Zack and Wiki: Quest For Barbaros' Treasure

I honestly have been getting tired of my Wii. The console that once felt new and inspired started to seem gimmicky and mundane. But just as I was getting ready to send it down the plank to swim with the fishes, Zack & Wiki came along and breathed new life into the sails of my Wii.

Zack & Wiki is a puzzle solving adventure that might look easy thanks to its colorful visuals and cutesy characters but it's anything but: the game will challenge you nearly as much as the NY Times Sunday crossword. Its difficulty stems from the fact that there is nothing guiding you from one objective to the next; this often leaves you feeling lost and confused. So traveling around to find all the pieces of the dismembered pirate Barbaros--find them all and he'll lead you to a great treasure--becomes more of a wild goose chase than it needs to be.

Thankfully, the inventive controls keep things feeling fresh and enjoyable. Moving Zack and Wiki around is as simple as pointing the star cursor on a location and clicking the A button. Interacting with the environment is just as intuitive, whether it is launching a spear off your pirate ship at a giant squid, or rocking a baby dragon to sleep.

The cute graphics and cartoonish soundtrack also lend to the game's charm. It's just a shame that the Saturday morning visuals clash against the game's overall difficulty. What seems like the perfect game for kids is actually a challenging game for adults. Who knew? Still, Zack & Wiki is a terrific game that will stick with you for a long time. I'm already looking forward to a squeal.

PROS: A refreshing adventure; inventive controls keep things fresh.
CONS: Difficult puzzles are sometimes overwhelming.

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