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IES OF S P O C E V FI TRACK T I R I P S ZELDA:
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GAME INFO The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks Format: DS Release Date: December 11th
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here can be very little d of argument that The Legen st Zelda is one of the mo ed video successful and acclaim game series of all time. But, there’s always been t there? something missing, hasn’ ncess of Yep, Zelda herself. The pri ed in 1986, Hyrule who was kidnapp d giving sparking the legend an tre, has, young Link his raison d’e ing of a until now, been someth ce in the vague and passive presen games themselves. er, Zelda Now, for the first time ev ole is joining Link for the wh adventure. Well, sort of. w be Her spirit, you see, can no the d seen, but only by Link (an ide and gu player, of course). She can an est d, help him through his qu
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t a little when things need to ge e control tak more physical, she can known as r of hulking suits of armou n the Phantoms. The player can ll as we as control these characters, zzles pu ve sol Link, to battle enemies, and uncover secrets. on his She also rides with Link ort, a nsp brand new mode of tra customisable train. uel to The The game is a direct seq urglass Ho Legend of Zelda: Phantom w and is packed with ne , puzzles, environments, enemies s. dungeons and weapon the aft Twenty-three years er end of Leg e Th original, it’s safe to say nt ica nif sig Zelda: Spirit Tracks is a ging an ch ry, leap forward in the sto well as e his nc the direction of the fra d. ye pla is as the way the game
ks is a landmark Legend of Zelda: Spirit Trac o’s classic series tend Nin in ase rele
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The new gameplay elements ensure that Spirit Tracks is an evolution of Phantom Hourglass, giving fans the classic Zelda experience they’ve come to expect.
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The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks sees Link take the controls of a customisable train
LINK’S EFFECT The Legend of Zelda is about to change forever with the release of Spirit Tracks. Product manager Roger Langford prepares us for a monumental title… Firstly, can you remind us briefly about the history and power of the Legend of Zelda franchise? The Zelda series has sold more than 59m units and has a fanbase like no other. The first Zelda was released on the NES in Europe in 1987 and became a benchmark for action adventure titles. With every Zelda title that is released the excitement level amongst fans gets higher and higher.
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So, come on, is Zelda dead? That would spoil the story...
Spirit Tracks is an evolution of Phantom Hourglass, but has plenty of new gameplay elements.
How does the story move forward in Spirit Tracks? Spirit Tracks is set roughly 100 years after Phantom Hourglass and there will be some familiar faces. However, the storyline is completely independent to other Zelda titles so Spirit Tracks is also a fantastic introduction for DS owners who have yet to play a Zelda game. How much can you tell us about the plot? The intro of Spirit Tracks begins with the fable of a Demon King who, many years ago, invaded the game’s peaceful land. A war between the spirits of heaven and the Demon King started – and lasted a lifetime. Eventually, with their last power the Spirits defeated the Demon King and buried the his soul in a dark realm under a tower. Link, the train apprentice, is introduced and you are asked to drive his train to Hyrule Castle to attend the train engineer graduation ceremony, hosted by Princess Zelda. After the ceremony, Zelda tells Link of the vanishing Spirit Tracks and
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And bring us up to date with a reminder about the last instalment? The last release, Phantom Hourglass (October 2007) brought the magic of the Zelda series to Nintendo DS for the first time. It introduced a new way of playing Zelda by utilising the Nintendo DS touch screen and stylus, allowing for more immersive and innovative gameplay.
asks you to take her to the Tower of Spirits. Princess Zelda has heard of a wise one who guards the land and lives in the tower. They sneak out of the castle and the adventure begins...
Okay, away from the plot, what do you think players will notice most in terms of gameplay? Spirit Tracks has a number of gameplay additions, such as exploring worlds via a train, solving riddles in dungeons with the cooperation of Phantoms and playing Spirit Pipes as well as new items like the Whirlwind which make for more intricate, refreshing puzzles. Is it similar to Phantom Hourglass in terms of the challenges it presents? The presentation of the Spirit Tracks and the control mechanisms are similar, but all the new gameplay elements have ensured that Spirit Tracks is an evolution of Phantom Hourglass, giving fans the classic Zelda experience they have become accustomed to.
There’s such a big Zelda fanbase, do you market to them directly or do you try and expand the audience every time? This game can certainly be expanded to a broader audience. Initially at launch we’ll be concentrating on our passionate Zelda fanbase, ensuring they know the latest title is out there. Moving forward we can leverage the nine million-plus DS install base and broaden the demographic out so that people who enjoy our titles such as Brain Training and Professor Layton will be exposed to the adventure and puzzle elements of Spirit Tracks.
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MEDIA WATCH
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MARKETING TV ● ONLINE ● PRINT ● POS The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks will be one of the biggest releases of 2009. The marketing will focus on the message that the Zelda franchise is back with one of its most intriguing chapters to date.... ● TELEVISION The marketing for Spirit Tracks centres around a TV campaign, which starts at launch and encapsulates the magic and mystery of The Legend of Zelda, as well as displaying the rich environments of the title itself. All Legend of Zelda fans will be aware of the title at launch with this heavyweight TV campaign.
91% Spirit Tracks is a goosebump-inducing delight from start to finish - ONM
WEBSITE
www.spirittracks.co.uk
● ONLINE The TV campaign will be coupled with online takeovers featuring characters and artwork on all major gaming sites. The creative will also include a trailer. All online display will direct to spirittracks.co.uk, which gives players information on the story, characters and new features that Spirit Tracks offers ● POINT OF SALE All POS will use the vivid Spirit Tracks imagery to its fullest extent. The POS includes standees, chocolate boxes, cubes and wobblers.
There is bountiful (and really quite beautiful) POS to help support the launch of Spirit Tracks in-store
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! IN W
: DA EL S Z K F C O RA D T EN IT G IR LE SP
Just in time for Christmas, Nintendo is giving you a chance to win one of five copies of one of the games of the year, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. To be in with a shout, simply answer the following question:
Time flies by when Link’s the driver of a....
A) Bus B) Train C) Renault Espace Send your answer to spirittracks@intentmedia.co.uk
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www.spirittracks.co.uk