The Wii has looked for killer apps, and has found several of them... almost exclusively from Nintendo. Third-party support for the Wii has been good, but for many Wii owners, it could be a lot better.
But now, the Wii has its first killer app from a third-party developer in Capcom's Zack and Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure. It's one of the best Wii titles ever, and if Super Mario Galaxy weren't coming out this year, it'd be the best Wii game of 2007, without question.
Capcom’s killer app features over 100 different items scattered across multiple stages, with 30 different kinds of enemies and bosses awaiting you and 500-plys treasures waiting to be found. Though it is supposed to be 30 hours of game play, it feels shorter than that, perhaps because time seems to fly when you’re playing this game. There’s only one mode of game play, which is completing the story mode, but there’s plenty to explore there. Other features like a hint system will help out players when they might get stuck, though there’s a small monetary price to be paid for each hint.
Zack and Wiki requires only the Wii remote, and at its heart, is a combination of point-and-click game play like you might find in Sam and Max or Monkey Island and puzzle-based adventuring. Most levels have one main way to beat the level, though a good portion of the levels have alternate ways to reach the end. The key is figuring out which way is the best way to beat each level, often through trial and error. While this might frustrate gamers looking for instant gratification, it's a great experience that makes you think and plan out a strategy, something games don't seem to do much of anymore. Each level has a maximum points score, which is determined based on the path you take and the number of attempts you need to get it right. The game gets plenty difficult in the later stages, but it's just a bit shorter than I would've hoped.
Another key game play element is changing creatures and enemies in the area into items you can use. You do this by using Wiki and the Wii remote. When you run into a critter, you can shake your Wii remote back and forth to have Wiki transform into a bell. Within a few seconds, the critter near by will turn into a useful item, whether it be a bomb, a saw or a grabber. Sometimes, you’ll also have to transform items them back into their animal forms to progress through a level, too. This transformation feature is an excellent and unique addition to the game that makes Zack and Wiki challenging.
Article comments
1 - EROQ
awesome review! i agree with everything you said! easily one of my favorite games ever. and as you said some of the best character design in recent memory. i want me some more zack and wiki!