E308: Wii Fanboy survives Lost in Blue: Shipwrecked

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While cruising around Konami's booth at E3, I saw Lost in Blue: Shipwrecked and, honestly, wasn't too excited to play it. Once the demo person showed me exactly what was up with the demo (a variety of minigames and the main Survivor mode), the title grew on me a tad, but, overall, failed to leave me with the impression that it could provide a lengthy, worthwhile experience.

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First, I dived into the minigames. I grilled some food stuffs (twist the Wiimote to turn food as it cooks), tried to get my raft through some choppy waters (shaking the Wiimote or Nunchuk up and down controls movement) and even rode on the back of a bull (shaking the Wiimote urges the beast on, allowing it to plow through big rocks and other obstacles).

The minigames weren't incredibly fun, to be honest, and in the case of some (see: the rafting minigame), fairly difficult. So, after getting my butt whipped in the minigames, I figured the main game would be a nice play to go next. So, upon diving in (boy and his monkey go on cruise, cruise crashes, boy and monkey are shipwrecked) and catching some of the cutscenes, I skipped ahead and jumped into the game.

You should know some of the features this time around. For one, you now have a helper animal that can climb trees for you and do some other tasks our humanoid protagonist can't do for himself. Also, the boy/girl dynamic will once again return, as you meet up with another survivor pretty early on in the game. Then you all need to do the usual Lost in Blue thing: stay fed, hydrated and try to get rescued.

This time around, your characters won't deteriorate as quickly as in the DS titles. You'll need less water and food throughout, so you won't have to maintain them as much. This, according to the Konami reps showing me the game, means that the game should be easier and more accessible.

In the end, Lost in Blue: Shipwrecked seemed like a full, comprehensive game. Just, to me, it seemed like it was way too easy and wouldn't provide the type of experience I look for in games. That's not to say that there was anything that totally broke the deal for me, so for those of you that enjoy the genre and franchise, keep an eye on this one.