Big adventure for a tiny droplet
April 26, 2007 – Konami has been one of the leading forces behind the Wii since its launch. Several games arrived on the console, but none has equaled the sleeper hits success of Elebits. With good reason, Elebits took the notion of using the Wii-mote to the level that Nintendo anticipated developers would. Albeit simple in nature, no one can deny the hours of fun to be had with the game. Well, Konami is at it again with a future release in a similar vein. The new game that will stimulate our neural senses is about a tiny droplet of water named Dewy and his adventure.
Like many quests bestowed upon young heroes before him, Dewy must defeat the evil Don Hedron before his black waters destroy his world. However, it will not be just as simple as that. You, Dewy, will traverse levels solving puzzles, defeating dark enemies, and, of course, depleting puddles of black water. There is also an additional side story where Dewy must also save the ailing Elder Tree that gave him life. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, that would be the case except this is for the fully interactive Wii and, as we all know, it will not be as simple as that.
The gameplay will feel much like Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz. You will tilt the world in order to move Dewy around. Unlike Super Monkey Ball, where you have to hold the Wii-mote in the pointer position, you will hold it horizontally. Utilizing the Wii-mote in this manner will enable for better player control over the character. This will also result in better player comfortability, which we all can use. Since you will be controlling Dewy’s movement through the tilting motions of the Wii-mote, the 1 and 2 buttons will act as your primary function buttons. The 1 button will be your jump button, and the 2 button will serve as your attack. The interesting thing about the attack button is that you must have enough momentum in order to deliver an attack to your enemies. In addition to the primary buttons, players will also use the Wii-mote’s motion sensing capabilities for different skills. For example, waving the Wii-mote in a fan motion will unleash a gust attack, and moving your Wii-mote side to side will cause an earthquake to erupt. These are just a few of the skills revealed that incorporate the motion sensing Wii-mote’s functionality.
Dewy will also have the ability to adjust his temperature, and his abilities will change accordingly. Considering that Dewy is water based, you can imagine how his temperature will change the gameplay. For instance, when you change to hot, you will become vapor and float above the stage, waiting for a gust of wind to move you around the stage. When Dewy changes to cold, he will have the abilities to freeze things, including the stage floor you are on. These abilities will, undoubtedly, come in handy when facing certain enemies. These changes are designed for attack measures, as well as, puzzle solving needs. However, it has yet to be fully disclosed which will play a stronger importance for these changes, attacking or solving.
A couple of traits shared with the popular Elebits game are going to be the level creator and the taking a photo option. Even though there has not been much information released about these features and how they will correspond with the rest of the game, one thing has. The created levels that you will design can be played with up to four other players. Konami has also confirmed that the photos you take and the levels you design will be shareable through the WiiConnect 24. Again, full disclosure on how these features will work has yet to be divulged. Either way, the inclusion of the WiiConnect 24 option is a welcomed one.
The characters are cute; Dewy resembles a cross between Kirby and any of the numerous Pokemon. The environments are bright and vibrant. The friends you will rescue in the stages add to the mix of colorful characters. Even the enemies you will face are cute. I cannot stress the heavy levels of cuteness in this game enough. The reason is that even though some gamers might initially be turned away by the level of cuteness, the enjoyment of the game seems to be intact. Even the sounds of the game give the allure of cuteness, but an undoubtedly enjoyable experience.
While the heavy cuteness factor of the game might turn away some players, need I remind us all about another game that was classified as cute, but is highly addictive and enjoyable? Pikimin. Konami seems to have combined the cuteness of Pikimin and the appeal of Elebits into Dewy’s Adventure. Only time will tell how enjoyable the adventures of Dewy are. As more information becomes available, be sure to check back here for the latest. Until then, be sure to pick up Elebits for one of the most entertaining Wii experiences to date.
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