I was approached by Holly, who is a writer, about writing a few things for us on Nintendo subjects. Here at purenintendo.com we are always pleased to post things up that our readers have created or done. Thanks again to Holly for this piece, and she is also wanting some feedback, so follow the link below to give her some, or just leave it in the comments.

With the Wii game system gaining continued popularity, its catalog of games available for instant download has grown consistently as well. Users of the Wii who have their systems configured with their wireless internet are able to connect to the Wii Ware store and purchase points which can be redeemed for games. Being a convenient option easy for snap decision making when it comes to purchasing affordable games, I recently downloaded Lost Winds, an adventure game marketed for children.

Since I do have children, two of which are actually gaming age, I decided to put this game to the test. Let me just say that the tutorial was about as difficult as any more advanced game that could have been picked up for three times the price.

Lost Winds is supposed to play like a typical adventure game, replete with gaming objectives and an interactive story line. The only problem is that these games require complete skill and concentration when using a Wii Remote. Depending on the size of the television that you are playing on this is more feasible, but when you are playing on a screen that is smaller than 32 inches, game play becomes particularly clumsy.

The tutorial started off easy enough, but the instructions were vague and I had a feeling that much had been lost in translation. It could have been that, but I have a distinct feeling from some of these games that are being sold on the Wii Shop channel have undergone little or no real gaming development. Some even have the distinct feel of a rolling program that simply speeds up over time, akin to Pac Man, Galaga, and Donkey Kong.

That’s about where we left off. The Lost Winds game requires players to integrate motion from the Will Remote, an instrument that feels too finely calibrated for a small screen, but is limited by the tracking bar on a larger screen. Integrating a device with this many discrepancies can inhibit the game play, so it is incumbent on the gamer to try new tactics.

All it took was discussing the game with a couple of friends and they quickly figured it out. Then I thought about what it meant to play a game and this game wasn’t handing itself to me—it was challenging me to play it.

Just like any other game, Lost Winds becomes easy once you learn the standard motions. After that, the game becomes playable and you continue to learn how to play through experience and intuition. That is what truly makes a game great in the end.

By-line:

This post was contributed by Holly McCarthy, who writes on the subject of best universities. She invites your feedback at hollymccarthy12 at gmail dot com and check out more of her writing at http://www.bestuniversity.com/