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"Zack and Wiki Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure"

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Tue 12/02/08 at 13:13
Regular
"Ghosts Can't Die!"
Posts: 774
If you’re a big Wii fan chances are you heard of Zack and Wiki Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure. IGN did a big campaign to get it noticed and reviews around American have given extremely high opinions of the game since its release. While it is a game genre I’m not particularly used to I decided to give it a try anyway to see what all the fuss was about. Believe me I’m totally glad I widened my game taste palette. Zack and Wiki is a great start to the Wii’s release list this year.

Zack and Wiki is a point and click adventure. Using the remote you aim around the screen, press the A button and you will move the young pirate to that spot. Along your journey you will face several levels each of which contain enemies and puzzles that need to be attacked and solved in order to progress and gain more treasure. To help you you’ll come across a whole host of useful items that utilise the Wii remotes’ capabilities. For example making a sawing gesture for the saw or turning the remote as if using a key are but a few of the basic movements you’ll need to figure out and perform in each stage. The game is very linear and is a simple case of choose where to go, play said level, complete it and move on to the next one that opens up. There is not really a hub area per say but rather a headquarters that acts as a means of travelling and information for Zack and his monkey companion.

Zack is a young pirate looking to make a name for himself and gather as much treasure as humanly possible. He is a childish immature chocolate eater while Wiki is the adorable golden monkey who follows him through thick and thin. Along with his trusty golden flying companion they find themselves aboard a plane searching for their next destination when suddenly they are attacked and forced to jump landing in a vibrant yet dangerous jungle. It is here where the adventure starts and upon discovering your first chest containing the infamous Barbaros you’re on your way to collecting his missing body parts with the reward being a pirate ship! The story is wacky and the characters kooky and memorable and while it isn’t exactly amazing as far as tales go, the presentation is absolutely amazing.

The solutions for each puzzle you find are extremely clever and inventive and more often than not involve methods that are so simple you overlook them. ***SPOILER ALERT*** For example one moment sees you facing a giant beast in the jungle with a zip-line vine separating you from a shining treasure chest. With a wooden stick and umbrella at your disposal what is it you do? Poking the vine with the stick does nothing and using the canvas of the umbrella again is unsuccessful. After around twenty minutes of walking around I finally discovered that flipping the remote actually makes Zack flip the umbrella in game and using the handle he could safely slide down to the treasure. ***SPOILER END*** It’s easy to forget that the remote can sense simple actions such as these and even if you are stumped for around half an hour on one puzzle you don’t care when the solution is so impressive. I wish I was able to describe other smart puzzles, but that would ruin the game for those of you who wish to buy this game. Using a guide is pointless and those people who complete the game with no help will feel such a sense of accomplishment and like you’ve earned the next level and its treasure.

As a single player game this is an amazing experience and even as a multiplayer quest there is still fun to be had when trying to figure out problem after problem as a group. While the other players are limited to simply pointing at areas on screen, it is certainly better than calling aloud. It may seem like a last minute add on not too dissimilar from that seen in Super Mario Galaxy, but it’s nice nonetheless. Plus surely four heads are better than one?

The game looks gorgeous and the cell shaded style definitely gives the game a lot of character. What it lacks in detail it more than makes up for in design and bright colours. You’ll find yourself travelling through lush jungles, shimmering ice caverns and bright, burning volcanoes each with its own feel and collection of unique and challenging brainteasers. Zack, Wiki and all the other characters look and have such wonderfully amusing animations especially during death scenes. This is definitely one of the better looking games on the Wii. As for the sound in the game, it is good. I am very fond of the voice of Zack and Wiki’s is certainly cute without being over the top. As for the music it suits the game well with each environment having its own fitting tune. While it is nothing to write home about, for a game that looks as cute as it does this could have been a lot worse.

If Zack and Wiki has one fatal flaw it’s that the game is too short. With around twenty levels in which each vary in length (anything from five minutes right up to an hour) when it’s over you will want more. Sure you can repeat past levels and search for more treasure, but since more than likely you’ll remember the solution to most puzzles you'll find it less exciting th second time over. What would have been a great idea would have been to use Nintendo Connect24 service in order to download new levels since they seem relatively small. However it’s not to be. This game may be short but it is so so sweet. Another small hiccup is that at points the game does seem to border on trial and error a little too heavily. You’ll need to test contraptions in order to see if it the right move or a fatal one. Not a huge deal but a little bothersome at times.

Zack and Wiki Quest for Barbosa’s Treasure is one of those rare titles that you absolutely have to play regardless of your what genre you’re used to. It is packed full of so much charm and unbelievably genius puzzles it’s clear a lot of time and care was taken with this game. It’s because of the above reasons that I hope this title sells well and I urge you all to pick this game up today.
There have been no replies to this thread yet.
Tue 12/02/08 at 13:13
Regular
"Ghosts Can't Die!"
Posts: 774
If you’re a big Wii fan chances are you heard of Zack and Wiki Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure. IGN did a big campaign to get it noticed and reviews around American have given extremely high opinions of the game since its release. While it is a game genre I’m not particularly used to I decided to give it a try anyway to see what all the fuss was about. Believe me I’m totally glad I widened my game taste palette. Zack and Wiki is a great start to the Wii’s release list this year.

Zack and Wiki is a point and click adventure. Using the remote you aim around the screen, press the A button and you will move the young pirate to that spot. Along your journey you will face several levels each of which contain enemies and puzzles that need to be attacked and solved in order to progress and gain more treasure. To help you you’ll come across a whole host of useful items that utilise the Wii remotes’ capabilities. For example making a sawing gesture for the saw or turning the remote as if using a key are but a few of the basic movements you’ll need to figure out and perform in each stage. The game is very linear and is a simple case of choose where to go, play said level, complete it and move on to the next one that opens up. There is not really a hub area per say but rather a headquarters that acts as a means of travelling and information for Zack and his monkey companion.

Zack is a young pirate looking to make a name for himself and gather as much treasure as humanly possible. He is a childish immature chocolate eater while Wiki is the adorable golden monkey who follows him through thick and thin. Along with his trusty golden flying companion they find themselves aboard a plane searching for their next destination when suddenly they are attacked and forced to jump landing in a vibrant yet dangerous jungle. It is here where the adventure starts and upon discovering your first chest containing the infamous Barbaros you’re on your way to collecting his missing body parts with the reward being a pirate ship! The story is wacky and the characters kooky and memorable and while it isn’t exactly amazing as far as tales go, the presentation is absolutely amazing.

The solutions for each puzzle you find are extremely clever and inventive and more often than not involve methods that are so simple you overlook them. ***SPOILER ALERT*** For example one moment sees you facing a giant beast in the jungle with a zip-line vine separating you from a shining treasure chest. With a wooden stick and umbrella at your disposal what is it you do? Poking the vine with the stick does nothing and using the canvas of the umbrella again is unsuccessful. After around twenty minutes of walking around I finally discovered that flipping the remote actually makes Zack flip the umbrella in game and using the handle he could safely slide down to the treasure. ***SPOILER END*** It’s easy to forget that the remote can sense simple actions such as these and even if you are stumped for around half an hour on one puzzle you don’t care when the solution is so impressive. I wish I was able to describe other smart puzzles, but that would ruin the game for those of you who wish to buy this game. Using a guide is pointless and those people who complete the game with no help will feel such a sense of accomplishment and like you’ve earned the next level and its treasure.

As a single player game this is an amazing experience and even as a multiplayer quest there is still fun to be had when trying to figure out problem after problem as a group. While the other players are limited to simply pointing at areas on screen, it is certainly better than calling aloud. It may seem like a last minute add on not too dissimilar from that seen in Super Mario Galaxy, but it’s nice nonetheless. Plus surely four heads are better than one?

The game looks gorgeous and the cell shaded style definitely gives the game a lot of character. What it lacks in detail it more than makes up for in design and bright colours. You’ll find yourself travelling through lush jungles, shimmering ice caverns and bright, burning volcanoes each with its own feel and collection of unique and challenging brainteasers. Zack, Wiki and all the other characters look and have such wonderfully amusing animations especially during death scenes. This is definitely one of the better looking games on the Wii. As for the sound in the game, it is good. I am very fond of the voice of Zack and Wiki’s is certainly cute without being over the top. As for the music it suits the game well with each environment having its own fitting tune. While it is nothing to write home about, for a game that looks as cute as it does this could have been a lot worse.

If Zack and Wiki has one fatal flaw it’s that the game is too short. With around twenty levels in which each vary in length (anything from five minutes right up to an hour) when it’s over you will want more. Sure you can repeat past levels and search for more treasure, but since more than likely you’ll remember the solution to most puzzles you'll find it less exciting th second time over. What would have been a great idea would have been to use Nintendo Connect24 service in order to download new levels since they seem relatively small. However it’s not to be. This game may be short but it is so so sweet. Another small hiccup is that at points the game does seem to border on trial and error a little too heavily. You’ll need to test contraptions in order to see if it the right move or a fatal one. Not a huge deal but a little bothersome at times.

Zack and Wiki Quest for Barbosa’s Treasure is one of those rare titles that you absolutely have to play regardless of your what genre you’re used to. It is packed full of so much charm and unbelievably genius puzzles it’s clear a lot of time and care was taken with this game. It’s because of the above reasons that I hope this title sells well and I urge you all to pick this game up today.

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