Game: Dewy’s AdventurePublisher: Konami Digital EntertainmentReleased: 2007Platform: Exclusive to the Nintendo WiiRating: 1 out of 5
I will admit that I have a soft spot for that quirky Japanese style of gaming. Those big-eyed, super cute characters and the off-the-wall storylines they become entangled in have always been intriguing to me. Dewy’s Adventure at first glance appears to be exactly that – a loveable character in a colorful fantasy world who has to perform abstract tasks in order to complete his mission. On closer inspection, this game is nothing more than a cute waste of money.
I copped this game off the strength of the folks from Elebits made it. I thought Elebits’ use of the Wii remote was clever, even though the game itself lost my attention quickly. In contrast, this game offers nothing novel for the Wii remote; it simply reworks the tilt sensitivity that is already used effectively in Super Monkey Ball.
Dewy is a raindrop who rolls around the map on a quest to save the world. You control Dewy the Drop by tilting the Wii remote, which angles the world’s surface so that Dewy can roll across the map over various hazards toward the checkpoints.
The artwork that greets you when you first pop in the disc is clean and well executed, even if it does look like some “Precious Moments” figurines surrounded by rainbows. However, the introduction animation is straight up lazy, meaning there is no real character animation, just flat pictures layered over one and other and slid around a bit.
The game itself looks sharp and playful, if overly adorable. But even though this title seems like it would be perfect for toddlers or younger kids, the difficulty is off the meter for the younguns. Seriously, the physics make this game just too hard to play. Only the slightest miscalculation maneuvering around and your little drop dude is a goner.
What could have been charming family fun turns out to be a fruity platformer that is more challenging than satisfying. Adults will not enjoy the title, and the youngest children will have a good deal of difficulty even managing the controls due to the quirky physics. More frustrating than fun, Dewy the Drop turns out to be a drip. And for me that means 50 bucks down the drain. Be forewarned.
