LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias [Wiiware]

Nintendo have decided to celebrate the landmark 100th Wiiware game in style with Frontier Development’s LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias, a follow-on to what was the very first, and arguably still the best Wiiware game, LostWinds.
The game is a platformer/adventure game with many puzzle elements, which to begin with, sees you guiding Toku, with the help of wind spirit Enril on a heart warming quest to save his mother.

The game plays like a side-scrolling platformer with a difference. You control Toku only with the Nunchuck, walking left and right via the control stick; however, Toku himself can’t jump, or do a lot really on his own accord. Instead, you get around with the help of a wind spirit known as Enril, who takes on the form of the Wiimote’s pointer.

You use this to “draw” gusts of wind that fling Toku up over obstacles, up ledges and even use chains of gusts that allow you to almost fly across huge gaps in the terrain. This can not only be used on Toku, but on a variety of objects, handy for the games many puzzles, and also on the game’s enemies; Glorbs, the smallest of which can be dealt with with a simple flick into the air and slam back down to the ground.

Of course, a whole host of other abilities come into play here, and thankfully, the game wastes little time re-introducing the abilities obtained in the previous game, such as the ability to trap enemies and items in a vortex and fling them miles, and to channel water and fire, again adding some clever puzzle solving. It doesn’t take long for brand new abilities to be found that see you summoning huge tornadoes and upgrades to your clothing, all of which grant you access to areas you couldn’t previously access.

This whole system using the pointer quickly becomes second nature and feels like a dream to play. Another fantastic example of how the Wii remote and Nunchuck can add truly innovative and clever gameplay elements when developers can look past the waggle. LostWinds pulls it off great.

Other new gameplay elements to the game in the sea of originality and innovation include the ability to swim under water, and this game’s main gimmick – the ability to instantly change seasons, transforming the terrain from a hot summer’s day with waterfalls and lakes to a frozen winter wonderland. This combines with the other gameplay elements, particularly the manipulation of water, fire and even the ability to create snowballs for further puzzle solving elements. Without spoiling much, there’s even a point later on in the game which sees you controlling Toku and another character simultaneously for some almost Mario & Luigi style gameplay, as if all that wasn’t enough. Nothing is overly difficult, to be honest, it’s probably a little too easy, I never once died in the game, but it’s the kind of clever gameplay that’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

There is some albeit simple combat in the game. As mentioned earlier, the enemies are called Glorbs, and as the name suggests, these are basically hideous, pulsating blob creatures. These do vary from the basic, to flying, armoured and even giant varieties, however most are killed in the same way, which is a simple fling to the ground, and bumping into wave after wave of basic Glorb as you travel does get a little repetitive. There are, however boss battles that need much more clever thinking to beat, which are a welcome addition.

The graphics are nothing less than beautiful. The game has its own unique art style with great character design and stunning backdrops. The animation is fantastic as the wind gusts through trees, grass and other characters. Early on in the game you’ll find yourself wowed as you’re helped through the level by the massive stone golem, Magmok, who was encountered in the last game, and you encounter a number of similarly spectacular creatures throughout.

The sound is certainly nothing spectacular, but the game has a nice atmospheric soundtrack to accompany the graphics to make a great package. There are no voices at all, with only some light background music and the sound of the wind and the splat of any enemies unlucky enough to get in your way.

The game is absolutely fantastic overall. If you thought Nintendo was happy to let any old garbage shovel itself onto Wiiware, you need to play this. It alone shows why Wiiware exists, to give small publishers the platform to make their ideas happen, without needing a multi-million budget, and with this game, they’ve done that spectacularly.

There is, however, one major flaw that needs to be covered. If you played the original LostWinds, you’ll know the game was fantastic, but far too short. Sadly, they haven’t really done anything to change that here. I completed the story in 3 and a half hours, which can be described as nothing less than pathetic. The hidden Totem Poles from the previous game make a return here for you to find and collect, and new to this game are unlockable biographies for the many characters you’ll encounter on your travels, but this is certainly nothing to keep you going for long. Still, it is only 1000 Wii points for a game of this quality.

Pros: Great platforming, stunning graphics, clever puzzles, innovative gameplay and makes great use of the Wii remote.

Cons: A bit too easy and far too short.

9/10
(Not an average)