GENRE
	Platform/Adventure
	DEVELOPER
	Frontier Developments
	PUBLISHER
	Frontier Developments
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1
	WI-FI ENHANCED
	No
	DS COMPATIBLE
	No
	BUY NOW AT

You are Toku, a small tribal boy. You are also Enril, an elemental wind god. LostWinds is a game witb dual duties: the player controls Toku with the nunchuck, and Enril with the Wii Remote's IR functionality. Initially, players may draw parallels to an old DS title, Kirby: Canvas Curse. However, this game blows Kirby and most full retail Wii games out of the water with excellent controls and a charming personality.

visuals

LostWinds pushes the memory limits (43 MB) for a launch game on Nintendo’s WiiWare service. Most Wii games cannot compete with the art style and clean presentation of the title. The environments clearly draw from Japanese inspiration with luscious cherry blossoms that sway as players brush the wind through the leaves. Toku sports spiky dark hair that reacts to the direction of airstreams along with a dark red hat. These visuals are kept simple, but also showcase a lot of personality. For example, Toku picks up a huge piece of fruit to munch on and then squishes beneath his feet when he finishes eating. Minor details such as allowing players to use gusts to affect NPCs also adds immersion, as a woman’s baby will fly from her hands before gently falling back into her grasp. In addition, the use of bloom lighting and a bright color palette merges well with the relaxing nature of the game to create a beautifully thought-out game, especially for a download.

While there are many outstanding graphical features of the game, it is important to note a few problems with the title. First, LostWind’s frame rate will hiccup from time to time as players move along the world. One instance led to the game ultimately freezing and locking up the Wii. Upon research, other bugs have been discovered relating to Enril’s wind powers. These occurrences may be few and far between, but still show that a few more weeks of testing could have led to a smoother experience.

audio

The musical score elegantly soothes with a relaxing theme that relies on wind-based instruments such as the flute. The score plays throughout the game along with background noises of waterfalls and NPCs reacting with "Ooos" and "Ahhs" as the wind picks them off their feet. The music will shift as danger approaches to a faster beat involving drums. This soundtrack never grew stale during our playtime, but a couple of extra tunes would certainly not have hurt, especially for the differing areas within the game.

gameplay

The concept behind LostWinds centers on guiding Toku left and right with the control stick and using the Wii-mote to draw wind gusts that guide Toku to higher platforms. By simply holding the A button, players can slow down time and easily sketch two vertical lines to enable Toku to double jump. Enril will slowly gain new abilities to fire and water to varying areas of the map. An open, 2D world encompasses these play mechanics in the same vein as the Metroid series. The entire world is seemingly open from the start of the game, although certain areas are locked off to Toku and Enril until they can regain superior powers. This gives the player a sense of discovery and achievement with each goal reached, but can also lead to frustration because it's hard to know which direction to go first. In addition, the game has no map, so it's easy to get confused about one's current location.

LostWinds is masterful with Wii's controls. The IR aiming is precise and gives the player a control input device that interacts within environments. Within minutes, any gamer will be slinging Toku from platform to platform and up in the air to reach new heights. The great pacing and new abilities, such as using the B button to create slipstreams, keep the gameplay fresh. The new control mechanics actively integrate into puzzles as well. Blowing rocks is used to break barriers, for example, while leading water to a plant with a gust of wind can cause the plant to grow. The environmental problems are not too difficult, but will require some thinking to gain access to new areas. The only problem with the puzzles relates to moving rocks across the setting. Rocks will continue to roll a few feet off a vital platform and require exact precision to place back. This small setback is by no means detrimental to the game, but still can irritating.

Along with puzzles, the game contains a few encounters with a couple different enemies. The enemies are the waste of the evil spirit Balasar, and usually defeated by a quick strike of wind. As players progress, new enemies will require strategies that relate to the latest regained ability. All in all, the fighting plays a secondary role to exploration and problem-solving.

The game is by no means a long title, as we completed the adventure within three hours. This length and quality was more than adequate for the small fee of 1000 Wii Points, but other players may find it too brief for their tastes.

multiplayer

The game allows a second player to control the wind with another Wii-mote's IR functionality. However, this co-op multiplayer feature does not allow direct control of Toku with the nunchuk. Basically, this is a single-player affair.

overall

This game will put a goofy grin on your face. While a few faults may hold back the score from being perfect, LostWinds is a refreshing and almost nostalgic experience that will leave a player excited, but still asking for more. Luckily, Frontier seems to be already working on a sequel. Hopefully, the sequel will correct the few flaws present, such as a lack of a map and irritating boulder segments. Even with these problems, Toku and Enril have glided into a couple of my favorite videogame characters. The smooth presentation, soothing soundtrack and perfect Wii controls -- unmatched on any other console -- come together to craft a magnificent adventure/platformer. Download it now.

8.9/10