I bought a DS earlier this year. (Hang with me, this is relevant.) I got a sheet of 12 free rental coupons from Game Crazy for Hollywood Video. I rented Elebits for the Wii. I beat the game on a five-day rental. I really, really liked Elebits. I'm not ashamed to admit that because I realized that under the cute exterior, Elebits is really about shooting cute, tiny creatures and virtually ransacking houses and amusement parks with a gravity gun.
Dewy's Adventure is Konami's first title after Elebits. Dewy's Adventure features the same art style, liberal use of color, and awesomely bad voice acting that made Elebits look like a kiddy game.
That's where the similarities end. While Elebits is a first-person shooter (minus the shooting), Dewy's Adventure is a platformer strongly reminiscent of Kirby titles.
The concept and game design are simple, yet not too shallow. The story is basic enough to lay the framework for the level progression, but no more (which, from a design perspective, is a plus). Switching between ice, water, and steam allows variation in level design, adds a limited puzzle element, and gives the player something beyond the standard jump and stomp (not that I didn't love New Super Mario Bros.).
Unfortunately, the psychadelic presentation, the bizarre but oddly fitting use of a waterdrop as a playable character, and the game's beautiful simplicity are all ruined by the controls.
To control Dewy, you tilt your Wii Remote in various directions. This sounds like an innovative and fun way to control a character. In theory, it is. In practice, it's awkward, unruly, and frustrating.
I played and enjoyed the first level, though I noticed some weak points in the control scheme. I played the second level and quit after the third unsuccessful try to destroy the boss at the end of the level.
The awkward controls may be caused by a limitation of the Wii Remote hardware; it may just be weak programming on Konami's part. Either way, the awkwardness of the controls are enough to ruin the gaming experience--which is a shame, because I think Dewy's Adventure would really shine with more polished controls.
I want to believe it's the fault of Konami's programmers, but I have a sneaking (and gut-wrenching) suspicion that the Wii Remote hardware isn't up to the ambitious task set by Konami.
I'm hoping that future titles refine the tilt-based controls that could have made Dewy's Adventure a blast to play but instead made it a bust.
There's some other cool features, like custom level design and the ability to take and send screenshots to other Wii owners, but they aren't enough to counteract the game's busted controls.
Nice try, Konami. Maybe the Wii hardware is up to the task and your programmers will have it all ironed out in time for a sequel.
Dewy's Adventure is Konami's first title after Elebits. Dewy's Adventure features the same art style, liberal use of color, and awesomely bad voice acting that made Elebits look like a kiddy game.
That's where the similarities end. While Elebits is a first-person shooter (minus the shooting), Dewy's Adventure is a platformer strongly reminiscent of Kirby titles.
The concept and game design are simple, yet not too shallow. The story is basic enough to lay the framework for the level progression, but no more (which, from a design perspective, is a plus). Switching between ice, water, and steam allows variation in level design, adds a limited puzzle element, and gives the player something beyond the standard jump and stomp (not that I didn't love New Super Mario Bros.).
Unfortunately, the psychadelic presentation, the bizarre but oddly fitting use of a waterdrop as a playable character, and the game's beautiful simplicity are all ruined by the controls.
To control Dewy, you tilt your Wii Remote in various directions. This sounds like an innovative and fun way to control a character. In theory, it is. In practice, it's awkward, unruly, and frustrating.
I played and enjoyed the first level, though I noticed some weak points in the control scheme. I played the second level and quit after the third unsuccessful try to destroy the boss at the end of the level.
The awkward controls may be caused by a limitation of the Wii Remote hardware; it may just be weak programming on Konami's part. Either way, the awkwardness of the controls are enough to ruin the gaming experience--which is a shame, because I think Dewy's Adventure would really shine with more polished controls.
I want to believe it's the fault of Konami's programmers, but I have a sneaking (and gut-wrenching) suspicion that the Wii Remote hardware isn't up to the ambitious task set by Konami.
I'm hoping that future titles refine the tilt-based controls that could have made Dewy's Adventure a blast to play but instead made it a bust.
There's some other cool features, like custom level design and the ability to take and send screenshots to other Wii owners, but they aren't enough to counteract the game's busted controls.
Nice try, Konami. Maybe the Wii hardware is up to the task and your programmers will have it all ironed out in time for a sequel.
