If you're asking yourself whether or not The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks will entice a player who's fallen out of love with the series -- either because of its reluctance to change or because of franchise fatigue -- the answer is that it might.

If your frustration with the series is with its trademark structure, then you won't find much to love here; dungeons are still the game's main attraction, with the same sort of progression the series is known for (solve puzzles, get special item, solve puzzles with special item, use special item to defeat boss) intact. It's safe to say that you're not fond of or are tired of this formula, there's nothing here for you.

For those still interested in this style of play, the new dungeons are predominantly tried-and-ture affairs. Once you get a dungeon's special item, you'll quickly learn to use it in creative ways. The creativity of the actual dungeons isn't a high-point in the series, but that's likely due to both my increased intimacy with these kinds of puzzles, and with the reduced and streamlined approach needed in a portable Zelda game. The dungeons here are simply refined versions of the standard design.

For new players, the game offers an excellent point of entry. Getting from one Dungeon to the next is quick and easy, the train's restrictive nature (more on that later) means you won't get lost too easily, and the dungeons are simple and easy enough that with one or two exceptions, you'll plow through the game if you're patient enough to let the answers come to you.

If your frustration is with the story threads that connect the dungeons, there's a small amount hope. The story isn't unique by gaming standards, but by Zelda standards, it's potentially mind-blowing. You're still trying to rescue the princess, but this time, not only is Zelda's ghost following you, but saving her serves to stop the ressurrection of an anceint demon. Cheesy, yes, but it's better than re-hashing another Triforce story thread.

Zelda also serves an important purpose, gameplay-wise. The tower from Phantom Hourglass (not the exact tower, but a tower) returns, but not only do you not have to backtrack through sections you've already been through -- a major complaint lodged against the previous game -- but you're now able to more easily dispatch the Phantoms that patrol the tower's floors. And, once a Phantom is slain, Zelda can inhabit the lifeless suit, which becomes the big focus of the new tower's puzzles. 

You control Zelda by drawing a path from her to her destination, which she then follows. For what is primarily a touch-focused game, it works well enough, but there are a couple of pathfinding issues here and there. Zelda has her own strengths and weakness, which means that she isn't the solution for every problem. She can navigate through lava easily, but she'll fall right through sand, which Link can cross with ease.

If your frustration is with the periphery aspects, then know that that area of the game sees the most radical changes. Reactions to the train will vary; on one hand, it streamlines the process of getting to your next checkpoint because there are a very limited number of places where you could possibly go. On the other hand, that same restrictiveness can work against the exploratory aspect of the series. I never felt like the game ever gave me a moment to stop and get some side quests done. The few side quests I found didn't really compel me to complete them as much as they usually do, mostly because I didn't feel like there was a good reason to, aside from the obligatory hearts (which, as in Phatom Hourglass, come in whole containers rather than pieces).