Ahoy Matey, treasure off the port bow, and she's mighty fine.
The Facts:
As you may have guess you play as Zack, a young rookie pirate with the Sea Rabbits: A group of wascally pirate wabbits, though they do nothing wascally at all (sorry had to get that Elmer Fudd talk out of the way). Your not the only rookie in the group, as your partnered with a robotic monkey named Wiki (whose design kinda reminds me of Data from Megaman Legends/64), who can be turn into a bell and transform living animals and enemies into puzzle solving items. Not long into the game your attacked by the Rose Rock Pirates led by the dreaded female pirate Captain Rose (who reminds me of Tron Bonne from Megaman Legends/64). After the attack you find a chest containing the cursed golden skull of Captain Barbaros, who charges you to find his other body parts. This is how the game begins and from that point on you must go around several levels solving serveral puzzles. The game is pretty much a point and click adventure like Monkey Island and Sam & Max, you point and click to move and interact with objects. A lot of times you have to use the wiimote like a saw/lever/jar/flute (the list goes on and on) to solve certain puzzles and move the wiimote accordingly, and for the most part it works.
The Good:
The graphics in this game are impressive, sharp and clean, a true showcase for what the Wii can do. The music, just like in every other Capcom game, is one of the best on the Wii (right up there with Zelda, Brawl and Super Mario Galaxy). The Challange in this game is just right, It doesn't hold your hand like most games these days, but no part really sets you up to fail if your not hardcore enough. There's enough hidden goddies like character bios, and little trinkets that showcase Capcom's game history in the game to keep you coming back (even when you beat the game it challeges you to find the hidden treasure). Most of the movemets you have to make with the wiimote work wonders. You'll often find yourself saying "Just one more level" a lot.
The Bad:
The sound, it's bassically Japanese gibberish, which you hear every time a character talks. After hearing the millionth "Riki" or "Zacku", it makes seem a little kiddish, and degrading for older gamers to play in their dorm rooms. There is some droppage in framerate in some parts of the game, which kinda takes you out of the game. The motion controls for swords and a certain action in the final boss stage (not spoiling it for you) don't exactly work the rway they're suppose to.
The Final Verdict:
Zack & Wiki: Quest For Barbaros' Treasure for the Wii is a great game that everyone should experience, and at $29.99 there's very little reason not to. Yes I know Brawl's out now which is like the second coming to every Wii owner, but if you don't have the $50 for Brawl, or you asked for it for your birthday (which is less then a month away) so you can save the money, like I did; then pick up this underappeciated gem of a game, it'll prevent scurvy! (not really)