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Virtually Free: It's like the wind
Don't forget that in our latest Virtually Free, we've got a copy of LostWinds up for grabs for one lucky reader! Want a crack at it? Just head over to the original post and get your comment in. Remember, you can enter once per day, so you've got several more chances before the entries close.
Wii Fanboy Review: LostWinds
Without a doubt, LostWinds is like finding a diamond-encrusted Hummer in your box of corn flakes. Sure, the WiiWare launch line-up hasn't been as boring as corn flakes, but there are some titles we could do without. And, LostWinds is so good, we're wondering if there'll be anything besides Alien Crush that can stand up to it this year on Nintendo's download service.%Gallery-16505%
LostWinds sequel plans already aloft
Frontier Developments' LostWinds seems to be one of the standout WiiWare titles, judging from the discussion around the site (and in the comments for other WiiWare game reviews). We're glad you like it, and, we assume, so is Frontier Developments, because otherwise they stand to lose a bunch of money. Their website features a link that allows visitors to "REGISTER FOR ADVANCE INFORMATION on Frontier's forthcoming LostWinds sequel containing amazing new gameplay as Toku and Enril's incredible adventure to save Mistralis continues." That doesn't really leave much room for misunderstanding, does it? The sequel's on the way. No hinting, no teasers, just "Hey, guys, we're making another one." Having a quickly-announced sequel makes it seem like an episodic title, doesn't it? We guess there isn't really that much difference between an episodic game and a game with really quick sequels. %Gallery-16505%
Nintendo reveals first WiiWare titles for Europe
Nintendo has released a list of eight games described as "launch window" titles ahead of WiiWare's debut in Europe on May 20th. Included are four games that the U.S. is still waiting on -- Dr. Mario & Germ Buster, Star Soldier R, Toki Tori, and Pirates: The Key of Dreams -- though it looks like Europe will be waiting a little longer for Defend Your Castle and V.I.P Casino: Blackjack. Frankly, we'll live without a blackjack game.Once again, note that these are "launch window" games. How long is a launch window? No idea. "Launch window" is one of those infuriatingly flexible terms beloved by PR types. Anyway, the list of WiiWare games that Europe will be getting kinda near the launch is as follows: Dr. Mario & Germ Buster Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King LostWinds Pop Star Soldier R TV Show King Pirates: The Key of Dreams Toki Tori There's currently no news on pricing, but we'd fully expect European WiiWare prices to match those of other regions, assuming Nintendo hasn't found a totally new and unique way to rip European gamers off.
Virtually Free: Slightly to the left of normal
This week's a little different for the Virtual Console, so it's a little different for Virtually Free as well. What's new? Well, for starters, we're not giving away a Virtual Console game. Instead, we're celebrating the release of WiiWare by giving away LostWinds (1000 Wii points/$10)!So what do you have to do to win? First of all, you have to leave a comment (with a valid e-mail address) on this post telling us what you're looking forward to most of the announced WiiWare titles. Second, you must be a legal resident of the United States with an American Wii (sorry, Canadians, we have to leave you out of this one; blame the gifting system and not us!) and 18 years of age or older. You may enter once per day between now and Monday, May 19; the contest comes to a close that night at 11:59 PM Eastern time, and we'll select a winner in a random drawing the next day. Questions? Check out the official rules.
LostWinds sequel already in the works
We've barely had the chance to fix our hair after downloading the first game, but Frontier Development is already working on a sequel to its WiiWare launch title LostWinds. Seriously, this has to be some kind of speed record or obsession over not letting the paint dry. As expected, not much is known about the sequel, though a notice at the bottom of the company's website for the game teases that the follow up will include "new gameplay as Toku and Enril's incredible adventure to save Mistralis continues." The stylish platformer managed to impress us during our brief time with it in April, but for those of you who've downloaded and played the game, what's the verdict -- is a sequel warranted? [Via Go Nintendo]
WiiWare goes live!
As we anticipated, Nintendo waited until the last possible moment to reveal the details on WiiWare's U.S. launch. In a press release which describes WiiWare as the "most democratic environment in industry history," Nintendo confirmed the six titles that launched with the download service today -- and it looks like the leaked information from the weekend was spot-on: LostWinds -- 1000 Wii Points Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King -- 1500 Wii Points Pop -- 700 Wii Points Defend Your Castle -- 500 Wii Points V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack -- 700 Wii Points TV Show King -- 1000 Wii Points So it's finally up -- hurray! Monday mornings haven't felt quite this optimistic in some time! Have any of you lot already downloaded yourself some WiiWare? %Gallery-16505% %Gallery-12067% [Via press release]
Nintendo reveals WiiWare launch List
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Nintendo_reveals_WiiWare_launch_List'; The North American WiiWare launch is almost upon us, and instead of the stealth releases that we thought were coming, Nintendo's press release of WiiWare games debuting this Monday (along with their point values) was recently leaked. While we can't be sure this list is 100% valid, it looks like we can expect the following: Defend Your Castle -- 500 Wii Points Pop -- 700 Wii Points V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack -- 700 Wii Points TV Show King -- 1000 Wii Points LostWinds -- 1000 Wii Points Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King -- 1500 Wii Points Although we're disappointed by the lack of Dr. Mario, this looks like a pretty solid launch list to us. It'll be difficult to pick and choose exactly which titles we want, but there are definitely some that stand out more than others. How about you? Do you plan on downloading any of the above, or are you going to wait for impressions and reviews first? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
LostWinds trailer blows this way, makes us sleepy
LostWinds continues to look like the most tranquil Wii game of 2008. Is it just us, or does this WiiWare adventure strike you as the antithesis of most modern games, which too often seem obsessed with packing non-stop action into our already crammed craniums? We quite appreciate an occasional change of pace, and could comfortably drift off to sleep simply while listening to this trailer (were it not for our ferocious superiors, who routinely patrol the Wii Fanboy dungeon, watching for napping bloggers).Wikipedia has LostWinds down as a WiiWare launch release, though the official site is still displaying TBA. More as we ge -- zzzzzzzzzzz.%Gallery-16505%
NMS08: Joystiq gets their hands dirty with WiiWare
Besides checking out what retail Wii and DS games Nintendo had available, Joystiq also managed to spend some quality time with WiiWare and a few of its games. The general consensus? It's a mixed bag. Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People seems to capture the Flash toon's look and feel, but is fairly linear (at least in the demo available at NMS08). Stern was also able to pry some more info about the episodic nature of the game from the title's marketing director, who said "Each episode, a different designer [is in charge], which is more like they do on TV. ... It's still the same team. [But] it'll be interesting to see how the episodes feel as a result. With Sam & Max, we've had complaints that they feel too similar. We might find with Strong Bad, that each one feels very different." LostWinds is shaping up nicely, apparently, as Stern commented "Because of game's playful controls, I wish I could have spent the time progressing through the entire game." He says this because LostWinds is actually finished, and the folks behind it hope its in the WiiWare launch lineup. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King is more for the folks that like everything outside of the combat in RPG games. It's very menu-heavy, and you're very much like the manager of the game, sending out your townfolk to find goodies to bring back to you. Pop seems to have some very interesting multiplayer mechanics and, like LostWinds, is totally finished. The single-player games are "casual and a trance-like way to relax," apparently. They hope that it will be in the WiiWare launch lineup and between 500 and 800 Wii Points. Major League Eating is offering up a buffet of features for users to take from, including Wi-Fi gameplay and the complete package of competitive eating. There's going to be gross out techniques, as well as actual attack and defensive maneuvers. We're not all about who can eat a billion hot dogs the fastest ourselves, but it looks like this one is shaping up to be a full meal of fun on WiiWare. World of Goo is something that we've been interested in, surely you all know. And everytime someone checks it out and bothers to write something up on the internet, we're even more convinced this is a must download. Stern's label that this title has the "clever puzzle mechanic" and "irresistible gameplay" we've been hoping may have just cemented its status as a must own for us. Read - Major League EatingRead - World of GooRead - LostWindsRead - Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a KingRead - PopRead - Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People
Joystiq hands-on: LostWinds (WiiWare)
Briefly previewed at GDC, LostWinds is a stylish, creative take on platforming. The Nunchuk analog stick moves your small character over obstacles from a side-view. But the the character can't jump or climb very high; he needs the wind to push him up and over pits. The Wii Remote fills this role naturally. A pointer swipe and button push gusts the wind into the world, lifting the small character to higher plateaus. Even ambient background objects like trees and grasses sway with the breeze. Later puzzles require you to guide the wind into other objects, not just the small fellow. These techniques feel fresh and the visuals rival other Wii games. LostWinds was one of my favorite experiences from the Nintendo Media Summit. %Gallery-16523%
A serene video of LostWinds in action
There was a brief video clip of Frontier Developments' LostWinds during Nintendo's GDC presentation, but that video has yet to be released -- until today, maybe. This video from IGN looks very similar to the GDC trailer; in fact, we think it may be the same one. It is at least equivalent in terms of showing the game in motion and illustrating the use of the pointer to control wind. We love how the little gust kicks up some water.We're pretty sure that LostWinds would look much more exciting without the exceedingly mellow music. Although maybe mellowness is the order of the day for a game in which the main character's fighting style involves a breeze.%Gallery-16505%
LostWinds creator describes a very complicated-sounding game
We thought we understood LostWinds. There's a guy, controlled with the Nunchuk, and then there's wind, controlled with the pointer. But when we hear Frontier Developments' David Braben explain the game, we aren't so sure anymore. About the basic gameplay: "Toku is relatively small and vulnerable yet he has physical presence in the world, whereas Enril has no physical presence, just a localised sphere of influence of wind power around the shard of Spirit Stone that Toku is carrying." And it's not just simple platforming made to sound more complex. There's actually a lot going on in LostWinds other than jumping and gusting. You can use the wind to interact with the environment, including blowing water into the ground to grow an assortment of seeds that you can then use. The interview goes on to discuss the importance of audio and narrative in games, and LostWinds' stylized appearance. Braben also denies (for now) a Virtual Console release of his Commodore 64 classic Elite.
GDC08: Some WiiWare details from the Wii Menu talk
Nintendo's Takashi Aoyama took the stage this morning in front of an enormous crowd to talk about the development of the Wii Menu interface, and the concurrent development of the system's features. The major news at this presentation is branding and confirmation of some pay content online (including, possibly, fee-based online play), video of a WiiWare game, and confirmation that the Everybody's Nintendo Channel (which offers videos, screenshots, and also DS demo downloads) is still planned for release in the U.S. and Europe for an unspecified time. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed, so here's a screen of the highlighted WiiWare game from developer Frontier's homepage.The WiiWare game is called LostWinds and is a side-scroller controlled by the Nunchuk. The Wiimote pointer controls gusts of wind that can affect the character, enemies, and onscreen items. The visual style is very green and sort of Crystal-Chronicles-like. No information about release date or cost was given, but a video was shown.The Everybody's Nintendo Channel "assists in finding software suited to the user's unique taste and/or play style" by allowing people who have played games for at least an hour to vote, and also providing information, screens, and videos about new games. This information will also be available with WiiWare. Aoyama said that the service is indeed planned for the U.S. and Europe, but didn't say when. He demonstrated the channel with a video showing a Wii Fit trailer.The Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection "Pay&Play" content will include games that are not free to play online. The icon is the same, but orange and surrounded with a rectangle with a "Pay&Play" label. This content would use Wii Points and would include both WiiWare and disc games. No specifics (of course!) but Guitar Hero III DLC seems like a possibility.
Frontier announces LostWinds for WiiWare
David Braben's Frontier Developments promises "the power of the wind" at the tip of your Wiimote in LostWinds, the indie studio's first pint-sized, WiiWare adventure. There's a wind spirit (that's you!), a boy with an odd cap, the evil Balasar and the magical land of Mistrails, where puzzles can be a breeze and enemies are blown away without bullets. "WiiWare offers a perfect extra outlet for that creativity, and I hope that LostWinds is the first of many games that will follow this process," said Braben. %Gallery-16523%
GDC08: New WiiWare title unveiled: LostWinds
UK developer Frontier Developments (Thrillville) announced a new title for Nintendo's WiiWare service today, titling the adventure platformer LostWinds. We have a gallery of screenshots below that you can thumb through for a preview of the game's stylized art direction. LostWinds stars Toku, a young boy who has discovered a wind spirit in a land threatened by its power-hungry sun/moon spirit. You'll move Toku around using the nunchuck's analog stick while aiding him with Wii remote gestures commanding the wind elemental. A quick controller movement can send a breeze or even a tornado to power Toku's jumps, glide him across distances, blow away enemies, and solve puzzles. Frontier Developments hasn't yet announced a release date or price, but the studio is hoping to put LostWinds out with WiiWare's US launch this May 12th. %Gallery-16505% Read - Lostwinds official site Read - Level Up interview with Frontier Developments' David Braben
