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LostWinds Review for the Nintendo Wii

LostWinds Review for the Nintendo Wii

This is the first WiiWare title I’ve played, and I’m very pleased with it. WiiWare offers us the opportunity to buy small, lower-budget games at a fraction of what you’d pay at a retail store for a fully fledged game. It’s not like Nintendo invented the wheel with the WiiWare download service, but there’s uniqueness to it because the games take advantage of the innovative motion controls; this opens a lot of doors for creativity that you could never find on the Xbox Live Arcade or the PlayStation store. Of course, lots of worthless titles will be released as well, but at least they’ll be cheap.

LostWinds screenshot

From the small launch lineup of WiiWare games, LostWinds stands out from the rest. Sure, the new Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles game brought by Square Enix wins in popularity, but LostWinds is unique and imaginative. If you don’t mind using the Wii’s motion controls in special ways and enjoy adventure / puzzle / platform titles, you’ll end up loving this game, because it has it all.

The charming and inspired visuals are what drew me into this game in the first place. The Japanese influence is patent as soon as you see the beautiful and blossoming cherry trees spread throughout the lands. The idyllic and bucolic surroundings burst full of life. Despite its sweet and innocent feel, the level and character design reminds me a lot of other Nintendo games like Super Paper Mario or Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, though LostWinds looks more three-dimensional. However, not everything is how it looks, because the game scenarios actually lack depth. LostWinds is a 3D-looking, sidescrolling adventure. On numerous occasions I felt like exploring further into the homes depicted in the cute little villages, but sadly, I couldn’t. I won’t hold it against the developers though, because the game is what it is, and making it deeper would greatly increase developing time and production costs.

LostWinds screenshot

The game plot is cute and simple, but above all, very traditional. Early in the game you’ll find out the world of Mistralis is under an evil curse. Toku, a young little fellow from the town next door, meets Enril, the powerful Wind Spirit who can save Mistralis after it recovers its powers. There are a few other typical characters you’ll encounter, like the explorer that knows everything about the area or the wise, old mage that will eventually lend his knowledge for the cause.

The visuals and the story are not the only cool things about LostWinds. The game controls beautifully most of the time, and the way it works is fun and satisfying. Some people may compare the gameplay style to Kirby Canvas Curse, a Nintendo DS game where you move Kirby around by dragging the stylus over the screen and drawing lines that mark the path he’ll follow. Lost Winds is not quite like that, but there’s certainly a resemblance.

LostWinds screenshot

You’ll move Toku with the Nunchuk’s control stick, but you’ll use the Wii remote to make him jump from platform to platform, glide, and move objects. The Wii remote is what controls the Wind Spirit, and by moving the Wii remote you’ll create wind waves that help to get things accomplished. As you obtain new skills, Toku will learn to double jump, launch objects around with a vortex effect, etc. You’ll also learn the slipstream technique, which will allow you to draw paths that wind and water can follow. This is imperative when solving puzzles where you have to light up torches, water a seed to grow a plant, etc. Later on, you’ll obtain a cape he’ll use to glide, and you can use the slipstream with it too.

LostWinds screenshot

The more you play, the savvier you’ll get. By using the different techniques, you’ll be able to solve tricky puzzles or simply reach the next platform. The game mixes both genres nicely. It never gets too difficult, but you’ll eventually reach certain points where you feel stuck and confused. Always remember: if it’s not simple enough to do, it’s not right. Therefore, just give it some thought and take the easy path, even if it means backtracking. The world of Mistralis is not that big, at least in this first installment, so you’ll often find yourself visiting areas you’ve seen before. If you can’t figure it out, you might just need to visit the Message Boards and get some help.

While you play the game, you’ll love the relaxing background music. It has a nice zen feel most of you will enjoy despite its repetition throughout the adventure. More varied tunes would have been appreciated, but overall, it doesn’t really get annoying.

Perhaps there will be some upgrades in the second installment, which is already in the works at the Frontier Development studios. Although this game will only give you five hours of fun at most, at $10 the price seems right, and most players will be anxious to get their hands on the sequel.

Not many people will use this feature, but you can even play the game in co-op mode by just connecting a second Wii-remote. The second player will be able to control the wind, but the first player won’t lose control of it. Everything works well, as long as you manage to keep things in sync. It wouldn’t be very efficient if both players are trying to use the wind at the same time!

LostWinds screenshot

LostWinds is a solid WiiWare title. For game adventurers, it’s certainly well-worth the money and the experience. It’s been a while since a developer other than Nintendo puts out a story-based game this unique for Nintendo Wii.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 3.8 Graphics
LostWinds is a world full of colors. The character and level design is great, though the side-scrolling gameplay prevents you from exploring what you see. There’s a 3D look but no actual depth. 4.0 Control
You’d never think controlling a character by blowing wind around him would work so well, but it actually does. There’s a learning curve, but nothing players can’t learn. The use of the Wii-mote in combination with the Nunchuk is ideal in this case. 3.9 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The music is very relaxing and has a nice zen feel. The only complaint is that the tunes are repeated throughout the game. It doesn’t get annoying, but variety would have been nice. 3.4

Play Value
The game is very short and will only provide players with around five hours of gameplay at most. Skilled gamers will beat it in much less than that. After you beat it, there’s nothing else to do with it.

4.2 Overall Rating – Great
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • Mistralis is a stunningly presented, magical land full of wonder and intrigue that bursts to life with your every action and exploration.
  • LostWinds’ novel, playful controls let you use Enril’s elemental powers to jump and glide Toku through Mistralis’ different regions, buffet and smash enemies, and solve puzzles on their journey to a dramatic showdown.
  • Bursting with new gameplay ideas that embrace the Wii controller, LostWinds puts the power of the wind in the palm of your hand.
  • Screen Resolution: Up to 480p (Progressive Scan, Widescreen).

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