Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure (Wii)

[Candall]

A point and click adventure for a console?  Getting killer reviews?  What is this, ten years ago?

I picked up Zack & Wiki last night and despite the fact that you play a pirate with a monkey as an assistant, the game is derivative of nothing.

It's comprised of large areas which are further comprised of smaller levels.  Each of these levels has a treasure chest which you must gain access to by solving some very well-crafted and fresh environmental puzzles.

There are various animals and creatures roaming the levels, and these can be turned into items by using the monkey (Wiki) as a bell.  Sometimes you'll need to use these items to solve part of the overarching puzzle for that level, sometimes you'll simply need to transport the item so that you can change it back into the animal when you've gotten it where you need it.

Graphically, the game is very appealing.  Cel shaders are used to an unusually good effect.  The characters are full of detail and personality.  The levels are dense and colorful.  Everything is also very pleasantly round... none of those pointy polygon angles found in most Wii games.

Is there character death?  Oh, you betcha.  Most of the "enemies" you encounter are really just factors of the environment.  Part of the puzzle is always finding a way to do things without catching their attention... or finding a way to do things that leads to their demise.  I once got crushed by a big red ball with a frowny-face, but that was due to my failure to learn from Indiana Jones' mistakes... I stepped on a funny panel.  There are also boss fights which can be accessed after you've cleared enough of the levels in the area you're exploring.

The good news is that since the venues are so small, you can just restart that level from the top and, having already figured your way, whip through it back to the point of your demise.  Or, you can trade in a special purchasable ticket to reset time to the point right before you made your fatal mistake... but you'll suffer a point penalty after you've gotten the treasure and thereby cleared the level.

If you haven't yet guessed, I reccommend the game highly.  It's one of the few games I've played in a long time that made me realize that I'd made the right decision at the store and stumbled onto something special.  If you have a Wii, it's worth a look.