CORBIE'S GAME BLOG

Elebits is one of those games that's very difficult to explain to people that haven't played it. For the most part, you'll spend most of your time moving things around onscreen trying to get the Elebits to run out from hiding and then you basically zap them with your wand. Capturing these Elebits is the key to turning the lights back on in each room. Think Luigi's Mansion but without the vaccum. In fact, after spending several hours with Elebits, the game has a lot of resemblance to Luigi's Mansion, although I tend to find Elebits a little more open-ended and challenging. Same principle behind the game though.

I highly recommend you go through the tutorial at the beginning of the game as there is a lot to the control and it's a good idea to get your feet wet before getting thrown into the deep end of the pool and not knowing what to do. The control in the game is very solid. This was one area that I was initially worried about, knowing that the game requires some precise control at times. The levels start off easy, with only minor things to toss around and open, but as the game progresses, the levels get more intricate and challenging. Some to the point that you'll wish you had two more hands. While some Elebits are very easy to locate and capture, some of the more rare elebits are extremely difficult to find and will require you to put that thinking cap on. This game may feature some arcade-like control, but there are plenty of puzzle-style elements to deal with throughout the game as well.

The visuals are great in the game and show a great amount of detail. I especially like the use of bright colors throughout the levels. It really makes the levels jump off the screen. The music is about the only area of the game that I found a little lacking. It's not bad, it's just nothing terribly interesting and tends to grate on your nerves after long playing sessions. It's just a little goofy at times and not in a good way like the Katamari tunes were. In all honesty, the game's not about flashy visuals or inspiring tunes, it's about learning to use your wand to navigate the levels and capture the little Elebits. This is easily one of the most playable Wii games to date and does a fantastic job of showing off the new style of play control that the Wii brings to the table. Nintendo should really be pushing this game because it's a great show-off title for the Wii much like Luigi's Mansion was for the Gamecube.

If you're looking for something a little different and equally challenging, pick up Elebits. It's a very well constructed game that has tons of levels and enough difficulty to keep you coming back time and time again. Hopefully a sequel is being developed as this game has a lot of potential to get even better and more complex next time around. Until then enjoy catching the little guys and try not to get overwhelmed with all of the things going on onscreen at once. Overall a terrific game and one of the best out there for the Wii so far. (Rating: 8.8/10)