The Wii has had great games throughout it’s time. But if you look at those great games, there’s one problem, they’re all first party games. The Wii has become a cesspool for crappy, “casual” third party games that sell many copies and can be made in six months. But amidst all of these “causal” games is one that shines above all else and actually deserves to be on the Nintendo Wii.
Zack and Wiki is an exciting puzzle adventure. You are a young pirate aspiring to be the greatest treasure hunter that ever lived. To do that, you collect treasure to put together the body of Barbaros, and in return he will tell you the location of treasure island. The game has brilliant level design that truly requires some higher thinking. The idea of changing people and animals into objects to help complete your objective fits perfectly into the gameplay and is a genius idea. The game also has a “grading” system that awards you points for figuring out specific parts of the puzzle. The more you try to complete something or the time it takes you to complete it decreases or increases that score.
The graphics are another thing to behold. The art direction they took for this game is a perfect fit and complements the Wii’s technical abilities as well. The sound in the game is equally as excellent. The music will enthrall you and will immerse you deeper into the world and the story. The game can be difficult however and does not show any mercy. If you make a mistake you fail the mission and must start over, also, in tandem, if you make a mistake that does not directly kill you but alters the puzzle in such a way that it can’t be completed, it does not let you know, and you sometimes wander around uselessly.
In conclusion, this game is a must-buy if you are a Wii owner. The game does get very difficult at times and is not very forgiving, also the instant deaths for one simple mistake can get very frustrating very fast, but not matter what the defects in the game are they are greatly overshadowed by the excellent gameplay. The graphics are excellent, the sound is beautiful, and the puzzle and level design are truly something to behold. This game earns a 5 star rating and a must buy for any Wii owner.