lostwinds « WordPress.com Tag Feed

WiiWare demos are go

hootymcboob — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:22:24 +0000

UPDATE: There are now even more demos available for download like Pokemon Rumble and World of Goo so it seems this is the start of something beautiful after all!

True to their word, Nintendo are now offering demos for a select number of WiiWare titles. Bizarrely, only three are available at the moment and even more odd is the absence of either LostWinds titles – two games that should be promoted a hell of a lot more. What we do get is a chance to play the retro-rhythm shooter Bit. Trip Beat, ultra long titled The Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord and platforming adventure NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits. All are available until 16th January 2010 and it’s unclear as to whether more will be coming after or if this is a one-off trial for the service. I would imagine Nintendo will continue offering demos but don’t see the point of only allowing downloads for a limited time. At least it’s a start in the right direction for Nintendo’s online services. Check out the Wii Shop Channel for access and more info.

{Thanks Official Nintendo Magazine}

LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias

Christian — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:52:16 +0000

Letzten Freitag war ich nun endlich in der Lage, mir den zweiten Teil des letztjährigen WiiWare-Hits LostWinds herunterzuladen, der den netten Untertitel Winter of the Melodias trägt. Das Spiel ist so schön geworden, dass ich gar nicht anders kann als darüber zu bloggen.

LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias ist ein klassischer Plattformer mit unkonventionellen Gameplay-Elementen: Anstatt den kleinen Toku bei der Suche nach seiner Mutter direkt zu steuern, erhält der Spieler die Kontrolle über den Windgeist Enril, der mithilfe der Pointerfunktion der Wiimote kontrolliert wird. Toku selbst kann man nur nach links und rechts laufen (und im zweiten Teil auch erstmals tauchen) lassen; Sprünge führt der Wicht aus, indem man mit dem Pointer über ihn fährt und somit einen Windstoß erzeugt. Zugegeben: Anfangs ist die Steuerung etwas ungewohnt (wenn auch für Kenner des ersten Teils nicht in dem Maße wie für Neueinsteiger, da sie nahezu 1:1 aus Letzterem übernommen wurde). Nach einer Weile geht sie aber dermaßen in Fleisch und Blut über, dass man sich fragt, warum es solche Steuerungsmechanismen nicht in mehr Spielen gibt.

Im zweiten Teil erhalten Toku und Enril zudem eine Vielzahl an neuen Fähigkeiten, die zum Teil auf bekannten aufbauen oder gänzlich neu sind wie etwa das Erzeugen eines Wirbelsturms, um höher gelegene Plattformen zu erreichen. Das markanteste neue Gameplay-Element dürfte aber der virtuelle Wechsel von Sommer und Winter sein, den man ab einer bestimmten Stelle im Spiel durchführen darf, um so an vorher nicht zugängliche Stellen zu gelangen. Der Eingang zum Palast der Melodias ist nur über einen See zu erreichen, der ausgerechnet jetzt zugefroren ist? Kein Problem: Schnell die Jahreszeit gewechselt und schon kann man ihn schwimmend und tauchend erreichen. Das ist natürlich eines der ersten Beispiele für diese Fähigkeit, gegen Ende wird das Ganze auch schon mal kniffliger (knifflig beschreibts wohl auch wirklich am besten, denn richtig schwer wirds eigentlich nie).

Das große Manko des ersten Teils war sein Umfang: Zwischen drei und vier Stunden Spielspaß wurden einem für immerhin 1000 Wii Points bzw. 10 Euro geboten. Leider ist das bei Teil zwei nicht wirklich besser: Gleicher Preis, minimal höhere Spielzeit. Ich habe rund vier Stunden gebraucht, was selbst für ein Download-Spiel meines Erachtens viel zu wenig ist.

Trotzdem wird sicher niemand den Kauf des Spiels bereuen – angesichts dessen, was einem während der wenigen Stunden geboten wird. LostWinds 2 hat eine ungeheure Motivationskurve, für die nicht etwa die zugegebenermaßen etwas hanebüchene Story, sondern der ständige Wechsel von Erhalt, Ausprobieren und Ausbau einer Fähigkeit verantwortlich ist. Die Rätsel sind – wie oben angesprochen – nie wirklich fordernd, dafür aber nur durch Kombination der unterschiedlichen Manöver zu lösen, was im Endeffekt einfach riesigen Spaß macht.

Die Welt in LostWinds 2 ist alles andere als groß, kann dafür aber wegen der verschiedenen Ebenen schnell unübersichtlich werden, wogegen die Entwickler von Frontier dieses Mal mit einer simplen Karte vorbeugen (zumindest bin ich mir ziemlich sicher, dass es die im ersten Teil noch nicht gab…). Dummerweise führt das aber auch zu Missionszielen wie “Kehre zurück zu Punkt XY” – das Backtracking hat also zugenommen, bewegt sich aber noch in erträglichen Sphären.

Denn bei einer so schön gestalteten Spielwelt geht man natürlich gern zweimal an derselben Stelle vorbei! Wirklich, auch im zweiten Teil ist Tokus Heimat unglaublich schön, dynamisch und (auch wenns kitschig klingt) zauberhaft geworden. Das Spiel sieht um Längen besser aus als so manches Vollpreis-Game und braucht sich vor keinem PSN- oder XBLA-Download-Titel zu verstecken. Gleiches gilt auch für die Musikuntermalung, bei der wieder Melodien aus dem ersten Teil aufgegriffen und nun auch um einige winterliche Stücke bereichert werden.

Ich hatte nicht den Hauch eines Zweifels, dass mich LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias enttäuschen würde. Aus subjektiver Sicht tendiere ich dazu, das Spiel als nahe an der Perfektion zu bezeichnen; objektiv gesehen steht da leider doch die viel zu geringe Spielzeit im Wege. Dennoch: LostWinds 2 übertrumpft den Vorgänger und stellt sich auf eine Stufe mit WiiWare-Perlen wie World of Goo oder – tja, mehr wollen mir leider gar nicht einfallen. Egal, am Ende steht eh nur ein Wort und das lautet: Runterladen!

(Bilderquelle: ign.com)

David Braben Discusses the Future of LostWinds

Tony Miller — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:52:29 +0000

David Braben of Frontier Developments recently sat down with Cubed3 and during that conversation LostWinds came up as a topic. They discussed a few different things that Frontier is looking at for the franchise. One of those things was a semi-confirmation of a new LostWinds game and of course WiiWare is being discussed as a possible platform for that release.

He also talked about DSiWare and that they may be working on something in the future. It may not be directly related to LostWinds, but more of a “Game of the Week” idea, which if you didn’t know was how the idea for LostWinds was spawned in the first place.

Source: Cubed3 via GoNintendo

I can tell you that the first game was on the top of my list of WiiWare games in 2008 and the sequel shot to the top of my list for 2009. This game rivals many of the retail disc experiences in terms of quality. More LostWinds would only be a good thing and I would really like to see a fully fledged double digit hour length experience come to Wii. I think it’s the perfect platform for a game like that. If you haven’t read it yet, check out our review of the game and I urge everyone who hasn’t played it yet to download this game and give it a try.

Nintendo Download: Week of October 19th

Tony Miller — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:23:00 +0000

Discover New LostWinds, Numerous Domo Games and a True Arcade Classic

Eight is great for gamers this week as Nintendo adds eight new titles to its ever-growing library of downloadable games. First on the list is LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias, a follow-up to one of the most popular releases on the WiiWare™ service. Next, Shootanto: Evolutionary Mayhem makes survival of the fittest the law of the land. Meanwhile, Nintendo DSiWare™ welcomes Domo™, a strange creature who hatched from an egg. Also known as the popular mascot of Japan’s NHK television station, Domo stars in five separate new Nintendo DSiWare games. Topping it off is RYGAR™, a 1980s arcade gem making its Virtual Console™ debut.

WiiWare

LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias

Publisher: FRONTIER
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias is a sequel to the award-winning WiiWare launch title LostWinds. Enril the Wind Spirit returns to protect and guide young Toku by powering his jumps, aiding his glides and smashing his enemies. An evil adversary binds the fate of Toku’s mother, Magdi, and the ancient Melodia civilization. To save Magdi, Toku and Enril must face new foes, enlist friends old and new, and wield incredible new powers – including the ability to switch the very seasons themselves – as they explore the diverse, richly interactive Chilling Peaks and Melodia City areas of the magical land of Mistralis. This enchanting, exhilarating, explorative game play experience is bursting with new ideas that make exceptional use of the Wii Remote™ controller. The awesome power of the Wind is back in the palm of your hand.

Shootanto: Evolutionary Mayhem
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Crude Humor, Mild Fantasy Violence, Suggestive Themes
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Battle for the future in a world governed by the law of the jungle. As you move through the stages, your character evolves and your weapons and shooting abilities change. First, throw weapons by hand, then proceed to use tools and different types of projectiles. A cooperative two-player mode is also available. The controls are simple: Move the character with the control stick, adjust the crosshairs with the Wii Remote controller and shoot down targets while dodging enemy attacks. Getting hit by an enemy bullet or touching an enemy close to you will count as a miss. With each miss, you’ll lose one heart; losing all hearts will end the game.

Nintendo DSiWare

Crash-Course Domo™
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: In Crash-Course Domo, you’ll guide Domo across the finish line in six increasingly difficult bicycle races. Steer Domo around other racers and patches of rough terrain, pedaling as fast as his stubby legs will allow.

Hard-Hat Domo™
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: In Hard-Hat Domo, Domo is a construction worker trying to get to the top of a building. Match ladder colors to floor colors – using cans of paint, if necessary – to earn points and continue climbing higher. Reach the top floor to clear each of the four levels of difficulty.

Pro-Putt Domo™
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: In Pro-Putt Domo, Domo hits the green in an effort to win the world putt-putt golf championship. Domo competes to finish with the lowest number of strokes in either the nine-hole Small Classic or the 18-hole Big Open tournament. Along the way, he’ll collect coins and earn bowls of meat-and-potato stew while avoiding bunkers and water hazards.

Rock-n-Roll Domo™
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: In Rock-n-Roll Domo, you’ll control Domo as he takes the stage in search of fortune and fame. Hit the right notes in rhythm (using the touch screen, if desired) to rock the house. If your timing needs work, use the mixer to practice songs. Complete five different songs at a series of increasingly larger venues to help Domo become a superstar.

White-Water Domo™
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Take control of Domo as he hops into his kayak and races the river rapids in White-Water Domo. Jump and paddle as you steer Domo through the treacherous rapids in an effort to cross the finish line as quickly as possible. Finish with one of the top three times to proceed to the next stage.

Virtual Console

RYGAR™
Publisher: Tecmo
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 600 Wii Points
Description: The year is 19XX A.D. and the human race has been brought to its knees by the resurrected ancient Beast Lord. The people have brought legendary warrior Rygar back to life in order to save the human race. Armed with Diskarmor, a weapon that extends, you’ll also make full use of your jumping abilities to venture through and clear all 27 stages. Appearing at arcades in 1986 as a side-scrolling action game, RYGAR received high acclaim for its beautifully rendered graphics, including waterfalls and a setting sun. As extra features, players can collect the five Powers of Indra to obtain special bonuses or gain 1,000,000 bonus points for finding hidden items. Also, the number of lives and the level of difficulty can be altered.

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi Shop and the Wii™ Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays. Users with broadband Internet access can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card™ can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Nintendo DSi Shop or the Wii Shop Channel. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

Remember that both Wii and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit Wii.com or NintendoDSi.com.

Sourece: PR Email

Lost Winds Winter of The Melodias Release date!

wii4everybody — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:23:00 +0000

Asi es, el proximo lunes 19 de Octubre saldra a la venta este buenisimo y esperado juego (al menos x mi) jeje, he aqui la nota oficial:
Official press release Wrote:

Frontier Developments Ltd. (‘Frontier’) today announced that LostWinds®: Winter of the Melodias will be released on Monday 19th October 2009 by Nintendo of America on the innovative WiiWare™ service.
David Braben, Frontier’s Chairman and Founder, said: “The original LostWinds was embraced by the US, and the sequel has major new gameplay features and improvements across the board. After the incredible reception in Europe for Winter of the Melodias, we’re excited to see what the American reaction will be.”
The eagerly awaited follow-up to last year’s best selling, award-winning WiiWare launch title has received high praise across the board in Europe including:
IGN UK 91% “With satisfyingly challenging puzzles expertly woven between engaging platforming and a thoroughly charming narrative, Winter of the Melodias represents an essential purchase. It’s not simply the best WiiWare title on the market, but one of the best Wii games full stop”.
Eurogamer 90% “If this is the kind of thing WiiWare can do, let’s have some more of it, frankly.”
Vandal Online 93% “LostWinds was probably one of the most attractive and interesting games on the Wii (not only WiiWare), and Winter of Melodias completely surpasses it.”
zConnect 96% “Even if you’ve never played the first game, make sure to pick up this wondrous little gem.”
Videogamer 90% “the game’s overall aesthetic is so powerful that Winter of the Melodias might well be one of the most beautiful games ever created.”
Once again puts the power of the wind in the palm of your hand, as you experience Toku and Enril’s new adventure to save Toku’s mother, lift an ancient curse and thwart the evil Balasar. The elemental powers of Enril the Wind Spirit are used to protect and guide the young boy Toku – power his jumps and glides, suspend and smash new enemies, and explore all-new expanses of the stunningly presented, magical land of Mistralis.
Players can instantly transform Mistralis between Summer and Winter, harnessing the brilliance of nature: frozen Winter ponds and waterfalls become deep, teeming Summer pools and chambers in which to dive and unlock secrets, enemies can be frozen or doused, and the very air itself used to form snowballs or moisture-laden clouds. Other amazing new abilities include the cyclone, which can be used to transport Toku, smash powerful enemies and even drill through the rock of Mistralis’ diverse, richly interactive Chilling Peaks and Melodia City areas.
With production values to match the very best Wii disc titles, LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias will be available to download directly to the living rooms of millions of families in the Americas exclusively via Nintendo’s WiiWare service.
Pricing: 1000 Wii™ Points. WiiWare is accessible through Wii.

Source:
Nintendo Life

LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias Hits WiiWare on Monday, October 19th

Tony Miller — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:43:00 +0000

16th October 2009, Cambridge, UK. - Frontier Developments Ltd. (‘Frontier’) today announced that LostWinds®: Winter of the Melodias will be released on Monday 19th October 2009 by Nintendo of America on the innovative WiiWare service.

David Braben, Frontier’s Chairman and Founder, said: “The original LostWinds was embraced by the US, and the sequel has major new gameplay features and improvements across the board. After the incredible reception in Europe for Winter of the Melodias, we’re excited to see what the American reaction will be.”

The eagerly awaited follow-up to last year’s best selling, award-winning WiiWare launch title has received high praise across the board in Europe including:

IGN UK 91% “With satisfyingly challenging puzzles expertly woven between engaging platforming and a thoroughly charming narrative, Winter of the Melodias represents an essential purchase. It’s not simply the best WiiWare title on the market, but one of the best Wiiä games full stop”.

Eurogamer 90% “If this is the kind of thing WiiWare can do, let’s have some more of it, frankly.”

Vandal Online 93% “LostWinds was probably one of the most attractive and interesting games on the Wii (not only WiiWare), and Winter of Melodias completely surpasses it.”

zConnect 96% “Even if you’ve never played the first game, make sure to pick up this wondrous little gem.”

Videogamer 90% “the game’s overall aesthetic is so powerful that Winter of the Melodias might well be one of the most beautiful games ever created.”

Once again puts the power of the wind in the palm of your hand, as you experience Toku and Enril’s new adventure to save Toku’s mother, lift an ancient curse and thwart the evil Balasar. The elemental powers of Enril the Wind Spirit are used to protect and guide the young boy Toku – power his jumps and glides, suspend and smash new enemies, and explore all-new expanses of the stunningly presented, magical land of Mistralis.

Players can instantly transform Mistralis between Summer and Winter, harnessing the brilliance of nature: frozen Winter ponds and waterfalls become deep, teeming Summer pools and chambers in which to dive and unlock secrets, enemies can be frozen or doused, and the very air itself used to form snowballs or moisture-laden clouds. Other amazing new abilities include the cyclone, which can be used to transport Toku, smash powerful enemies and even drill through the rock of Mistralis’ diverse, richly interactive Chilling Peaks and Melodia City areas.

With production values to match the very best Wii disc titles, LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias will be available to download directly to the living rooms of millions of families in the Americas exclusively via Nintendo’s WiiWare service.

Price: 1000 Wii Points.

See http://lostwinds.frontier.co.uk/ for more details including latest video footage, screenshots and exclusive content.

Source: PR Email

To LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias διαθέσιμo στο WiiWare

xollothnews — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:49:05 +0000

To LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias διαθέσιμo στο WiiWare | Game 2.0

Σε περίπτωση που δεν το έχετε πάρει μυρωδιά ακόμα, το LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias είναι διαθέσιμο στο WiiWare από την Παρασκευή.

Μάλιστα, το Winter of the Melodias αποτελεί και το 100ο παιχνίδι της πλατφόρμας[next]

Related articles by Zemanta:

Games News

xollothnews — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 03:36:57 +0000

Το Epic Mickey μόνο στο Wii

Το Epic Mickey μόνο στο Wii (ξανά) | byteme

Το Game Informer έχει βαλθεί να τρελάνει το διαδίκτυο. Λίγες ώρες μετά το τράβηγμα των σχετικών με αποκλειστικότητα του τίτλου στο Wii, κίνηση που μεταφράστηκε από τους πάντες ως σοβαρή υποψία κυκλοφορίας του παιχνιδιού και σε άλλα formats, το site άλλαξε ρότα επιβεβαιώνοντας εκ νέου ότι αυτό θα κυκλοφορήσει τελικά αποκλειστικά για το Wii.[next]

Το νέο LostWinds γίνεται το 100ο παιχνίδι για το WiiWare

Το νέο LostWinds γίνεται το 100ο παιχνίδι για το WiiWare | byteme

Το sequel του LostWinds και δημιούργημα του David Braben, LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias γίνεται σήμερα το 100ο παιχνίδι του WiiWare που κυκλοφορεί στην Ευρώπη. Δεδομένης της ποιότητας του πρώτου τίτλου της Frontier Developments για το WiiWare, η αγορά του δεύτερου κρίνεται ως καλή κίνηση αφού συν τοις άλλοις περιέχει νέες abilities που ανεβάζουν επίπεδο το gameplay.

Να αναφέρουμε ότι αντίστοιχα το 100ο παιχνίδι για το WiiWare στις ΗΠΑ ήταν το Bit.Trip: Core.[next]

Το Beneath a Steel Sky στο iPhone

Το Beneath a Steel Sky στο iPhone | byteme

Την εμφάνισή του στο iPhone έκανε το Beneath a Steel Sky, remake του ομώνυμου, κλασσικού adventure των ‘90s. Η έκδοση για την πλατφόρμα της Apple περιλαμβάνει ανανεωμένο user interface, νέα animations δια χειρός Dave Gibbons (ένας εκ των δημιουργών του Watchmen), έξυπνο hint system και εκ νέου ηχογραφημένο soundtrack καθώς και ομιλίες. Η τιμή του είναι μόλις στα €3,99, ποσό ευτελέστατο για τον adventure-fan που ψάχνει κάτι ποιοτικό για το iΚάτι του.[next]

Το εβδομαδιαίο update του PS Store

Το εβδομαδιαίο update του PS Store – Gameover.gr

Μπορεί οι προσθήκες της προηγούμενης εβδομάδας να έφεραν σωρεία νέου υλικού στο PlayStation Store, όμως η Sony φαίνεται πως δεν επαναπαύεται, αφού κι αυτή την εβδομάδα υπάρχει αρκετό νέο υλικό για τους χρήστες της υπηρεσίας. Οι Ειδικές Προσφορές συνεχίζονται, με πολλούς κλασσικούς τίτλους του PSone να προσφέρονται σε δελεαστικές τιμές, καθώς επίσης και ορισμένες προσφορές για τίτλους του PlayStation Portable, όπως το Monster Hunter Freedom Unite[next]

Καθυστερεί το The Secret World λόγω περικοπών στο δυναμικό της Funcom

Καθυστερεί το The Secret World λόγω περικοπών στο δυναμικό της Funcom | Game 2.0

To πολυαναμενόμενο ΜΜΟ The Secret World αναμένεται να καθυστερήσει αρκετά, λόγω περικοπών στο δυναμικό της Funcom.

Η δημιουργός του Age of Conan μειώνει το προσωπικό της κατά 20%, για να περιορίσει τα έξοδα.[next]

Γνωρίστε τους χαρακτήρες του Samurai Warriors 3

Γνωρίστε τους χαρακτήρες του Samurai Warriors 3 | Game 2.0

H Koei έδωσε στη δημοσιότητα δύο νέα trailers του hack and slash Samurai Warriors 3, μέσω των οποίων θα γνωρίσετε τους χαρακτήρες του παιχνιδιού.[next]

πρώτο trailer του GTA: Chinatown Wars για PSP

Δείτε το πρώτο trailer του GTA: Chinatown Wars για PSP | Game 2.0

H Rockstar μόλις έδωσε στη δημοσιότητα το πρώτο trailer του GTA: Chinatown Wars για PSP.

Δεν φαίνεται και πολύ διαφορετικό από την έκδοση για το DS, αλλά αυτό είναι λογικό.[next]

To πρώτο trailer του Runaway: A Twist of Fate

To πρώτο trailer του Runaway: A Twist of Fate | Game 2.0

H Pendulo έδωσε στη δημοσιότητα το πρώτο trailer του επερχόμενου adventure Runaway: A Twist of Fate, το οποίο μπορείτε να δείτε παρακάτω.

Το A Twist of Fate είναι το τρίτο παιχνίδι της σειράς και διαθέτει βελτιωμένα γραφικά (αλλά με το γνωστό art style), πιο εύχρηστο interface και ένα hint system για να σας βοηθά όταν κολλάτε σε κάποιο σημείο.[next]

LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias European Launch Trailer

Tony Miller — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:15:00 +0000

Il sequel di LostWinds domani in uscita

Tutto Giochi — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:19:56 +0000

Le nuove immagini che trovate in fondo a questa notizia sono state distribuite oggi dagli sviluppato

Breaking wind

hootymcboob — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:36:06 +0000

UPDATE: The video was having technical issues and was replaced with this spiffing image of Toku instead.

With the launch of Nintendo’s WiiWare service came the release of the utterly charming LostWinds, giving us hope that other games may follow with a similar quality. Unfortunately this hasn’t quite been the case and WiiWare has fallen victim to developers making less than average games in the hope of easy money. The handful which are worth playing generally rise to the top and joining them tomorrow comes LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias, a sequel to the original and best selling WiiWare classic. As a somewhat fitting tribute, LW:WotM will be the 100th game to be released in Europe’s WiiWare service for 1,000 Wii points.

Once again we’ll take control of Toku and Enril as they utilise the power of wind (insert joke here…) to save Toku’s mother in an all new adventure. To add to that already turbulent task, the pair must lift and ancient curse and kick the evil Balasar’s butt. Sounds good to me and the video image above only makes me want it even more!

Lost Winds Sequel Releasing on Friday in Europe

Tony Miller — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:13:00 +0000

European readers have something to be excited about. I just received word that LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias will be releasing this Friday, October 9th. It will be the 100th game released for WiiWare in the European territories and will sell for 1,000 Wii Points. Any of you that pick up this game will have to let us know how it is.

With the European release now so close that means that an American release can’t be that far behind. I’ve put in word with Frontier and when I hear back from them I’ll let you know.

Update: A representative with Frontier has indeed confirmed that the North American release will be very soon, but could not confirm the date as that is set by Nintendo. Stay tuned here to find out more about this game and head on over to the forums to speak your mind about the game

Source: PR Email

VÍDEO-AVANCE: LostWinds: Winter of Melodias

asadapi — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:15:05 +0000

Edición, Texto y Voz by Asadapi Próximamente llegará a WiiWare en exclusiva para Wii el videojuego

trailer του LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias

xollothnews — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 03:26:09 +0000

Νέο gameplay trailer του LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias | Game 2.0

O Oκτώβριος είναι πλέον πολύ κοντά, που σημαίνει ότι και η διάθεση του πολυαναμενόμενου LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias στο WiiWare είναι προ των πυλών.

Προετοιμαστείτε λοιπόν, για τη νέα περιπέτεια του Toku με το παρακάτω gameplay trailer.[next]

Related articles by Zemanta:

Οκτώβριο η διάθεση του LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias στο WiiWare

xollothnews — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:41:21 +0000

Toν Οκτώβριο η διάθεση του LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias στο WiiWare | Game 2.0

Σύμφωνα με το επίσημο site της Nintendo, το πολυαναμενόμενο LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias θα είναι διαθέσιμο στο WiiWare από τον Οκτώβριο. Το Winter of the Melodias είναι το πανέμορφο sequel του LostWinds, που κατά γενική ομολογία αποτελεί το κορυφαίο παιχνίδι του WiiWare μέχρι στιγμής.[next]

Related articles by Zemanta:

New LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias Screens

Tony Miller — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:23:00 +0000

Frontier has passed along more screens from LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias. Check out the rest at our Flickr page.

Truly beautiful Wii games

Nathaniel Payne — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:06:50 +0000

It’s time we’ve come to terms with the ugly truth: aside from a rare handful of exceptions, Wii games aren’t all that pretty. Especially when compared to their current generation counterparts on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Most Wii owners have accepted this by now. After all, a dedicated Nintendo fan is oftentimes looking more for gameplay experience than they are graphic fidelity.

With a system that has an enormous install base ripe for the picking, yet a weaker graphic processor than the competition, developers have had to find ways to make games look appealing on the Wii. And I think their efforts are finally starting to pay off. A lot of games on the cusp of the horizon (and at least one that has already released) look absolutely gorgeous. The secret has apparently been to avoid altogether attempting to match the graphical prowess of the top-tier machines. Instead, developers have been focusing on creating wholly unique and engaging artistic styles that emphasize beauty through the artwork and design, rather than the simple math of pixel pushing. And it works.

Following are a few of my favorite examples of some of the stunning and remarkably beautiful games that you will be able to find available on the Wii very soon. Check out an ungodly number of images and videos below the fold.

Muramasa: the Demon Blade
Just released this week, Muramasa is a game I’ve talked about previously. That doesn’t mean we can’t discuss it again. Created by Vanillaware, the team responsible for Odin Sphere on the PS2, Muramasa is simply gorgeous. The art direction is inspired by traditional Japanese art, and to just say “inspired” isn’t doing the visuals justice. The game looks and feels like a playable anime cartoon with an absolutely engrossing art style and character design. This is one I really hope sells sufficiently well because I desperately want Vanillaware making more stylish Wii games in the future.

Lost in Shadow
A relatively new Wii game that was just announced at the Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany just last month. Developed and published by Hudson Soft, the game puts you into the extraordinarily obscure shoes of a young boy’s shadow. You enter a tower and can only progress by traversing along the available shadows. Love the premise, and adore the imagery.

Lostwinds: Winter of the Melodias
A sequel to my absolute favorite WiiWare game? We knew it was coming, and I, for one, am extremely glad it is. They are sticking with the same beautiful, painted scenery style, which, if you’ve seen it in motion, you can’t help but fall in love with. Lostwinds is one of the most inventive uses of the Wii remote controls, and the most gorgeous WiiWare game I’ve ever laid eyes on. Give me a release date, Frontier – I’ve got my Wii Points waiting in the wings purely for this title.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: the Crystal Bearers
I’m hoping that this game is still coming to the US sometime this holiday season, though with a release date of November 26th in Japan, that is looking less and less likely every day. But I can rest assured that this game looks phenomenal. Square Enix has shed the somewhat cartoon-ish look of the previous Crystal Chronicles installment on the GameCube and instead opted for a more realistic look. Though “realistic” is not necessarily the correct word. The visuals are lovingly draped in a Japanese style hyper-real anime art design, and it definitely works for this title. It’s stunning and breathtaking, and (as with most artistic games) looks much better in motion than it does in screenshots.

A Boy and His Blob
This is definitely more than just a simple remake of a classic NES game. A Boy and His Blob is more like a complete re-imagining of the entire experience. The art direction Wayforward put together for this game is amazing in its sheer ability to draw you into what’s happening on screen. It’s lovable and adorable, active, and very much like a storybook that has been brought to life before your eyes. Definitely looking forward to this game, expected to arrive next month.

Red Steel 2
This sequel from Ubisoft, set to shift the franchise from a present-day gangster tale to a western fantasy world, has been given a dramatic overhaul in the graphics department. The graphics haven’t been improved, per se, but rather significantly altered to give it more of a feel of a playable graphic novel. The shift in style and tone is welcome. Red Steel was bland at best; a passable but still deeply-flawed launch title at worst. The new concept, which puts you in the steel-toed boots of a sword-wielding gunslinger in an alternate-dimension Asian-inspired western world, has a beautiful style that matches its new-found charm and appeal. Unfortunately, the game has been pushed back to the first quarter of 2010. Even so, it hasn’t moved from my wish list.

Tales of Graces
Is there a reason you will find a couple of high-profile Japanese RPGs on this list? I find this likely evidence that the Wii will eventually become the de-facto home of jRPGs in the near future. For now, enjoy the beauty of Tales of Graces, Namco Bandai’s next flagship Tales game, appearing exclusively on the Wii. A far cry from the previous Tales game on the Wii: the less-than-stellar Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World, Graces has an engaging art style that is reminiscent of the recent Tales of Vesperia for the Xbox 360. It has fluidity and gorgeous, rich color. The painted backgrounds add a deep level of immersion to the aesthetics. It won’t hit until early to mid 2010, but it will be well worth the wait.

These aren’t the only beautiful games appearing on the Wii, and they assuredly won’t be the last. I’ll probably do another gorgeous art round-up at some point next year taking a look at what will come in 2010 and 2011, and just how much the art direction of current Wii games has evolved in just a short span of time.

Share this post on:

Interview With David Braben (Lost Winds: Winter of the Melodias)

Tony Miller — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 03:23:00 +0000

LostWinds was a launch title for the WiiWare service. It was met with a great reception and is still on many gamers favorite WiiWare games lists. David Braben, Founder of Frontier Developments, has joined us for a few minutes to talk about the upcoming sequel LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias. I’d like to thank David for his time and for joining us today.

First of all, what can you tell us about the story of Lost Winds: Winter of the Melodias?

I’d like to avoid spoilers, but in general:

Little time has passed since the events which unfolded between Toku, Enril, Deo and Magmok in “LostWinds”.

Notéa’s sudden return from an expedition brings with it saddening news. Whilst searching for the ruins of the Melodia City Toku’s mother, Magdi, has mysteriously disappeared. The only clues to her whereabouts lie within the tattered remains of her treasured journal.

As repayment for saving his life, the ancient Guardian Magmok pledges his assistance to Toku and Enril as they head up into the mountains in search of Magdi. Toku and Enril arrive at Summerfalls Village, a picturesque location that has been beset by an eternal winter. Even more worryingly, its people now live in fear of ferocious monsters that hide in the snow. Fearing the worst, and with the chilling cold taking its toll, Toku and Enril seek the help of Sonté the Spirit of Seasons. Sonté’s season changing powers will provide the key to unravelling the plight of Summerfalls, and unearth an ancient curse that haunts the Melodia City.

As events continue to take unexpected turns, Toku and Enril venture onward. Wielding their new powers with care and in the face of potentially fatal dilemmas, Toku and Enril are plunged into a race against time to save not only the life of Toku’s mother but also the future of Mistralis.

We think players will be much more engaged in this story and its twists and turns in a way that wasn’t possible in the first game.

One of the biggest complaints was that the original Lost Winds was too short. How has this affected the development of Winter of the Melodias and can you tell us how long you expect this game to last? We know WiiWare games have a fairly small size limit. What types of things can you tell us that you’re doing to help put as much content in the games as you can with that small limit?

You have to remember we are fitting an environment-based game into a strict file-size limit, which is always a challenge. We are aware of people’s perceptions of the play time of the first game, and have been able to learn a lot from our experience of developing it, and so have been able to cram even more into the space. There are significant optimizations which have really helped us to save space, and therefore add more content, and new and different types of gameplay. I don’t have a hard figure for you, as it depends on the player, but we’re confident that Winter of the Melodias will be significantly longer than the first game for any given player.

Lost Winds was a launch title for WiiWare. What were some of the things you learned by being one of the first games on the service? How have you seen things change since that time?

Other than the things mentioned above, the big thing we have benefitted from is seeing how the pricing has settled down on the service. For the first game we were entirely blind, this time there is a history.

Toku and Enril’s first adventure was pretty innovative for platformers. How has motion control changed the way you think about things when you’re developing a game? What types of motion will we see in Winter?

Thanks – we’ve tried very hard to make this game as innovative as the first one; not rest on our laurels and just churn out more levels, but really take the game forward with some novel new gameplay elements, different and better environments, NPCs being more involved in the game and so on. We now have swimming, control of water – freezing, melting, making clouds, rain – there are many exciting new things you can do.

Will we still have all the powers that we had in the first game and how are you adding more without overwhelming the player with control options?

The game starts with the player having all the powers they obtained by the end of the first game, and gradually new powers are added (and hardly ever taken away ). A clear control system is one of LostWinds’ strengths, and a lot of thought and testing has gone into all the new features that have been added to make sure they all feel as intuitive as in the first game. Most of the new abilities are based on context, so need no new controls (like swimming, changing the seasons), and the main new ability that does need a control, cyclone, is used widely in many different ways so you will get used to it very quickly.

I know one of the biggest issues I had with Lost Winds was getting lost because I didn’t have any sort of map to follow. Will that be added to help guide players during Toku’s next adventure?

Again that’s something we are aware of from the first game. LostWinds generally for us is an explorative experience and we certainly don’t want to remove this. But yes we’ve thought very hard about how we can give more general guidance and context to the player with a high level map that doesn’t reveal too much, but avoids getting lost. We’ve used a variety of techniques and are very happy with the balance we’ve struck.

Seasons have played a part in games before and Winter of the Melodias has had a season element added. Is that going to be something that Toku or Enril will have some control over or will there be a new character introduced?

Again trying to avoid spoilers, Toku and Enril earn the help of Sonté the Spirit of Seasons, allowing them to use her amazing power to switch between Summer and Winter at will in order to help them on their journey. So the player has to use the different characteristics of each season to help them during gameplay.

What are your feelings on the sales of the first game and how do you expect this sequel to compare? Have you ever thought that LostWinds might benefit from a full retail release or has this been something that has always been thought of as a WiiWare franchise? Do you have any ideas for the franchise past this game?

Obviously we wouldn’t be doing a second WiiWare game if we didn’t think we’d be happy with the sales  There is nothing limiting LostWinds to WiiWare, and yes we have a TON of ideas going forward – its such a strong concept and world, and we have a huge enthusiasm for more.

Lastly, when can we expect to see Winter of the Melodias available for download and how many Wii Points will it cost?

Sorry, can’t reveal this yet.

I want to thank you very much for your time and we’re looking forward to more information on this game as it becomes available.

It’s a pleasure, thanks for your interest!

Stay tuned to Nintendo Okie for more information on LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias when it becomes available.

Τα νέα downloads της Nintendo

xollothnews — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 03:34:05 +0000

Τα νέα downloads της Nintendo – Gameover.gr

Λιτότατο το update της Nintendo για αυτή την εβδομάδα, μιας και οι προσθήκες ουσιαστικά είναι δύο. Κάτι τέτοιο όμως δεν θα πρέπει να απογοητεύσει κανένα, μιας και το Contra Rebirth είναι πλέον γεγονός. Το retro διαμάντι της Konami, κατέφθασε στο WiiWare, ανανεωμένο και γεμάτο δράση.[next]

Related articles by Zemanta:

Ανακοινώθηκε επίσημα το LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias, δείτε το πρώτο trailer

xollothnews — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 03:24:58 +0000

H Frontier ανακοίνωσε και επίσημα το LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias, το οποίο αποτελεί sequel του LostWinds, του κατά γενική ομολογία κορυφαίου παιχνιδιού του WiiWare.

Στο LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias, η δύναμη του ανέμου είναι και πάλι στην διάθεσή σας και πρέπει να την εκμεταλλευτείτε προκειμένου να βοηθήσετε τον Toku να αντιμετωπίσει τις διάφορες προκλήσεις και εχθρούς.[next]

game20

[wii] annunciato LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias

cartoonmagconsolle — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 07:36:25 +0000

La nota intervista EDGE ha da poco annunciato l’arrivo di un nuovo capitolo della serie LostWinds, titolo famoso lanciato dal wiiware nintendo riscuotendo grande successo. Il secondo capitolo chiamato “LotWinds: Winter of the Melodias” sarà simile al primo sotto il punto di vista del gameplay ma avrà diverse novità:

- nuova meccanica di gioco: possibilità di cambiare stagione da estate a inverno per risolvere gli enigmi
- Toku (il protagonista) può nuotare
- è possibile creare cicloni che hanno la capacità di scavare le rocce e sollevare l’acqua
- nuovo sistema delle mappe
- nuovo sistema dei suggerimenti in-game.

New Lost Winds Sequel to be announced

wii4everybody — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 19:28:00 +0000

La secuela de el popular titulo de WiiWare esta por salir.
El nombre completo del titulo sera: Lost Winds: Winter of the melodias (Invierno de las melodias). La historia continuaria despues del final del primer juego. La madre de Tokus se ha perdido y eso es en si la trama.
Aun cuando el kiego todavia cubre el control del viento, nuevos aditamentos se han incorporado. Por ejemplo el de cambiar las estaciones sera unica!. Aparte de eso tambien podras crear un Ciclon con tu Wiimote!

Desafortunadamente no tenemos mas informacion o algunas imagenes del juego en si pero en cuanto las encuentre por ahi aqui estaremos publicandolas.
A mi me encanto la primera parte asi que espero con ansias mas de este juego!
Saludos gente!

Sequel to the popular launch WiiWare title is finally on its way.

Full title of the new game is: LostWinds: Winter Of The Melodias. It will take place just after the first game ended. Toku’s mother is MIA and that’s pretty much the plot.

While the gameplay still covers controlling the wind new features has also been added. Out of which the season changing skill might be the most unique. Else from that you can now also create cyclone’s with your Wiimote!

Sadly we do not have anything to show from the game. But apparently the game is about done in the development so the should not be that long.

Source.

LostWinds Review

Matthew — Sat, 16 May 2009 08:00:33 +0000

If it wasn’t for Nintendo taking almost three-and-a-half years for fix the storage problem that shouldn’t have even been there in the first place, I would have bought this at launch. But still, this was the perfect game to launch WiiWare. It’s a platformer who’s structure reminds me of a Metroid game in that you will be returning previously impassable areas using newly aquired skills, although the world map isn’t as expansive as the aforementioned game.

The story of LostWinds is very reminiscent of Okami in that, playing as a young boy called Toku, you must vanquish the land from an evil elemental spirit and return it to normal. You will be accompanied Enrill, the wind spirit, and this is where the control method comes in. You control Toku with the nunchuck and Enrill with the Wii remote. Using the remote, you can “draw” paths to control the direction of the wind, which in turn allows Toku to do things such as jumping higher by drawing a line upwards, or slowing down a fall by waving it from side-to-side below him. As you progress through the game you will gain new upgrades such as the ability to draw a specific path for the wind to blow, and a cape for Toku allowing him to glide upwards.

There are plenty of puzzles throughout the game in which you have to use all of your powers to your advantage and can basically be split into three catagories. Lighting torches by using the wind to create a path of flames, moving boulders to press switches, and planting seeds then blowing water over them to grow to create a plant that acts as a cannon. These puzzles aren’t exactly taxing, but most are rather clever and add to the game’s overall quality.

Graphically, this isn’t just one of the best looking games on WiiWare, but on the Wii full stop. With vibrant colours, beautiful backgrounds and unique character design, these all help to give the game it’s own personality. Overall, the presentation is fantastic and, to the untrained eye, this could quite easily be mistaken for a full retail release.

My only gripe with the game is probably its length. It takes around three or four hours to complete, but for 1000 Wii Points it’s certainly worth the quality. Lost Winds is without a doubt one of the best games available on WiiWare, and probably ranks amongst the best downloadable games I’ve played on any system. The intuitive use of the Wii remote is something that will hopefully influence other developers, and it will be interesting to see how they improve on this in the inevitable sequel.

9/10

Review: LostWinds

Matt Altieri — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 05:00:53 +0000

The "box art" isn't very exciting. A boy sleeping? Eh... (LostWinds, Frontier Developm

Best of 2008: Best Platforming Game

Brendan T. Smith — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 23:59:18 +0000

Zestful Contemplation’s Best of 2008 Awards

Way the hell after 2008 is a thing of the past, it’s Zestful Contemplation’s Best of 2008 Awards. I’m not pretending to make my awards comprehensive or unbiased or any of that other pretentious crap. The fact that these awards reflect my own personal experiences, tastes, and dislikes is exactly the point. I haven’t played every game that came out this year and I’m not going to consider a boatload of titles I never played. But I did play a huge number of games this year, and these choices reflect my personal tastes and thoughts about the games I spent time with in 2008.

Best Platforming Game

Contenders:

Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts
LittleBigPlanet
LostWinds
Prince of Persia

The platforming genre is not as strong as it used to be, which is saddening for me as it has always been one of my personal favorites. Still, even though there weren’t many entries this year, the ones that did come around delivered some pretty amazing gameplay. So while we might be lacking in quantity, we certainly had quality this year.

Before anyone asks, yes, I think Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts belongs in the platformer genre. Just because you’re platforming with cars and boats instead of the feet of a fuzzy bear doesn’t mean you’re not still platforming. The methods have changed but the genre ha stayed the same.

Though it couldn’t quite compete with the big boys for the ultimate award, I would like to give a shout out to LostWinds here. It proves what great things can be possible with downloadable games and remains easily one of the best things available on WiiWare.

Nuts and Bolts and LittleBigPlanet have some interesting parallels. For one, they both have control issues that produce a few frustrating moments but manage to be incredibly fun despite this. For two, they both emphasize creation of content by the user.

For the big prize, I had to give it to Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts. It was a tough decision, but here’s my reasoning. What made LittleBigPlanet fun for me was its environments, its creativity, and playing other people’s levels, not necessarily its gameplay. In fact, the core mechanics of the game are some of its biggest drawbacks. Imprecision is an unfortunately common accomplice during play.

As such, Nuts and Bolts does the core of what it sets out to do better. Sure its control is plenty wonky, just like LittleBigPlanet’s, but that can usually be mitigated somewhat by altering your vehicle. This integration of creation with gameplay is the other thing I really admire about it. While it’s entirely optional to create your own levels in LittleBigPlanet, it’s absolutely necessary to create vehicles to succeed in Nuts and Bolts. Making the creation aspects not only easy enough that anyone can use them but also vital to success is an ingenious move that is highly satisfying to the player.

So as much as I adore LittleBigPlanet, the prize goes to Banjo.