LostWinds
Encyclopedia
LostWinds is a platform
/adventure
video game developed by Frontier Developments
, originally for WiiWare
. The game was released for WiiWare in North America on May 12, 2008 and in Europe on May 20, 2008, serving as a launch title
for WiiWare in both regions. Square Enix
published the game in Japan on December 24, 2008. The original game is currently being ported to iOS and Android.
A sequel
, LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias
was released on October 9, 2009.
The player controls Toku, but simultaneously uses the Wii Remote
to draw directional paths on-screen that control the wind. Wind is used to enhance Toku's jumps, defeat or immobilize enemies, and solve puzzles. A second player can also join in with their Wii Remote controlling a second on-screen wind cursor, allowing Toku to fly farther but not higher.
Using Enril's power Toku is able to navigate himself out of the cave and learns how to use the wind to jump higher in the process. Once out he goes to see Deo, his babysitter. Enril seems to recognize Deo but Deo doesn't hear her. Deo then tells Toku to buy him something from the herb store. However it is revealed that the village has been hit by several earthquakes lately. One of the quakes destroys the herb shop. Seeing nothing else for Toku to do, Deo lets him go play.
Questioning why Deo didn't hear her, Enril talks to Toku and a nearby archaeologist hears Enril. He tells them about how the ancients built several devices to beckon the return of the spirit of the wind. He points out one such device in a cave known as The Chamber of Memories. Toku and Enril follow his directions and discover a cave that has several statues, along with the Slipstream ability. Upon opening it they decide to talk to Deo who reveals he knows Enril and is one of the spirits himself.
Before Deo can help though he says his memory has been locked away in four chests, including the one the player already opened. He tells them to check the old mines and inside they find the Vortex ability and a new chest. Returning Deo tells them about another chest located near the falls and the other in the abandoned village. Deo also gives Toku a Jumperella Cape to allow him to fly.
Once the chests are opened Deo says he remembers where his power is. He left it with a monster known as Magmok, located below the Chamber of Memories. Despite saying Magmok is a friendly creature, the Chamber shakes and the monster roars. Deo warns Toku and the two head outside to see a corrupted Magmok rise from the earth, revealing he was the cause of the quakes. Toku removes the pieces of corruption on his hands and head and Magmok removes the rest. He then picks up Deo and gives him a shining light.
In the epilogue, Deo tells the other spirits that Enril is back. However Balasar got a hold of the message as well and is plotting to defeat the "boy-hero".
magazine confirmed that the sequel would be named LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias. The game was released on October 19, 2009.
praised LostWinds sound and graphics, calling the presentation "remarkable", and felt the gameplay was fresh and fun with clever puzzles and tight controls. However, they had concerns with the short length of the game, which they claimed could be finished in about three hours, but felt this was offset by the relatively inexpensive price compared to a retail game. Eurogamer
also praised the presentation, controls and puzzles, claiming the game to be a "mini-masterpiece", while GamePro
gave the game a perfect score, calling it "beautiful and unique".
1UP.com
thought the game was "charming, beautiful, and loaded with smart, judicious use of the Wii Remote" while voicing minor concerns with its length, while WiiWare World thought the game was "innovative" but "not be quite as revolutionary in terms of play control as some had hoped", though they stated it was "a step in the right direction" for the platform genre and WiiWare games as a whole. N-Europe praised Frontier's "astounding attention to detail" in LostWinds and its visuals which make it seem like a "living, breathing fairytale". In contrast, GameSpot
thought LostWinds was "brimming with potential", but ended up being very disappointed with many aspects of the game, including its short length, and claimed a lack of "energy" and "personality" in the game. Addressing the short length of the game, Frontier founder David Braben
believes LostWinds stacks up favorably against some recent, full priced retail games which offer as little as between four and seven hours of gameplay. It was awarded Best Use of the Wii-Mote by IGN in its 2008 video game awards. IGN also nominated it for several other Wii-specific awards, including Best WiiWare Game, Best Artistic Design, and Best Platform Game.
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
/adventure
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
video game developed by Frontier Developments
Frontier Developments
Frontier Developments is a video game developer based in Cambridge, England. It is a private limited company and was incorporated in January 1994. The company is still headed by David Braben, in the position of Chairman....
, originally for WiiWare
WiiWare
WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...
. The game was released for WiiWare in North America on May 12, 2008 and in Europe on May 20, 2008, serving as a launch title
Launch title
A launch game, or launch title, is a video game released to consumers synchronously with the release of its respective video game console, meaning they are the only available games at the time of the console's launch. Several of these games are also packaged with the console...
for WiiWare in both regions. Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
published the game in Japan on December 24, 2008. The original game is currently being ported to iOS and Android.
A sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
, LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias
LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias
LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias is a platform/adventure video game by Frontier Developments for the WiiWare platform. It is the sequel to the 2008 platform adventure LostWinds, and sees the game's protagonist Toku searching for his missing mother while also trying to uncover the fate of the...
was released on October 9, 2009.
Gameplay
The game revolves around a young boy named Toku tasked with saving his homeland from the vengeful elemental Balasar with guidance from the wind elemental Enril.The player controls Toku, but simultaneously uses the Wii Remote
Wii Remote
The , also known as the Wiimote, is the primary controller for Nintendo's Wii console. A main feature of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via gesture recognition and pointing through the use of accelerometer and...
to draw directional paths on-screen that control the wind. Wind is used to enhance Toku's jumps, defeat or immobilize enemies, and solve puzzles. A second player can also join in with their Wii Remote controlling a second on-screen wind cursor, allowing Toku to fly farther but not higher.
Plot
The game starts when a boy named Toku is awakened by the wind. As he heads back toward his home the bridge he's on collapses and he falls into a cave where he finds a crystal shard. The shard starts talking and reveals itself to be a spirit of wind, Enril. Enril was trapped in this form when Balasar, one of the spirits assigned to watch over the land, decided to conquer the world. Using all her might Enril trapped Balasar in a crystal- but in the process she herself was also trapped. Eventually Balasar grew powerful enough to break free. Unfortunately, Enril was still trapped.Using Enril's power Toku is able to navigate himself out of the cave and learns how to use the wind to jump higher in the process. Once out he goes to see Deo, his babysitter. Enril seems to recognize Deo but Deo doesn't hear her. Deo then tells Toku to buy him something from the herb store. However it is revealed that the village has been hit by several earthquakes lately. One of the quakes destroys the herb shop. Seeing nothing else for Toku to do, Deo lets him go play.
Questioning why Deo didn't hear her, Enril talks to Toku and a nearby archaeologist hears Enril. He tells them about how the ancients built several devices to beckon the return of the spirit of the wind. He points out one such device in a cave known as The Chamber of Memories. Toku and Enril follow his directions and discover a cave that has several statues, along with the Slipstream ability. Upon opening it they decide to talk to Deo who reveals he knows Enril and is one of the spirits himself.
Before Deo can help though he says his memory has been locked away in four chests, including the one the player already opened. He tells them to check the old mines and inside they find the Vortex ability and a new chest. Returning Deo tells them about another chest located near the falls and the other in the abandoned village. Deo also gives Toku a Jumperella Cape to allow him to fly.
Once the chests are opened Deo says he remembers where his power is. He left it with a monster known as Magmok, located below the Chamber of Memories. Despite saying Magmok is a friendly creature, the Chamber shakes and the monster roars. Deo warns Toku and the two head outside to see a corrupted Magmok rise from the earth, revealing he was the cause of the quakes. Toku removes the pieces of corruption on his hands and head and Magmok removes the rest. He then picks up Deo and gives him a shining light.
In the epilogue, Deo tells the other spirits that Enril is back. However Balasar got a hold of the message as well and is plotting to defeat the "boy-hero".
Development
The genesis of LostWinds stems from a Frontier "Game of the Week" competition to develop a game that took advantage of the Wii Remote. The idea for the game itself came from Steve Burgess, a designer for Frontier. He was watching the wind blow through some trees and began thinking about a way to have a player become the wind in a game. He began envisioning puzzles and later added a second character to be "moved" and "protected" by the wind, and applied his ideas to the Wii Remote.Sequel
At the end of the game, a short epilogue is played as well as the words "to be continued...". Shortly after the release of LostWinds, Frontier Developments stated that they were already working on a sequel for the game. On August 29, 2009, a special feature in EdgeEdge (magazine)
Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. It is known for its industry contacts, editorial stance, distinctive anonymous third-person writing style, yearly awards and longevity....
magazine confirmed that the sequel would be named LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias. The game was released on October 19, 2009.
Reception
LostWinds received a largely positive response. IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
praised LostWinds sound and graphics, calling the presentation "remarkable", and felt the gameplay was fresh and fun with clever puzzles and tight controls. However, they had concerns with the short length of the game, which they claimed could be finished in about three hours, but felt this was offset by the relatively inexpensive price compared to a retail game. Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
also praised the presentation, controls and puzzles, claiming the game to be a "mini-masterpiece", while GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
gave the game a perfect score, calling it "beautiful and unique".
1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
thought the game was "charming, beautiful, and loaded with smart, judicious use of the Wii Remote" while voicing minor concerns with its length, while WiiWare World thought the game was "innovative" but "not be quite as revolutionary in terms of play control as some had hoped", though they stated it was "a step in the right direction" for the platform genre and WiiWare games as a whole. N-Europe praised Frontier's "astounding attention to detail" in LostWinds and its visuals which make it seem like a "living, breathing fairytale". In contrast, GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
thought LostWinds was "brimming with potential", but ended up being very disappointed with many aspects of the game, including its short length, and claimed a lack of "energy" and "personality" in the game. Addressing the short length of the game, Frontier founder David Braben
David Braben
David John Braben is a British computer programmer, best known for co-writing Elite, a hugely popular and influential space trading computer game, in the early 1980s.-Life and work:...
believes LostWinds stacks up favorably against some recent, full priced retail games which offer as little as between four and seven hours of gameplay. It was awarded Best Use of the Wii-Mote by IGN in its 2008 video game awards. IGN also nominated it for several other Wii-specific awards, including Best WiiWare Game, Best Artistic Design, and Best Platform Game.