activision Publishing, Inc.
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 – Sept. 15
Animal Planet Vet Life – Sept. 15
Bakugan Battle Brawlers – Oct. 20
iCarly – Oct. 20
Madagascar Kartz – Oct. 20
Barbie and the Three Musketeers – Oct. 27
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized – Nov. 10
Chaotic: Shadow Warriors – Nov. 10
Hot Wheels Battle Force 5 – Nov. 10
Band Hero – November

Aspyr Media
Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain – Oct. 26

City Interactive USA, Inc.
Sushi Academy – Oct. 13
Chronicles of Mystery: Curse of the Ancient Temple – Oct. 27
Animal Country: Life on the Farm – November
Party Designer – November
Art of Murder – February
Jewels of Sahara – March

D3Publisher
Astro Boy: The Video Game – Oct. 20
THE SECRET SATURDAYS: BEASTS OF THE 5TH SUN – Oct. 20
BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE: Vilgax Attacks – Oct. 27
Kamen Rider Dragon Knight – Winter

Destineer
Satisfashion – Nov. 17

Disney Interactive Studios
Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure – October
Disney’s A Christmas Carol – November
JONAS – November
Princess and the Frog – November

Electronic Arts
MySims Agents – Sept. 22
Spore Hero Arena – Oct. 6
CHARM GIRLS CLUB My Fashion Show – Oct. 20
CHARM GIRLS CLUB My Fashion Mall – Oct. 20
CHARM GIRLS CLUB My Perfect Prom – Oct. 20
SimAnimals Africa – Oct. 26
LITTLEST PET SHOP CITY FRIENDS – October
LITTLEST PET SHOP COUNTRY FRIENDS – October
LITTLEST PET SHOP BEACH FRIENDS – October
HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT 2 – October
FIFA 10 – October

Ignition Entertainment
Nostalgia – Oct. 20

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
WireWay – November

LucasArts
Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes – Oct. 6
Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron – Nov. 3
LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues – Fall

Majesco Entertainment
Our House – Sept. 22
Sideswiped – Sept. 29
Cake Mania 3 – Oct. 13
Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 – Oct. 20
Cooking Mama 3: Shop and Chop – Oct. 27
My Hero: Astronaut – Nov. 3
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel – Dec. 1
Dawn of Heroes – Dec. 1
My Hero: Firefighter – December
The Daring Game for Girls – Holiday

NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc
Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans – November

Nintendo
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky – Oct. 12
Style Savvy – Nov. 2
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks – Dec. 7

NIS America
A Witch’s Tale – Oct. 6
Atelier Annie: Alchemists of Sera Island – Oct. 27

PopCap Games, Inc.
Bookworm – Dec. 1

SEGA
Bleach: The 3rd Phantom – Sept. 15
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games – Oct. 13
Phantasy Star Zero – Nov. 10
Planet 51 – Nov. 17
Jambo! Safari: Animal Rescue – Q4
Sands of Destruction – January
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing – February
Infinite Space – Spring

SouthPeak Games
Montessori Music – Oct. 20
My Baby First Steps – Holiday
Sushi Go Round – Holiday
Crime Scene – Holiday

Square Enix
KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 DAYS – Sept. 29
SPACE INVADERS EXTREME 2 – Oct. 20

Storm City Games
Hands On! Tangrams – Oct. 13
Jewel Master Egypt – Oct. 20
Flaw – Oct. 27
Foto Frenzy – Nov. 2
Bermuda Triangle: Saving the Coral – Nov. 9

THQ
James Patterson Women’s Murder Club: Games of Passion – Sept. 15
Fabulous Finds – Sept. 21
Just in Time Translations – Sept. 21
The Biggest Loser – Oct. 6
Cars Race O Rama – Oct. 13
Marvel Super Hero Squad – Oct. 20
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 – Oct. 20
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader: Game Time – Oct. 26
World of Zoo – Oct. 26
SpongeBob Truth or Square – Oct. 26
Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter – Oct. 27
MX vs. ATV Reflex – Holiday

TOMY Corporation
NARUTO Shippuden: Ninja Destiny 2 – Sept. 15

Ubisoft
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs – Sept. 15
Where’s Waldo: The Fantastic Journey – Sept. 22
The Price is Right 2010 Edition – Sept. 22
Family Feud 2010 Edition – Sept. 29
Battle of Giants: Dragons – Sept. 29
Imagine Salon Stylist – Sept. 29
Imagine Sweet 16 – Oct. 4
Imagine Zookeeper – Oct. 6
PETZ PONY BEAUTY PAGEANT – Oct. 13
Imagine Fashion Designer World Tour – Oct. 20
CSI: Deadly Intent – The Hidden Cases – Oct. 20
Jam Sessions 2 – Oct. 20
PETZ DOLPHINZ ENCOUNTER – Oct. 27
Might and Magic Clash of Heroes – Oct. 27
Imagine Artist – Oct. 27
C.O.P. The Recruit – Nov. 3
Rabbids Go Home – Nov. 3
Imagine Babyz Fashion – Nov. 3
Fairyland Melody Magic – Nov. 8
Style Lab Jewelry Design – Nov. 10
Style Lab Makeover – Nov. 10
PETZ NURSERY – Nov. 10
PETZ DOGZ TALENT SHOW – Nov. 17
PETZ HAMSTERZ SUPERSTARZ – Nov. 24
James Cameron’s Avatar The Game – Nov. 24

Virtual Play Games
Junior Brain Trainer – Nov. 10
Junior Classic Games – Nov. 10

UFO Interactive Games, Inc.
Smart Boy’s Gameroom 2 – Sept. 29
Smart Girl’s Playhouse 2 – Sept. 29
Smart Kid’s Mega Game Mix – Sept. 29
Reversal Challenge – Oct. 13
Balloon Pop – Nov. 12

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Scribblenauts – Sept. 15
Scooby-Doo! First Frights – Sept. 22
LEGO Rock Band – Holiday
Where the Wild Things Are – Oct. 13
TouchMaster 3 – Oct. 27

XSEED Games
THE WIZARD OF OZ: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road – Sept. 29

Nintendo DSiWare

Gameloft
Uno – Q4

Hudson Entertainment
Bomberman Blitz – Q4

Nintendo
Art Academy: Second Semester – Sept. 28
Art Style: DIGIDRIVE – Q4
Electroplankton (10 titles total) – Q4
Picturebook Games: The Royal Bluff – Q4
Pinball Pulse: The Ancients Beckon – Q4
Sparkle Snapshots – Q4

Subatomic Studios
Fieldrunners – Q4

WayForward Technologies
Shantae:Risky’s Revenge – Q4

Spirit Tracks was officially unveiled at this year’s Game Developers Conference, but it wasn’t until this year’s E3 that we got to go stylus-on with the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. For more hands-on impressions of The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, make sure to choo choo your way to our latest preview of the game.

Nintendo also firmly dated two more Nintendo DS games, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky, due October 12, and Style Savvy, shipping November 2nd in North America.

Announced at Game Developers Conference in March, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks was first playable for us at E3 earlier this month. Crecente put stylus to DS and reported back. But the man was pressed for time.

Thankfully, a build of the new Zelda was carried to New York by some Nintendo reps, so I could play more of that E3 demo and discover just how bossy Spirit Tracks’ Link can be.

What Is It?
Nintendo-made action-RPG. Stars a kid dressed in green. Something about a sword, a shield. This one’s on a DS, set 100 years after the last one on the platform, The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass.

What We Saw
The E3 demo that was brought to NYC this week was divided into Dungeon, Boss and Train sections. I got timed-out by the demo in the Dungeon, skipped the Boss, rode the Train to pig-enraging victory – only to be beaten by the train’s boss enemy. That’s a lot of failure on my part, if you parse that out. So please don’t.

How Far Along Is It?
Spirit Tracks is set for a fall release. It’s clearly working with the art style – and maybe the engine – of Phantom Hourglass, so it looks solid already.

What Needs Improvement?

Train Schedule: Yes, controlling Link on his train is fun. The player can control both the speed of the train and the switches the determine how the tracks will guide the train at intersections. Link’s got a cannon he can fire at threatening enemies who ride boarback up to his train (tap anywhere to fire that cannon, as seen in Phantom Hourglass). The player can tug a rope icon to blow a whistle. But… there’s something strange about how the train missions are designed. That’s just it: if the demo is an accurate represntation of the structure of the final game, then note that these are missions, not moments encountered seamlessly while travelling from one dungeon to the next. The one in the demo is confined to a single-screen’s worth of map, a loose spaghetti-tangle of train tracks that leads past some enemy trains and into a cave where a boss dwells. In other words, it’s like a side mission. It’s not an emergent part of open-world exploration, which is what Link’s adventures on horseback in Ocarina of Time or on the deck of a boat in Wind Waker were. I’m the first to cheer Zelda innovating, but there’s a hint here of a choppier flow for this next Zelda. I need to see more to be convinced this won’t detract from the joy of open exploration found in most Zeldas.

The New Item Blows: In the dungeon, Link’s got some sort of wind-blown propeller thing that shoots a breeze wherever Link is pointing. This is useful for getting keys past walls of flame. You make the item emit its rush of air by… blowing into the DS mic. Those of us who like to play their DS on major metropolitan subways with dignity intact are officially dismayed.

What Should Stay The Same?
Gold-Standard Controls: The Phantom Hourglass had one of the best control schemes on the DS. It’s almost all stylus, with touches on open areas moving Link to those points, swipes at nearby enemies making him melee-attack and distant taps firing projectiles. Simple, smart, adaptable to many items and weapons, including that train cannon.

The Phantom: Crecente already wrote about how the demo introduces a Phantom partner character who patrols the demo’s dungeon with Link. He can carry Link over lava and be commanded to stand on switches. Better than that, the player defines the Phantom’s walking path by drawing a route for him on the screen, just as they drew the path of Link’s boomerang in Phantom Hourglass. (If any close readers are noticing a number of echoes of Star Fox Command’s winning RTS-lite design, I’m with you). Here’s what we didn’t report last time: drawing the Phantom’s path into that of an enemy sets the Phantom on the attack. Let him fight Link’s battles. The Phantom seemed like a more satisfyingly powerful, and more easily controllable partner, than those allies who showed up in some Wind Waker dungeons.

The Harassment of Pigs: I was tired of hacking at chickens with Link’s sword in other Zelda games, anyway. Peaceful pigs wandering near the train tracks Link is chugging over are perfect targets for cannonballs. Warning: they turn red and attack the train.

Final Thoughts
Nintendo often demos its Zelda games with discrete, themed sections, as it did for the E3 presentation of Spirit Tracks. It makes it hard to determine if some of the confines apparent in what we’re playing are only in the demo or representative of the structure of the full game. Either way, there was plenty that was fun in this build, even if some of it felt confining.

Those who have become fatigued of the Zelda series are weary of repetition of certain items and types of quests. Those are not elements that could be judged in the E3 Spirit Tracks demo. People who are still delighted by Zelda enjoy discovering new ways for Link to get around his world and new puzzle mechanics in his dungeons. In the E3 demo, both of those showed well.

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is a Phantom Hourglass-flavoured adventure for the Nintendo DS and DSi. Players take Link by train through puzzles that involve manipulating speed, avoiding obstacles and firing a cannon or blowing a whistle to keep enemies or wild animals off the track.

There’s also an action element where Link’s new companion — a suit of armour called Phantom — comes into play. Players can direct him with the stylus to carry Link to various places, walk through lava or fire, or just block for Link as he runs past enemies. Expect a bunch of new weapons as well; the press release mentions the Whirlwind, something that requires players blow into the DS or DSi mic. Oh, and the map notation system is back, too.

Check it out in the gallery.