Platformer Update

Developer/Publisher: Frontier
Year: 2008

Lostwinds is one of the premier launch titles for Nintendo’s new Wii Ware service and the only platformer among the lot.  Developed by Frontier, the game aims to show just what can be done with only 49 megs.  The presentation and gameplay presented are undeniably great but even those don’t tell the whole story.

Lostwinds features surprisingly beautiful and detailed imagery for a download game.  The design of the landscape, architecture and characters looks vaguely Andean or perhaps Tibetan.  The music is unique compared to other light-hearted platforming games, featuring ambient melodies and arrangements that are far from upbeat.  The gameplay itself is fun and refreshing but not particularly challenging.  The hero of the quest is controlled with the nunchuk while the Wiimote harnesses the power of the wind, which serves as the equivalent of a jump feature.  Most enemies are dispatched rather easily using the wind.  The real meat of the game is an almost Zelda-ish exploration and puzzle-solving system, complete with separate dungeon-type areas often climaxing in the aquirement of a new power or upgrade. 

The presentation and the gameplay check out just fine but there are problems.  At least twice I ran into glitches that required me to reset the game or even the Wii itself.  On one occasion, the game froze while I passed from one room into another.  On another occasion, the main character became stuck in a wall somehow.  During the final boss encounter, I was again exasperated as he became stuck in the ground.  In addition to all that is the rather short game time.  It took me about 4 hours to complete the game and I’ve heard of others only needing 3 hours on their first playthrough.  Sure, the game only costs $10 but there were already serious cutbacks in graphics and content compared to a hardcopy game.  The size of the adventure didn’t need to suffer.  Additionally, when you reach the end of the game, it becomes clear that this is only the first part of a larger game.  Indeed, the sequel has already been announced.  So when everything is said and done, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are 4 or 5 ‘parts’, meaning the full game will end up costing just as much as a standard retail game.  If you compare that to a game like Prince of Persia Classic on Xbox Live Arcade, that doesn’t come across as a very good deal.

It’s probably worth your $10 to download Lostwinds but it remains to be seen whether the full game will be worth the premium price point it will end up costing.

Grade: B
Conclusion: Very mixed feelings