I put a little time into LostWinds this evening. I haven't gotten particularly far yet but I've gotten to play enough of it to know that if WiiWare can establish games like this in its library, its future will be very bright.
The game is a side-scrolling platformer. The look is simple yet very well realized and pleasantly stylized. It's one of those games that's figured the Wii out: created graphics that play to the Wii's strengths and a look and feel that transcends the graphical limits of the platform. The game looks great.
The gameplay hook is in using the wiimote to create gusts of wind which the main character, Toku, can use to platform through the levels and complete puzzles. The wind is integrated into the environment so that brushing the cursor across trees, plants, and grasses will cause them to shake and wave. It's a small touch but the first time I did it, by accident, I grinned from ear to ear.
As I said, I haven't played too far into the game but, right now, the concept has really hooked me and the execution- smooth wiimote controls thankfully- make LostWinds a game I will definitely come back to. It's easily worth the ten dollars I spent on it. It's better already than games charging triple the price. I pray this will translate into strong sales. Games like these deserve all the success they get. Hopefully, this is just the beginning.
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