Well, well, Sonic, we meet again. The last i saw you was on the Dreamcast. Sorry, i didn't get round to completing your adventure, it just didn't quite 'click' with me. So how've you been? Bad? Oh dear, sounds like you've been having a bad run for the past few years. Well, come on old buddy, cheer up, i'm here now - let's try and get you back up to shape. "Back up to shape, back up to shape..." - something about those words ring through my mind when i think of this game, long after i've completed it. Now that i've got round to completing Sonic's outing on the Wii, has he finally turned things round? I'd say...he's beginning to. He's almost there. Sonic and the Secret Rings on the Wii is one more attempt at trying to make a Sonic game in 3D that isn't bad. That really shouldn't be hard you'd think, but something about great speed and 'open-environments' just don't mesh well together. This latest attempt, is making the game 2.5D - basically everything is modelled in 3D but your movement is restricted, almost 2D. And you know what? It really works, it really does.

Sonic and the Secret Rings is apparently belonging to the 'storybook series' and is not a spin-off or the main Sonic Series. Sonic atSR's story begins when Sonic awakens to see a ring. Sonic unwittingly summons up Shahra the Ring Genie after picking it up. Shahra tells Sonic of an evil entity known as Erazor Djinn who is currently consuming the 'powers' of her world - a world which is contained within this Arabian Nights book. Shahra convinces Sonic that he must come into the book itself to halt Erazors rise in power - claiming that the power is such that Erazor will eventually leave the book and wreak havoc out in Sonic's world. Being the hedgehog to answer a maiden's cry for help, Sonic is whisked into the book with Shahra's limited powers as a Genie and makes his way to meet Erazor. Unfortunately, the encounter leaves Sonic bounded by an arrow of flame to his heart after heroically taking the hit meant for Shahra. The special flame is one which enslaves the victim to a duty, the duty to collect the 'World Rings' and bring them back to Erazor Djinn. If Sonic does not fulfil this duty, his life would be 'forfeit' - and this is where the game takes off as you and Shahra travel around the word to collect the rings. Sonic and Shahra encounter many familiar faces along such as Tails, Knuckles, Dr Robotnik but strangely they do not know Sonic as their character's existence is solely within the book. For those Sonic fans, these characters aren't playable in the story mode (thankfully?).

Visually average, this Sonic title isn't a game that stands out but it is better than the majority of 3rd party Wii offerings so far. There is little on offer to show-off, there's no bump-mapping, very little technical lighting, shadowing and it fails to bring to life the nice art behind the game. In fact, the game looks on par with the Dreamcast games bar the different art styIe. What is there that looks nice however are some of the open environments, the sky sections, the ruins - those areas encapsulate the essence that is simply fun. These fun moments are when you are literally tearing through the levels, the thrills you get as you watch the scenery reveal itself before you, whether it's a the ruins collapsing in on itself or the entire level moving on its own. Though it sounds great so far, these parts of the game are few and far apart. There is much to complain about the presentation as well. The cutscenes are made up of 2D images portrayed in the background of the Arabian Nights book and there are only around 2 or 3 full motion videos - which just screams 'cheap' to me. But what FMVs there are, are excelent. Actually, it's probably the only thing i can say is excellent about this game. OK, now what can i say about the music - Simply bad, i don't mean that in a good way like some may think on internet forums. The music almost always sound like a cheap Foo Fighters cover band, it does it's job in making the game not silent, but boy, does it do it bad! OK, maybe it'll grow on you, but even more likely is that you'll hit the mute button. To make things worse, SatSR is a game which requires restart after restart, and the music goes the same as well, restart, restart, restart until it annoys you so much. It's a shame that there is just one decent track, a track that isn't the 'pop/rock' but more 'country' which you'll only hear if you beat the story (the real story) and see the credits rolling. One neat thing with this game that i almost forgot to mention is the option to choose between Japanese or English audio, and to turn Subtitles on or off. My preference was the japanese audio with subs (obviously ) and the effect was instantaneous. The voice work was spot-on and it really brought the characters to life.

One of the first things you realise when starting this game up is that you do not use the nunchuk at all. You control the game with the Wiimote on its side, much like a S/NES controller. You don't actually move with the D-pad - instead, Sonic automatically runs forward as if it's on-rails, tilting the controller to the left or right 'steers' Sonic left/right. To brake and stop you press the 1 button, pressing 2 will make Sonic jump. You can make Sonic move back by tilting the controller backwards. Also, to attack you have to be in the air and locked onto an enemy in range, you then thrust the controller forward which makes Sonic home in and attack. It all sounds quite a lot to take in, and it is a lot to take in when you're getting to grips with how the game plays. The learning curve is steep, and the way they made Sonic's movement 'gimped' from the start doesn't help either. What i mean by 'gimped' is that Sonic's movesets and attributes are determined by the skills you equip, and skill points are earned depending on your performance per mission, much like an RPG. It is only when you've almost gone the whole length of the story that you gain enough skill points to control Sonic in a comfortable manner. And even when you do get used to the controls there are other things which will frustrate you: if/when you need to backtrack, the camera makes no attempt to show you where you're heading - progression through the story is a bumpy ride thanks to difficulty spikes - and many of the missions feel like an afterthought with awkward objectives like, do not defeat any enemies ( ) or finish with 0 rings ( ) - and let's just pretend there aren't bloody dinosaur eggs! In the end, it all boils down to getting through a level as fast as you can, collect as many rings as you can, and defeating some bosses every now and again.

Ok, let's just say you've played the games of generations old which had unforgiving missions, you're used to restarting missions over and over again, you actually like the music they have (or muted it), and you like Sonic and is willing to overlook a few flaws - well, looks like you're the type who can enjoy this game! Despite the flaws, i found enjoyment in simply overcoming the challenges the game threw at you (even though unforgiving and non-sensical) - there's a sense of achievement in doing so, and that echoes on even after you beat the full story: Each mission is graded in terms of bronze, silver and gold - it is here in which the game has replay value as after you beat the story, accumulated enough skill points and feel confident in controlling Sonic you'll find replaying the missions to get gold extremely rewarding via unlockables. There's so much in this department to satisfy Sonic fans: concept art, character art, scans of Sonic game covers, music, cutscenes, movies, medals, etc. When you have gotten to grips with the controls, there are some good satsifying moments to be had with the bosses, especially with Erazor Djinn. The few FMVs there are are excellent and there is even a touching moment towards the end - It took me about 7 hours to reach that far. Talking of replay value, i need to mention the 'Party Mode' on offer which lets up to 4 people play against each other in a series of mini-games. While it sounds like some good extra content, it may as well been cut out completely. Some mini-games attempt to use motion sensing and often than not fails to register your movements. Some games do work well with the pointing function however, but ultimately most of the games on offer are just boring. The ladder systems, the game board system, are all good concepts for partygoers, but really, if you wanted something like Mario Party, you'd just buy Mario Party instead!

The Wiiware channel is Nintendo's answer to delivering small projects or 'Indy games' to the Wii's gaming market. While it opens the doors to small, creative, sometimes innovative titles and for smaller development teams or individuals to get games on the market, there is one immediate drawback that has to be kept in mind though - and that is the limited storage space that is available. It could be Nintendo's way of encouraging developers to create games that don't have to have the greatest textures and polygonal models possible but to encourage them to create games which play to the Wii's strengths - much like Nintendo's philosophy, games which are accessible to anyone, games that deliver experiences through motion controls or the Wii pointer. LostWinds is one of the first downloadable titles on Nintendo's Wiiware channel and does it achieve what Nintendo had in mind?

If LostWinds is any indication of success on the Wiiware channel, the service is going to flourish. LostWinds is a platforming game that actually does not have a jump button! Taking place in the world of Mistralis, you control Loku with the nunchuk. A wind spirit, named Enril, is controlled by your wii pointer. Right from the title screen, you see Loku fast asleep in a beautiful location decorated with trees, leaves and bushes. With the power of the wind in my grip, i furiously waved the pointer around thrashing the leaves and grass from one side to another; it felt good - it was just refreshingly simple. Waking Loku up, the game then begins and the story is told: The world of Ministralis was created by several spirits including Enril, unfortunately after the betrayal from one spirit, Balasar, an epic struggle ensued. It was only with the sacrifice of Enril did the sirits succeed in trapping Balasar in stone - Enril's sacrifice being trapped also. However, over time, Balasar's anger and hatred grew. Balasar changed, changed into a form that was able to break free from the stone imprisonment. The wind spirit's power unfortunately is still trapped in fragments of the stone and so with the help of the young boy, Toku, the team sets out to restore Enril's power and to save the world from the growing evil power of Balasar.

The game is actually quite pretty for a small game. The outside environments are decorated with swaying bushes and tree leaves and the moderate amount of bloom and blurring is just right in accentuating the freeflowing nature of the game. The same can't be said of the inside environments, which appear rather bland - having said that, the contrast further heightens your desire to get out in the open rather than solving puzzles in the caves. Minimalism - i think this is the keyword here, less is more. The controls have been simplified, the visuals aren't overdone and the variety in music is kept to about 4 tracks only but all are effectively deployed at the right moments. The calm wind instruments for peaceful occasions are perfect, it 'feels' beautiful in a slightly quaint oriental touch. And when the beats and drums kick in, it sets the mood for a little combat.

Because the controls have been made simple, almost anyone could pick this game up and play. Holding down A and moving the pointer allows you to gust winds. You can make Toku jump by gusting him up, float down safely from a height by whirling the wind around him, smash enemies into the wall or floor and even move water and fire for your own gain. Water, fire and sound is used often for puzzle elements in the game and so the game isn't as straightforward as it initially makes out to be. Also, the further you progress the more powerful Enril becomes enhancing your capabilities in dealing with different situations. It's an easy game and yet satisfying, something that Nintendo themselves pride themselves in achieving. It's an enjoyable game from start to finish and will leave a memorable experience - especially with what the game leaves you at the very end.

There are a few little niggles to tarnish this title though. The game is rather short, i completed the game in around 1:30 hours though most people would clock around the 2 hour mark at least. I did encounter a glitch once when i got stuck in a wall or something. And the directions you are supposed to take aren't exactly clear-cut. Yes, the game is quite cheap at 1000 points but considering the amount of time spent on the game, it is not value for money. The enemies you encounter are very similar to one another and after experiencing the end of the game, you'd wish they included more enemies, more variations in the build up towards the end. I could have dragged the game on by collecting every 'hidden' collectible item but found little fun in doing so. And with that, a slight disappointment is felt as i can see such a huge potential for this game to expand beyond what i glimpsed within LostWinds' Entirety. Despite these little things, LostWinds is an excellent game and definitely whets the appetite for more - conveniently in the form of LostWinds 2. Let's hope they pack more content into it AND not charge more than 1000 points.

So it's been a while since Super Paper Mario has been released. It's been one of those games i've been meaning to complete but have put off for some other games. For those who have followed the game since being first revealed, you'd realise that SPM is somewhat the odd one out of the Paper Mario series. While the first 2 games appeared on the N64, then GameCube, the games' mechanics remained the same: a flat 2D Mario is controlled in a 3D world, enemy encounters happened when your character actually touched an enemy on screen, battles were turn-based (like Final Fantasy) but well-timed button presses could strengthen your attack or defence. Super Paper Mario on the otherhand, seems to have shaken those elements out and added a different dimension and approach to the series. Whether the change has been for the better, i'd say no - but please, read on.

SPM starts out with Mario and Luigi setting off to see Princess Peach in her castle - she wasn't there however. As the pair assume she may have been kidnapped by Bowser they go to his castle. Initially an aggressive encounter, Mario, Luigi and Bowser realise that Peach is simply missing. This is when a mysterious sorcerer who introduced himself as Count Bleck, reveals that he is the true kidnapper of Princess Peach. Through the powers of the 'Dark Prognosticus', an ancient, prophetical tome, Count Bleck creates a Chaos heart unleashing 'The Void'. This is a dimensional rift that will grow and erase the universe from the seams. After the group (Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser) are torn away from this location with powerful magic, you then control Mario who wakes up to find Tippi, a 'Pixl', and a wizard, Merlon. You're informed that you may be the 'Hero' as described by the 'Light Prognosticus'. The prophecy foretells that the hero will go about collecting the 'Pure Hearts' which will become the power to save the universe. So, accepting your role in the prophecy, Mario and Tippi join forces to seek out all these hidden Pure Hearts - saving the universe, and hopefully finding your friends along the way, Luigi, Peach and yes, Bowser (for once).

The game can be described as visually mind-blowing, albeit not in the technical sense: You play the game in a beautifully-drawn 2D plane. Characters, objects, houses and even doors retain that paper-thin effect and are all done in a cartoon-fashion. You also gain the power to literally flip the world from it's side (or rather, yourself?). This is when 3D comes into play, seeing the world on its side feels incredible the first time it happens. The foreground is seen separate from the background and the objects between those two layers are revealed from a different dimensional state of mind! The game often plays tricks by hiding items, switches or tunnels behind 'decorations' and so encourages you to often flip every screen you ever visit in the game - SPM is one of those games in which the visuals actually have a very tangible effect on gameplay. You can also use this power as a tool for navigation; flat enemies will become harmless to you when in a different dimension, you can walk in and out of 'screen', revealing hidden pathways and sections of the world etc. The power is, unfortunately, limited to short bursts - if you use it too much you will lose health (HP).

While the game retains a 'wow!' factor in playing with the dimensions - the audio however, is barely just on par. Music plays well and goes suitably well to the light-hearted nature of the game. It never becomes magnificent but never really dull - although, if you do get stuck in one section of the game the mood can get frustrating due to the 'repeating nature' of sounds. There is also no voice-acting at all, so be prepared to just read speech bubbles over and over and over again. So how does the game play? Well it controls not too dissimilar to the traditonal 2D Mario platformers (minus the 'run button') because of the way you hold the Wiimote on it's side like a S/NES controller. SPM doesn't play as well as the traditional 2D Mario platformers though and the specialty of the turn-based combat in SPM1+2 is also lost. The game is rather too easy, the combat is simple and the plot is cliched. What's really good about the game once you overlook the easy-going nature of the game is the script even though the plot is predictable. Some scenarios and off-beat jokes could really give you the good chuckle and are often the highlights or the special moments of an overall subdued game. There's always a surprise waiting for you in each level. The other good thing about this game are the bosses, they offer a somewhat better challenge and are all pretty unique from another, some are quite breathtaking and others just ooze creativity. And then there are the Pixls you accumulate within your team, each offering there different abilities and helps to add variety into the game, a game which staggers a bit in pace.

In terms of pacing, the game starts off great but seems to drag in the middle. It's only at the end when things really pick up. It would be understandable if many players felt bored of this game after the initial excitement - in my case, i pushed on. I particularly liked the off-beat humour, at one point it felt like the game was mocking 'System Wars' or anything equivalent to it! The questions this game throws at you are quite unexpected and these are some of those special moments of the game which redeems it from being the 'usual tit-tat'. Other special moments (without spoiling too much) include playing the game in space, earning money to pay off some huge debt, or literally getting 'game over' from the very start because you refused to play your role as the 'hero' ( i thought i could just answer any question stupidly and getting a kick out of what the characters had to say!). There were also some small games to be played in the 'arcade' which used IR and motion controls but weren't all that impressive. I completed the game at around the 15-20 hours mark and there was more to be played out of it if you're willing to get more items or do some levelling up. I wouldn't say it'd be enjoyable as most of the fun to be had is through the in-jokes and the progression through the bosses to the end.

Personally, i felt disappointment due to the change in the winning formula. Super Paper Mario is still a quality game though and will probably be much more enjoyable to the younger crowd and those new to the Paper Mario series. The really good news however is that this game has been out long enough for the price to drop considerably. I've seen the game going for £15 in certain online stores - when i bought my copy, the game subbornly remained at around £25. This game is definitely worth £15 though, so don't let my disappointment put you off.

UPDATE! Edit - Played SSBB an hour or so. Awesome stuff although i haven't managed to play online yet.
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So I bought a few things, Link's Crossbow Training, Ghost Squad and a Light gun shell.

I haven't tried Link's Crossbow Training yet, but my brother said it was pretty good. I did play Ghost Squad a few times now cooperatively and it is really a blast! It's pretty good value for £16. Link's Crossbow Training was a steal at £17, which also includes the Wii Zapper. The gunshell and Zapper are pretty good. You have to be 2+ metres away from the sensor bar to be able to calibrate it like it is in an arcade (like Time Crisis) otherwise the Wii pointer would be off the screen. Connecting to WiFi reveals that my rank is over 10,000 regionally though .

Super Smash Bros. Brawl - And here it is! Finally! A full day earlier from official release (27th)! It arrived this morning (26th, well i'm writing this after midnight so technically it was yesterday morning) - But i haven't had a chance to play/open it yet. It came with a postcard and a nice card sleeve for the box (supposedly limited edition...). I've had this preordered months and months ago...well, i'm off to open it now. Cya!

Assassin's Creed was one of those well-marketed 'next-gen' game, first appearing on Xbox 360 and PS3. The third-person stealth assassin concept looked very appealing when set in the landscapes of the 'Holy Land', dated during the Crusades. It was during this time that many discussed how much fun they had with it so it was something to look forward to for the PC version. Some of my questions in mind were what sort of specs was I looking at to play the game and how well would the game translate to PC controls. I soon found out once i got to play it. Running it in 1920 x 1200 using an 8800GTX, it ran perfectly smooth 95% of the time. The 5% that was slightly juddery was in sections of the game which you rode your horse in a large open environment at speed. Still, it was very much playable in terms of performance and it had very sharp and crisp graphics with a generous dosage of post-processing effects. Something to celebrate was how well my 360 pad worked with the game right from the very start with no tinkering of the settings. Even the tutorial instructions followed the right buttons on the pad. It's something to be expected since this game was on the 360, it makes sense for the controller to feel exactly the same, but you'd be surprised at how bad control issues were on PC games some years ago. Let's hope this sort of development for game controls continue for every other PC game, especially for ported console games.

The story is very sci-fi esque, harking to similarities to Matrix and in ways, has borrowed art directions from Half Life 2. Holding distinct impressions of what to expect from the game, i was surpised to find myself controlling my character (Desmond Miles) in a future setting held 'as a prisoner' under a seemingly authoritarian society. A machine called the Animus, looking much like a operatiing table in a middle of a large, white, barren room is where the game revolves around. This machine is used by your kidnappers to search out memories hidden within your DNA, supposedly containing the experiences of your ancestors. However for the machine to produce results, the person in the machine must 'synchronise' or otherwise experience unstability; you can't just jump right into a memory from the outset and just retrieve whatever you want. From a stable 'connection', you begin to play out your memories and increase your synchronisation levels. Within those memories, your job is to kill - acting within the Assassin's Creed. Unfortunately, after endangering your brotherhood in an incident, the brotherhood has seen fit to strip you of your rank and skill set. But you are then sent on discreet missions working your way up once again.

One of the first things that will leave a distinct impression on you would be the presentation. Although graphically excellent in both detail and modelling, the game uses generous amounts of post-processing effects to just make this feel 'next-gen' - the game makes an effort to advertise this by giving you the option to change camera angles during cut scenes. The art direction from both outside and within the memories stand out and contrasts well with each other. While out of the Animus, the rooms feel like a laboratory, trapped, locked, and lifeless: Inside your memories as an assassin, the landscapes become richer and full of life. It is within these memories that the game really takes off. Guards populate the cities of the Holy Land, citizens walk around in droves and with the buildings and objectives scattered around the map - it literally becomes your playground. You can scale buildings, jump across gaps and literally be able to reach the tops of the highest buildings. Watching your character do so is quite magnificent because the climbing/jumping animation never really looks awkward and that the sense of height and freedom is believable. It's done so well, it'd make any Spiderman game blush in shame. Why is there a need to scale these buildings? Well firstly, it's needed to get a view of the city which unlocks objectives - plus, it's sometimes easier to travel that way. Once you complete enough of these objectives (gathering information) you are then given the clearance to carry out your assassination mission - the specific target set by your leader. To add to the presentation, the sound is also excellent. The music will adjust to the mood readily whether you're running away from guards, locked in battle, or hidden away waiting for the coast to clear. The sound effects work realistically well but the highlight is the voice work. It's 'Hollywood' convincing during the cut-scenes but can be irritating when speeches are repeated over and over by the citizens within the city walls - especially the beggars.

Repetition is the key word here. While the game tries to break up the game through different people or locations, it all boils down to the same basic objectives numerous times in each and every new city you visit: Rescue civilian, pick up flags within a time limit, eavesdrop on someone, kill guards, escort a 'friend' and then boss battle. Granted, you only need a few objectives to get clearance for the assassination mission but there's incentive to complete every objective available (even though they're so similar to one another) to increase your synchronisation bar (health bar). The objectives are actually fun at the beginning because there's much to experiment at the beginning - but it's done so many times over and over in each and every city that there is little to be unexpected once you have done 2 assassinations or so. Thus, there is a lot of reason to get bored with the game halfway through. In my case, i wanted to complete the game and find out what is going to happen to Desmond Miles - those are the incentives to keep you hooked into the game, despite the great gameplay it becomes played out by the time you get halfway through the game. But let's try and be more positive. For what excitement there is to be had, it is excellent. The game combines so many elements together - Spiderman wall-climbing, Zelda horse-riding, sandbox dynamics with guards and hiding spots, Prince of Persia sort of combat, as well as employing stealth in a very accomplished state - it becomes a unique, successful mix. It seems as if the game was made out of a genuine inspiration but is just a snapshot in time - my meaning is that the game fails to evolve as you progressed and so fails to keep your interest.

The really good portions of the game are those thrill-seeking moments. Those times when you're outnumbered by 6 others, the times you leap off great heights into a stack of hay or those times when you climb up a building to stealth kill a guard with your hidden blade under your wrists - it's excellent. But the repetition starts biting at you as you learn the patterns, and start seeing some failings, like how can you climb 50 metres high, leap off into some hay and come off unscathed? How can you stealth kill enemies so easily while standing face to face? Or there might be some other slight bugs during the combat. The combat is excellent. Although the controls can be a little loose and unresponsive at times, it ultimately is fun. While in combat, pressing attack at the moment your sword hits will result in a special move - often resulting in a killing blow. If you press counter at the right time, you'll unleash a special move. While these moves are played out though, your character usually does not end up in the same place as where you started, this is bad in some situations; if you manage to get your character behind an 'invisible wall', your character will suffer an instantaneous death. There will also be times when you can get hit and be flown 10 metres into the air. While there are glitches in the game, they are rare. You may find some frustration amongst the combat; there were times when i killed 10 or so guards one after another with no sweat at all by spamming my countering moves, yet struggle against 3 normal guards because my counter wasn't responding and just get hacked to death - but i'll reiterate, it is still fun.

There is something about this game that doesn't quite leave the right taste though. While the game is incredibly fun while your interest in it lasts - the story seems to be something of an afterthought. Sure, there is a plot, there are bosses, there is some small development of your character, but what if it wasn't really meaningful? The story is not your average tit tat in terms of gaming, but i found it to be rather predictable. And the way the game ends was rather exciting, if only it continued - but it came to an abrupt end hinting at a sequel. Now that i think about it, it was rather forced. The game could easily have been cut down in repetition but lengthened by continuing the story. Money-making scheme by dragging out and splitting one game into 2? I seem to think so. Also, what was with these flags that you collected? After considerable time spent in gathering these flags scattered across the lands, i found out that there was nothing to gain in doing so. In many ways, i have to say that the game is rather short-lived and there is not much to do once you have completed the story. I may sound negative a lot here but really, the game is really good. The settings, characters, fights, freedom of movement and ambitious but far fetched storyline are things that make this one game you have to play - although i'd really recommend a rent.

Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure is much more of a puzzler than adventure in which its clas-sed in. With cartoony visuals and distinct japanese quirkiness, it feels as though the game was made to die out amongst the western audience. For those who look out for these sort of niche games though, they'll be treated to a gem of a game in a genre that have all but withered but has begun sprouting for the Wii console. Thanks to the Wii remote pointing function, the game plays and moves much like a point-click-adventure game but is infused with many motion controlled elements in the puzzles; the combination is both refreshing and fun even for veteran gamers.

Zoom out to look around for objects out of reach.

The story of the game is summed up in the game's title alone; Zack, a young aspirational pirate, is paired up with Wiki, a mysterious golden-coloured monkey who flies by spinning its tail (i'm thinking of Sonic and Tales here...). The duo, upon opening a treasure chest unleashes the golden head of a legendary Pirate, Barbaros. In cartoon fashion, the head speaks; the golden treasure itself is actually the soul and body of Barbaros. Seeing how Barbaros is missing all of his other limbs, he strikes a deal with Zack & Wiki to restore him to form - in return, Zack & Wiki is promised a legendary ship. So of you go, humbly seeking out these golden body parts across the lands.

Now try and figure out where and how to use it.

The game's visuals are not amazing, yet the cel-shading, colour pallete and quirky but japanese stylings makes it all forgiving and in many ways brings out the mild humour while characterising the game. After playing the game, it's very hard to imagine this game looking anything else other than what it is. The sound throughout the game is also not something that is outstanding, but is full of character. The music is often upbeat in the 'piratey fashion' and sound effects are done well to convey clear meanings. It became clear to me that this game has recieved some 'love' in its creation, the details, the cohorent blend of audio/visuals results in a piece of public but personal piece of work, much like a manga artist drawing up his characters of affection.

One of many contraptions in the game.

Speed and timing is often crucial, getting it wrong could spell death for you.

Enough of how it looks and sounds, but how does it play? Well, very very well in fact. So well, that it surprises me why no other developer has looked at this game and taken notes. You control your character by pointing at the screen and 'clicking' (pressing A) where you want to go or what you want to examine/pickup. Holding down A, will make the character walk to wherever you're pointing so there's no need for the nunchuck here. The most interesting aspect of the game comes about with the use of motion controls. If you come across a tool, lever, or some object of interest, you'll enter first person mode with the object facing you and a prompt of how you should hold your wiimote comes up. If for example you wanted to open and hold up an umbrella, you hold the wiimote facing up like an umbrella, and because upon close inspection of it reveals the number '2' at the handle - pressing 2 will open up the brolly! How about using the brolly as a hook from the handle? - close the brolly (press 2) and 'flip' the wiimote so you're pointing from the handle, voila! There are so many variations in how to manipulate objects that this game represents how flexible the Wii's unique features are and that they can add an exciting dimension to traditional genres.

Rare items can be collected throughout the game.

Even with all the added motion controls, it can only push the base of the game so far. Zack & Wiki fortunately has a very solid base; without the enhancements, Zack & Wiki will still do very well because of the variety of logical puzzles although it will lose a lot of its charm. The game is split up by several locations, each location containing 3-5 levels and a boss level. Getting through these locales will progress the story and characters at decent intervals. Before choosing levels to play, the hub gives you access to elements which adds to the longevity of the game. You can purchase voodoo dolls and platinum tickets (with money gathered during the levels) which are used to gain hints or to revive yourself during a level. Other available options in the hub lets you examine your collection of Barbaros' parts, review some scenarios with motion controls, seek out treasure, look at your current game stats or look through your collections (sounds, art, Capcom-related objects etc). It is with the treasure seeking and object collection that the game's length is considerably lengthened should you wish to do so. On top of unlocking treasures in all the levels you've played after beating the story, you can seek out numerous collectible items. The game has a really nice difficulty curve which is rewarding in each progressive step. It took me just under 16 hours to beat the final boss and is something which will vary hugely between different players. Some of those who are great at problem solving should get by quite smoothly with occasional Eureka! moments while others may get stuck on one level for hours.

Depending on how well you do, you get a rating - Unpuzzleable being the best.

Right from the start, this game oozed creativeness. The mild humour is OK, but the introduction of motion sensing in this game allowed new and fresh gameplay elements. I highly recommend this game as a purchase, even though the replay value is not too great, because Z&W is something that deserves a place in your Wii game collection - especially since the game represents much of what the Wii is about: fresh new ideas for games that are accessible for almost anyone to play, regardless of skill level. The game can be considered hard for younger gamers but is just about right in challenging the many mature gamers out there. If you bought a Wii for those games that offer you something different from everything else then Zack & Wiki is one of them.