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Lost Winds (WiiWare) = instabuy

B

birdchili

Member
Cheez-It said:
You know there is something wrong when they realize the game is better than the highest single category they rate, yet they can't be assed to simply assign proper scores to the individual categories.
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presentation, graphics, sound, gameplay and lasting appeal aren't really the things that combined determine how good a game is? the more scores you give the more it reveals the futility of scoring systems.
 
C

Cheez-It

Member
birdchili said:
presentation, graphics, sound, gameplay and lasting appeal aren't really the things that combined determine how good a game is? the more scores you give the more it reveals the futility of scoring systems.
Click to expand...

No, they are somewhat reasonable, but the actual scores they gave out for these factors do not seem to reflect the authors written impressions of the game, my personal experiences, or the chatter among players across the web. The author even goes so far as to give the game an 8.2, despite no single factor receiving greater than an 8, and one even receiving a 5. Personally, I think it demonstrates incompetence or bias.
 
S

splattergnome

Member
This is the Wiiware game I want to play the most - it has a slight Knytt-vibe, and it is short and sweet - I actually love games that you can beat in a reasonable amount of time. Alas, my job has cut back drastically on hours so while I actually have time to play games now, I don't have any money for any (except for "trying to budget the household"). Well, at least I can play DS demos from the Nintendo Channel, at least. :lol

I am glad to hear that Frontier is making a sequel, and I wonder whether it is for Wiiware or a full Wii retail game - I wouldn't mind LostWinds turning into an episodic series, actually, short gameplays to beat, then delete the game to make room for the next one.
 
T

Twig

Banned
So, I only played for 48 minutes last night, according to the in-game clock.

All of the puzzles seem nearly identical! D:

The presentation and polish is there. It's a great-looking game. I love the little touches, like gusts of wind making people lose their balance, and watching all the bushes and trees sway in the wind you created. That much is awesome.

But the puzzles!

Without spoilers, can anyone safely tell me the puzzles get better?

It is still good enough that I will finish, and so I will reserve final judgment for when I actually finish the game. It's just that so far, I'm rather disappointed with the puzzles.

Also, it's a ton of fun to just fly around. :D
 
N

Nicktals

Banned
TheOneGuy said:
So, I only played for 48 minutes last night, according to the in-game clock.

All of the puzzles seem nearly identical! D:

The presentation and polish is there. It's a great-looking game. I love the little touches, like gusts of wind making people lose their balance, and watching all the bushes and trees sway in the wind you created. That much is awesome.

But the puzzles!

Without spoilers, can anyone safely tell me the puzzles get better?

It is still good enough that I will finish, and so I will reserve final judgment for when I actually finish the game. It's just that so far, I'm rather disappointed with the puzzles.

Also, it's a ton of fun to just fly around. :D
Click to expand...

The puzzles never really get tough. I only got stuck once, for about 20 minutes, and that was on the very last puzzle.
 
E

Evlar

Banned
I played about 2 minutes last night. It's pretty and stuff.

I had to clean out the fridge. Sin and Punishment and the retardedly huge Elebits save file got the axe.
 
T

Twig

Banned
Nicktals said:
The puzzles never really get tough. I only got stuck once, for about 20 minutes, and that was on the very last puzzle.
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It's not so much difficulty I'm looking for. It's ingenuity and clever use of wind.

Honestly, it's very rare that I get stuck in video game puzzles (Professor Layton being an exception... oh and Lolo). But I still appreciate cleverness!
 
K

Kai Dracon

Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
My impressions:

Basically, it's a tech demo. That isn't necessarily a bad thing; it's really pretty significant in that it uses the Wiimote better and with more confidence than half or more of the retail Wii games out there that had far larger teams and budgets behind them. Short and sweet can be good, to be sure, but Lost Winds has no challenge, no real payoff, and feels incomplete to me. I don't really regret buying it, supporting the developer is worth it, but I won't jump on Lost Winds 2 until I know they upped their ambitious a little.

This could have been a lot better with a new game + option with some harder puzzles or other goals to complete, or /some/ form of integration with, well, anything! It's way stripped down.

I can understand it blowing people away however; honestly, any time something not developed by Nintendo or a Nintendo 2nd party hits the Wii and is actually worthy of being on the platform, it is like Jesus Christ appeared in person and granted you eternal life and free chocolate milk forever.
 
C

Crushed

Fry Daddy
Dragona Akehi said:
Enril actually has a "character" about him with his mannerisms in syntax and whatnot. It's a nice (but ultimately unnecessary) touch.
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I actually noticed that. He also tends to use wind-related terms in his speech that aren't immediately obvious ("we blustered along.")
 
blu

blu

Wants the largest console games publisher to avoid Nintendo's platforms.
splattergnome said:
I am glad to hear that Frontier is making a sequel, and I wonder whether it is for Wiiware or a full Wii retail game - I wouldn't mind LostWinds turning into an episodic series, actually, short gameplays to beat, then delete the game to make room for the next one.
Click to expand...
exactly. that's how i'd prefer my adventures too. i just don't have the time anymore for full-blown adventures, unless they're called metroid or castlevania, and/or are on a handheld. i want small, polished, bite-sized ones.

for those of you still on the fence, in the 'feels like' deparment, and from somebody who has not played Knytt, lost winds gives a vibe of:

* metroid in the progression department - progressive-abilities-fed exploration, the constant, on-going, ambient puzzle in the game being the navigation - 'where can i reach next?' - all held together by a good pace.
* okami in the story/atmosphere department - artistic, lovable.
* dewy in the visuals department - joyful for the senses, technically lickable.
 
F

Fuu

Formerly Alaluef (not Aladuf)
Kaijima said:
I can understand it blowing people away however; honestly, any time something not developed by Nintendo or a Nintendo 2nd party hits the Wii and is actually worthy of being on the platform, it is like Jesus Christ appeared in person and granted you eternal life and free chocolate milk forever.
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Hmm, the fact that I like this game so much has nothing to do with it being an effort from a third party on the Wii. In the end it doesn't matter to me where games that entertain me are released or who developed them.

It probably helps that I approached it without expectations of a big challenge or anything, but I really think it's good and that it delivers on what it set to be: a short game that's polished, fun and relaxing.
 
S

straydog1980

Banned
blu said:
exactly. that's how i'd prefer my adventures too. i just don't have the time anymore for full-blown adventures, unless they're called metroid or castlevania, and/or are on a handheld. i want small, polished, bite-sized ones.

for those of you still on the fence, in the 'feels like' deparment, and from somebody who has not played Knytt, lost winds gives a vibe of:

* metroid in the progression department - progressive-abilities-fed exploration, the constant, on-going, ambient puzzle in the game being the navigation - 'where can i reach next?' - all held together by a good pace.
* okami in the story/atmosphere department - artistic, lovable.
* dewy in the visuals department - joyful for the senses, technically lickable.
Click to expand...

i approve of this post.... and I can't wait for the next installment!!!! I would pay 50 bucks for a disc version of this game (as long as it was the complete game, not just the first... segment or whatever).
 
stuminus3

stuminus3

Member
OK, so here's a little indie game on the Wii, crammed into a mere 43MB.

It's really beautiful, full of creamy smooth textures and magical sparkly particle effects all over it's fully interactive environment, enchanting art direction all around. It's the perfect "Wii" game, using the system's unique features in a way that is both well designed and just plain fun.

A little indie game on the Wii, creammed into a mere 43MB.

A year and a half later, how come this is possible from out of nowhere, when a mega corporation like (for example) Ubisoft STILL can't get enjoyable Wii-centric games that are at least on par with early PS2 games? Here's a big shit with tacked-on waggle, oh wait our games aren't selling and we don't know why.

Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with the big publishers?

EDIT: I also hate anyone with complaints about the so-called "length" of this game. You are boring and your favorite games suck.
 
Eteric Rice

Eteric Rice

Member
stuminus3 said:
OK, so here's a little indie game on the Wii, crammed into a mere 43MB.

It's really beautiful, full of creamy smooth textures and magical sparkly particle effects all over it's fully interactive environment, enchanting art direction all around. It's the perfect "Wii" game, using the system's unique features in a way that is both well designed and just plain fun.

A little indie game on the Wii, creammed into a mere 43MB.

A year and a half later, how come this is possible from out of nowhere, when a mega corporation like (for example) Ubisoft STILL can't get enjoyable Wii-centric games that are at least on par with early PS2 games? Here's a big shit with tacked-on waggle, oh wait our games aren't selling and we don't know why.

Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with the big publishers?

EDIT: I also hate anyone with complaints about the so-called "length" of this game. You are boring and your favorite games suck.
Click to expand...

They're fucking stupid and they put their newb devs on the Wii?

It's the same with FFCC, it's on less than 40 megs and it plows the fuck out of just about everything.
 
E

Evlar

Banned
stuminus3 said:
OK, so here's a little indie game on the Wii, crammed into a mere 43MB.

It's really beautiful, full of creamy smooth textures and magical sparkly particle effects all over it's fully interactive environment, enchanting art direction all around. It's the perfect "Wii" game, using the system's unique features in a way that is both well designed and just plain fun.

A little indie game on the Wii, creammed into a mere 43MB.

A year and a half later, how come this is possible from out of nowhere, when a mega corporation like (for example) Ubisoft STILL can't get enjoyable Wii-centric games that are at least on par with early PS2 games? Here's a big shit with tacked-on waggle, oh wait our games aren't selling and we don't know why.

Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with the big publishers?

EDIT: I also hate anyone with complaints about the so-called "length" of this game. You are boring and your favorite games suck.
Click to expand...
The cost-to-price ratio in this industry is so fucking out of whack. Publishers charge $50 to $60 for a disc-based game, right? But consumers want a lot of bang for fifty bucks, which requires a large team and considerable development resources to build a game that feels satisfying enough to justify that price. And, naturally, all those sunk costs are risky (what if the game flops?) so large publishers must manage risk conservatively in order to survive. This means recycling the same ideas over and over (don't kill the goose that lays the golden eggs, if it ain't broke don't fix it, etc.) Unfortunately the Wii REQUIRES new ideas. This is the catch-22, the source of all the resistance against the Wii from the big publishers.

But what if games were cheaper to purchase? Consumers would demand less because they're paying for less, developers won't have to stuff everything and the kitchen sink into huge multi-stratus projects, publishers are risking less, teams can get smaller and turn-around might improve, riskier ideas can be tried because less capital is being wagered... This is why the download services (and the portables) are the home of innovation right now. Publishers can afford to take some risks on these titles because consumers are less critical because the sticker price is more palatable.

It's the same reason indy films survive and thrive. Disc-based games are all blockbusters, and that's a boom-or-bust model. WiiWare/XNA/PSN games can be indy and small films, which cost less to make and can risk more.
 
T

thefro

Member
Yeah, the length doesn't bother me... I consider it the first part an episodic game that'll probably be $40-50 and be 12-15 hours long.
 
blu

blu

Wants the largest console games publisher to avoid Nintendo's platforms.
stuminus3 said:
OK, so here's a little indie game on the Wii, crammed into a mere 35MB.

It's really beautiful, full of creamy smooth textures and magical sparkly particle effects all over it's fully interactive environment, enchanting art direction all around. It's the perfect "Wii" game, using the system's unique features in a way that is both well designed and just plain fun.

A little indie game on the Wii, creammed into a mere 35MB.

A year and a half later, how come this is possible from out of nowhere, when a mega corporation like (for example) Ubisoft STILL can't get enjoyable Wii-centric games that are at least on par with early PS2 games? Here's a big shit with tacked-on waggle, oh wait our games aren't selling and we don't know why.

Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with the big publishers?

EDIT: I also hate anyone with complaints about the so-called "length" of this game. You are boring and your favorite games suck.
Click to expand...
*quote edited for correctness*

i don't really want to derail this thread into game industry politics, though i barely refrain, so i'll just say that game publishers are to game industry as lawyers are to justice - in theory they're supposed to champion it. in practice, most of them ruin it.

just let me quote one little screenshot caption from the eurogamer review i find very relevant to the whole 'something's rotten in denmark' line going in this thread:

In a parallel universe where the Amiga still reigns supreme, LostWinds is top of the charts.

ps: and then of course, at the opposite end of the boat, we have the fucktards who've already put up torrents of this game as if they're doing a favor to anybody. those, together with the aforementioned publishers, are succesfullty sinking the boat for everybody else aboard. yay.
 
N

Nicktals

Banned
thefro said:
Yeah, the length doesn't bother me... I consider it the first part an episodic game that'll probably be $40-50 and be 12-15 hours long.
Click to expand...

I tried thinking of it like that too, but that only works if the sequel picks right up where this one left off, as far as mechanics and abilities. I don't want to spend half of the 3 hours "part 2" relearning what I learned in the first game. If they treat it like an episodic game then great, no problem. But if they treat it like a real sequel, where there may be new abilities, but you still have to relearn the original ones, then no deal.
 
S

straydog1980

Banned
blu said:
ps: and then of course, at the opposite end of the boat, we have the fucktards who've already put up torrents of this game as if they're doing a favor to anybody. those, together with the aforementioned publishers, are succesfullty sinking the boat for everybody else aboard. yay.
Click to expand...

i can honestly say the Wii is the first system I have gotten really pissed off about people pirating games. I just really think the whole concept of piracy especially when it comes to video games is lethal to smaller developers. People say "oh they don't have a track record, I'll just download it and if it's good maybe I'll buy it". yeah fucking right.
 
E

edwardslane

Member
My first wii ware purchase!

So far after 20 minutes of play time i think it's interesting. I'll get more time in once i get days off..

So far it's worth the $10 i think. unique gameplay.

Looking forward to some other wii ware titles..

I wish the blackjack game had more than just blackjack.. I'd buy blackjack for 300-400 points.. not 700 for simply black jack when i can play it online for free
 
H

hokahey

Member
Bought it yesterday. Started playing it just to get a quick glimpse and couldn't stop playing. Three hours later I beat it and was very disappointed that the adventure had to come to an end. I think an 8.5 or a B are perfect scores for this game. I would love to have seen this fleshed out with more of a menu and map, but other than that it's pretty damn incredible. I can only guess the people that don't like it are the same people that think Madden 09 and GTA 67 are the greatest games ever.
 
D

DDayton

(more a nerd than a geek)
Dragona Akehi said:
You know, I'm really wondering why they didn't just name Enril as "Enlil", because it's pretty clear whom they're referring to...:p
Click to expand...

Wait... is that in in-game reference or real world reference?
 
N

nincompoop

Banned
Finished it this morning, game time was 3:01, collected 21 of 24 statues. The end of the game felt tacked on and unfinished imo. I mean, the second chest you have to collect was in a pretty nicely sized dungeon that required lots of exploration, but the last two chests barely needed any exploration at all. Overall it was a great game though, very relaxing atmosphere and using the wind to explore the levels reminded me a lot of exploring with the hover pack in Mario Sunshine. I'd probably give it around an 8.5, definitely worth it for 10 bucks.
 
I

Iam Canadian

and have the worst user name EVER
I've played it for almost an hour now. It's not too bad, but it's far too easy. It's polished enough, but I need at least a little bit of difficulty to get fully engaged and this game isn't providing that so far.
 
D

Dragona Akehi

Retired
Evlar said:
I'm ashamed to say I knew who Gozer and Zuul are but not Enlil.

They're from Ghostbusters.
Click to expand...

How does this relate to Enlil then?

fake edit: looking it up, Wikipedia says that in the movie they are Sumerian gods. They're not, and I don't see how they could even suggest that. Sumerian doesn't even have the phoneme /o/ ...
 
T

TheGrayGhost

Banned
I need help. I've just recovered the Slip Stream, and so far, I've noticed two areas sealed off by a a kind of cage. In both locations, there is a boulder nearby, which would suggest that the boulder must be "gusted" into them to break them. I've tried but it hasn't worked. Does anyone know how to destroy them?
 
R

rollingstart

Banned
I played for maybe about 50 minutes and I have been really enjoying it. Graphically and style wise it is actually quite good. I do wish it didn't have any dialog and let you simply explore by yourself, not that it matters because I skip the text anyway.
 
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