LostWinds (Wii) Reader Review

Okay then, now for my first Wiiware game review, and ironically, from my first purchased Wiiware game.
I have to say, I really enjoyed this game, and it definitely lives up to the hype, despite some obvious shortcomings. I'm looking forward to seeing more from Frontier in the (hopefully) near future, they've got some real talented workers. It feels like a good time and place to bash Ubicrap a bit more, but I won't. Putting their company name and LostWinds together in the same sentence is one hell of a disservice to the brilliance of this game.
Okay then...
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As far as history of the title goes, I can't really write that much about it. LostWinds isn't a sequel, re-imagining, remake, nor can it really be put in any kind of gameplay category. It was made by Frontier Developments, of which has Elite creator David Braben at the helm, so there is some pedigree behind the game, and it really shows.

The very first thing you'll notice about the game (aside from the annoyance of moving/deleting Virtual Console games to make room), is the lush graphics. Seriously, this game looks great, much more than you would expect from a �7.50 downloadable game. Trees sway in the background, grass gives way to the wind, and Fire and Water act as you would expect. It's a bit difficult to express in mere words how good this game looks, you need to see it for yourself.

LostWinds has a good Plotline too. Balasar, an evil Elemental spirit, has been freed from his prison, along with Enril, a Wind spirit that sacrificed herself previously to seal Balasar away. During his escape, Enril was scattered across the world, and that's where you, and the main controllable character, Toku, come in.

If I had to describe the gameplay in comparison to any other game, I'd have to choose Kirby; Power PaintBrush on the DS. In that game, you draw the path for Kirby to take on the touch screen, and LostWinds has a similar feel to it.
For this game, you use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. The Nunchuk Analog Stick controls Toku, your character on the ground, and the Wii Remote pointer, together with the A and B buttons, control Enril, the Wind Spirit. On his own, Toku is little more than a wimp that can barely do anything, paired up with Toku though, it's a different story.
Enril, being a Wind Spirit, can control the direction, strength, and timing of the Wind, and this is the key element of the gameplay. With it, you can propel Toku upwards to higher ledges, attack enemies, affect the Water and Fire found in the levels, control and move other items like boulders and fruit, fire obstacles at doors and Foes...There's a lot you can use the wind for in this game, and you'll be amazed at some of the ideas shown.
Of course, all of this matters not if the controls aren't up to scratch, and thankfully, they are. Controlling both characters is a breeze (pun intended), and it is incredibly rare for a mistake to be the fault of the controls.

Playing LostWinds, you will get the impression that it was made for relaxation purposes, as well as puzzling and adventuring, and the music certainly reflects this. A lovely, enchanting theme covers the world, and for most of the dungeons/levels too.
One gripe with the music however, is the track that kicks in when the player encounters an enemy. It just feels too intense for what can be summed up as a fight with Dragon Quest's Mascot.

The single biggest problem with LostWinds is Longevity, both in length and replayability. The core game will take the average player around the 3 hour mark, and that includes collecting the idols scattered throughout the game. Unless you really enjoyed the game, playing through it again without anything remotely new, isn't really much of an option. There are no extra modes alongside the main game either, so no Multiplayer endeavors here folks.
Still, for a game so cheap, and barely managing a few hours less than many full-priced retail releases, LostWinds is still a bargain.

Definitely give this game a whirl, you won't regret it. Only 1000 Wii points on the Wii Shop Channel.