LostWinds is, hands down, my favorite WiiWare and quite possibly best downloadable title I've ever played. More than once. My expectations of what I want out of videogames has evolved over the past few years, and I take solace in knowing that this was the trigger. As fun as triple-A blockbusters can be, I get a warm feeling in the cockles of my heart at hidden gems such as this. I'm still waiting for Frontier to put out the sequel that the ending practically begged for. Maybe this unadulterated love for a silly boy in a goofy hat will be their impetus.
Sometimes the biggest breath of fresh air comes from the unlikeliest of places. Quality Wii software is hard to come by; developers and publishers go for the biggest cash-in by making simple mini-game collections that don't innovate beyond the point and click game play that is currently taking the lions share of sales on the PC as well. We were promised new and inventive games, and yet the only thing we see is the inclusion of a scant few genres that were not represented on consoles before. In contrast, that might be why LostWinds comes across as the polar opposite of the money making train of thought. But I quickly found out that's not the case; LostWinds is a great game on it's own merits, and something that should find it's way into every Wii owner's library.
Although probably not as impactful, LostWinds takes a page from the classic title Bionic Commando. Rad Spencer didn't have the ability to jump; he was forced to swing off of ceilings and spotlights with his retractable arm. Toku, the protagonist in LostWinds, also can't hop a platform if his life depended on it. He relies on Enril, a wind spirit that happened to come across the young waif and con him into saving Mistralis from a demon; to help him make his merry way. Toku is controlled with the analog stick and Enril is basically your cursor; essentially giving you control of two characters at the same time. When moving Enril across Toku, it gives him a boost across the myriad gaps littering the land. That's just the beginning to what you can accomplish with the wind; you'll eventually learn to move things with it, wave it underneath Toku to soften long landings, have it launch the boy in the air with a later acquired cape (visions of Super Mario World come to mind) and so many other things to solve puzzles that I don't even want to mention in fear of spoiling the experience for you. What's especially nice is that it all works without a hitch; the only times I found myself goofing up was because I made the error and not the game.
Equal to the euphoric game play is the world and it's pastoral settings. Mistralis is a wonder to look at, seamlessly linking together puzzles in a way that doesn't stick out at you as forced for the sake that it's a videogame. The art style is whimsical, given a soft filter to not only help blur the low resolution textures but to give it a gentle and relaxed vibe. Also helpful is calm, Japanese styled songs that lend itself to pacing the game a little slower so that players can enjoy LostWinds. Gamers don't often stop to smell the roses; but it'd be in your best interest if you did here.
But for all the gushing I've done up to this point, you knew there'd have to be something amiss here; and you'd be right. As is the nature of the beast known as episodic gaming; it feels like LostWinds stops it's moment right when it hits its stride. Even at a casual pace I was able to finish the game in under three hours. And the ending was very unsatisfying; even though I saved the proverbial day, they definitely beat around the bush and tease at more. Which definitely works in making me want the next episode; I'm eager to see new areas of Mistralis, unearth new moves and continue my adventure in beating Balasar.
Don't let the length deter you; even though it ends before you know it, LostWinds is worth the price of entry. It's masterful in all that it should and is a shining beacon for those that think the Wii is an inferior console. But most importantly, play it because it's insanely fun. And so that I can get my sequel sooner!
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