Developer: Frontier | Price: 1000 Wii Points (~£7.50)

Now that the much anticipated WiiWare is finally here, let us take a look at what is probably the most anticipated title in the launch lineup. LostWinds is a 2D puzzle/platformer with bright and colourful 3D graphics which actually put some fully priced Wii games to shame. They're nothing amazing compared to 360 or PS3 games, but they do the job well and the game has a very calming overall style, complemented perfectly by the music, and quite reminiscent of Okami.

You could (arguably) say that many Wii-exclusive, motion-controlled games could easily be done on other consoles, as in many cases exaggerated gestures or directional flicks of the remote simply replace button-presses. LostWinds is one of the first Wii games that I can't imagine playing without the Wii, and that means that we may finally be getting to the point where developers are learning to use the Wii remote responsibly and think outside the box.

The basic control premise is simple. You point at the screen and move the Wiimote to move a small wind cursor around the screen. Moving the cursor past bushes and trees will make them sway in the wind, and madly swinging the Wiimote about will make the leaves and plants blow about the screen. This basic idea could maybe be done on the PC with a mouse, but I can't imagine it feeling anywhere near as good. The controls feel so perfectly fluid, and the world seems alive with the wind.

The main character of the game, Toku, is controlled with the Nunchuck analogue stick. Walk left and right and press up against small ledges to climb up them, but other than that you get no more control over Toku. So to help you on your way you're soon introduced to the first of the powers of the wind, Gust. Simply hold A and move the Wiimote in a line to cause a powerful gust of wind in the same direction.

Toku can't jump, so to cross gaps or jump up large ledges you'll have to use to wind to push him up or over them. This takes a bit of getting used to, but within minutes you'll be throwing Toku up large rock faces and over huge gaps with ease. The controls have such a great flow to them that it soon feels like you're really blowing Toku around the screen with your hand, and it's a feeling that I don't think any other Wii game has yet captured.

There are other powers that you'll gain throughout the game of course, but I won't spoil those for you, and each one will open up new areas of the world. Each area is like a small puzzle, and each time you get a new ability you add a piece, noticing things that weren't there before, or realising how to get to a certain place that you couldn't before. The puzzles are usually quite simple, but they do take some figuring out, and the game doesn't drag you along by the hand, it expects you to figure things out yourself.

Unfortunately, while the game does have a great style to it, the environments do get quite repetitive, since there are only two basic areas, the village and the caves. Even worse is that the game is incredibly short, taking only a little over 2 hours to complete. There are 24 Melodias idols to collect for those who want a little extra something to keep them occupied, some of which have their own little puzzles to solve before you can get to them, but even then the game is still very short.

It's brilliant while it lasts though, and for around £7.50 it's not a major disappointment that it doesn't last longer. Even despite its length it's probably one of the better Wii games however, and certainly worth the money. Frontier have already announced a sequel, which will presumably start where this game leaves off, so once you're finished you can sit and anticipate the next one, which promises to add even more to the equation.