Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros Treasure

Great review! About some of the puzzles being frustrating though, I personally never really found any of them *too* frustrating but there were quite a few which had me thinking for ages only to laugh after suddenly realizing just how obvious the solution was.

Did that happen to anybody else?

Early on I found the Ice Boss puzzle a real pain in the neck. I knew what to do, but it just proved to be very awkward at times, especially as it was kind of time-based.

But on the whole I loved it - great variety throughout. However, I couldn't help but think it could have been so much better. Wish it had a decent story and good building up of the other characters.

I really should pick this up, looks awesome!

I'm simply stunned at how well it's been doing in the UK (this and Ghost Squad). I expected it to sink without a trace, but it's carved out a decent Top 20 position for itself over the past two weeks!

I wonder where it will be in tomorrow's update?

Anyway, who else here has played this?

jesusraz said:
Early on I found the Ice Boss puzzle a real pain in the neck. I knew what to do, but it just proved to be very awkward at times, especially as it was kind of time-based.

But on the whole I loved it - great variety throughout. However, I couldn't help but think it could have been so much better. Wish it had a decent story and good building up of the other characters.

Yeah, the Ice Boss puzzle took me quite a few attempts to get right. The puzzle seems to change somewhat each time you retry the stage. And I agree, some things could've been done better, for sure. Hopefully, Capcom will do a sequel and flesh it out a bit more story-wise.

'Zack & Wiki' has the same potential as some like 'Sam & Max'. As the director said in C3's interview, a DS version would work very well as well and a sequel is being considered (if sales are decent enough).

I picked this up when it first came out state-side, and I still have to beat it (I have 15 parts, I think I have 2 stages left). But it's been great fun to play. I can't play more than two hours straight, though. I hate to die and start over (it gets frustrating after 4 or 5 times),and some puzzles are quite long. But overall an 8 is a fair score. The graphics and animations are really polished, one of the best on the Wii.

EDIT: Oh, I just noticed I'm a Peahat Larva... Interesting.

( Edited 04.02.2008 08:00 by charwiimario )

That's just what I mean, charwiimario - glad I'm not the only one that thought that. Constant deaths or losing points for trying something simple only to find it's the wrong choice gets annoying at times. But it's still such fun overall that you come back to it afterwards...

Picked this up at the weekend an am absolutely loving it. The point and click interface is great, and they've really managed to keep it wonderfully simple and clean (btw, it seems to me that you can hold down the A button and move Zack around a bit more like Link in Phantom Hourglass, which helps when you need to move quickly).

Can't say I agree about the frustration (although I'm perfectly willing to believe that that might change). I think that's the thing with puzzle games of this type. Some levels might be frustrating for some people, but not for others. You can easily get stuck in a mental block, trying to do something that actually turns out to be a red herring, that might not have occurred had you noticed a different item first, or moved a different way.

I also think it's perhaps a bit unfair to criticise the game for lack of story. Is it trying to provide a detailed story and be like Monkey Island? I don't think so. It's a puzzle game, closer in spirit to Lemmings than Monkey Island. It's all about the puzzles, not the story.

Thanks for the review, and for keeping it as spoiler free as possible.

I really enjoyed the puzzles where the solution was extremely simple and I somehow overlooked it.

There was however one time when the solution seemed to require me to do something which went against everything I had learned of how to solve puzzles in the game. I was stuck for so long on this I looked it up and was very disappointed that it had nothing to do with any aspect of the level or the items in the level. (snake down a hole)

Other than that it was a fun game, the non-timed levels were the best though.

Dr_R said:
I also think it's perhaps a bit unfair to criticise the game for lack of story. Is it trying to provide a detailed story and be like Monkey Island? I don't think so. It's a puzzle game, closer in spirit to Lemmings than Monkey Island. It's all about the puzzles, not the story.

Thanks for the review, and for keeping it as spoiler free as possible.

Kamakaze said:
...the non-timed levels were the best though.

im only 4 missions in and im loving every moment of it!!!

this is by far one of the jems in the Wii's crown and amazing puzzle adventure game

I just got an e-advert from Nintendo and even it is pushing this as a PC point-and-click adventure...that's what I'm worried about, as it's not really as developed as classic PC-style adventures at all.

This game is gorgeous in every way. I absolutely love it and would probably put it on a 9 myself, though I understand your reasons for not doing so. It has a nice visual sense of humour, and the puzzles haven't gotten frustrating for me at all. Confused, yes, but they have the sign that they're well made to me - you think 'of course!' after most of them after toiling over them for ages. My only real issue is with the bell-ringing musical mini-game - not because it's particularly difficult, but because of how hard you have to shake the remote to do it. Made my arm ache!

EDIT: And the animation is fantastic; like watching a cartoon. I want a sequel now...

( Edited 04.02.2008 23:42 by Mason )

I'm with Mason. My fave game in recent months. I simple adore the graphics and hope the not so explosive sales don't put Capcom off making a sequel.

I find the Bell Ringing game fun. I look like a mad man doing it but enjoy it still.

I really love this game, it's so much fun to play and the characters are so cute! (especially Wiki!!)

Awesome Review!
I always liked this game
EDITS:VOTE FOR ME!

( Edited 07.02.2008 09:50 by zcollvee )

Excellent review! Have gotta try this, though still weary about it. Will probably try it sometime on the cheap

Finally got this yesterday, and then spent a couple of hours playing last night.
My wife sat beside me and it was great fun solving the puzzles together (although slightly spoilt by her insistence on drawing rude symbols with the second remote whenever I got stuck!)

Agree with Mason's comment above, one of the things I said was that it's like playing a cartoon, the animation is so fluid.

A good review - and I, like many others, am looking forward to a sequel - please don't let us down, Capcom.