I wish I could tell you exactly what I did - I can't. It was so SO much experimentation and I was so psyched when I made that platform. I think what I ended up doing was swiping to jump once and then doing another swipe in mid-air. Mind you I don't even know if that is a "legal" move. But somewhere it all clicked and I got out. Then starting on the second area things "seemed" a bit easier. Maybe it was all that experimentation, I am not sure. The game does have charm. It has a ton. But the controls I can see being a deal breaker. Who even knows how I will feel when I get further into the game if there are harder jumps and things I must accomplish if I might finally give up. I really really REALLY hate giving up a game because of poor execution and not, say, boredom or disinterest. Leaves a bad taste for not just that game but the developer as a whole. I don't think that the game needs any buttons or anything like others are saying, as just touching the edges of the screen move your guy but the special attacks/moves need some work (in my mind) to make them just a tad more responsive/forgiving. I apologize in advance if this is a controversial post to some - I like the controls; I don't like the controls.... I like the developer's vision, I like his ideas, I just think they need to be tweaked some. I am not demanding a new control scheme. I am not making any new suggestions for things that are not present. But there should not be so much frustration in the first area of a game. Though I got it and I feel more comfortable in the second level - I am not eager to continue for fear of what NEW frustration lies around the corner.
Try on Youtube. The WiiWare game has videos and even if the controls are different, the paths are the same, so you'll be sure you are not trying to go the wrong way. LostWinds won an award (best platformer) on Touchgen, congrats to Frontier I hope we'll see LostWinds 2 (& 3?) on iOS, I didn't buy it on WiiWare and I definitively want to play it on iPad
I think this is a fair assessment of the controls which are certainly love and hate. The game was originally designed for the Wii and converting over to the touch controls of the iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch took some creative thinking. The controls do require a bit of practice and you'll either get the hang of it or not...there's really no two ways about it. As far as the wind is concerned (and I'm not talking burrito induced), you can use multiple swipes--quick swipes--to keep Toku afloat. For example, when jumping from one platform to another, swipe once to get up in the air, and then follow with additional swipes while he's up. It's the only way to describe it.
Hi, in that first cave section you *can't* get out until you get your next Wind Power, you need to keep exploring (head left, from memory) until you find the shrine. Then you can backtrack & get out - 'keep exploring' is a good motto for the rest of the game, too Hope you and your families all have a peaceful Xmas and a prosperous New Year.
Okay, I tried it again and again and again and now I more or less "get it" and feel happy. This has Ben a very good year for IOS games with charm and lovely graphics, and this game fits the bill on both counts. Thanks to th devs for their good work.
Yes, additional swipes are very often the way to go. I kinda wish that that had been more obvious in the tutorial/explanation sections. Early frustration scares many players away frm games that are worth pursuing.
A hint screen explains how to do a double jump so it was explained pretty clearly in the game. And those hints can be reviewed later if you need a reminder. But, actually executing the double jump can be difficult on certain leaps.
Yep, I've seen the hints, watched a couple of them several times, but I still have trouble with the execution? Sometimes it helps to leave the game and return later when my frustration subsides.
LOSTWINDS is one of the nominees for Touch Arcade Game of the Week. Do you like this innovative platform-adventure with the awesome elemental powers of Wind Spirit? If you think LOSTWINDS deserves to be the winner of TAGOTW, give it your vote now! [thread=117844]VOTE HERE[/thread]
I share most of your feelings. I get stick too long in some places. Right now I'm trying to get to Wither Falls. And a lot of falls is what I'm getting. I watched the Wii YouTube video and the path seems a littl different --- I got to the right through th treetops and know I need to go left and higher now, but just can't do it. I love a lot of things in this game, but either the controls don't work reliably or I don't work reliably. What that adds up to is a series of 2-minute stretches where I do okay and then a bust up' which really spoils the rhythm of the game for me. I'm not giving up yet but a first-class walkthrough of LW plays on an iOS device would make me happy, to be "used as needed" and only then. I don't love cheats or walkthroughs, but I like dropping a game in the middle even more.
Game looks appealing, but a real honest-to-goodness virtual d-pad seems like it would be tons better than this "touch to move here" nonsense.
That part is honestly the easy part. The parts that are most difficult that won't be solved by a d pad are the special moves like gust, super gust, etc. The timing and precision of where and when to swipe to get the wind to gust can be very frustrating at times. Lots of people are asking for buttons or a d pad and that would be the least of the problems here. A d pad for the special moves would just make it like any other plat former. People don't remember it was ported from the Wii where the point of the game WERE the waving of wands to get the character to move. We can't completely change the game and even in my deepest hour of despaired frustration I am not asking for that either. I am simply asking for a bit more oomph on my gust; a slight bit of forgiveness where I start my swipe; just a little tweaking and things will be well.
I also like the controls as is, but I also would love to have the gusts give us a little more power for some slight mistakes. All in all though great game. I love the music.
@New England Gamer Your points as far as I can understand, not having played the iOS version, seem potent enough but my personal wish for a d-pad stems not from a worry about the difficulty but more about the kinetic pleasure of experiencing precise and immediate control of your protagonist. Indirect "go here and there" controls have their place and time, such as in an RTS title. Who seriously wishes Super Mario played with such a configuration? I personally cannot fathom how this is supposed to be a so-called improvement, except perhaps if seen as a novelty push.
I don't really think comparing this to Super Mario is fair. Super Mario really is another side of the platforming genre... Personally, I don't even consider LostWinds a platformer. It's more of an adventure game with platforming elements... But there won't be any convincing for anyone on either side... all I can say is that adding a typical d-pad would take away from the game's main mechanics, take away from the core gameplay... and turn it into something else... something it wasn't originally meant to be...
HONEST the tap to move here works better in this game than some others that I have played with this mechanic. Truly it will be the least problematic of any movement you will make in this game. 'Void is also right - people need to stop thinking of this as a platform and start thinking of it more of an Adventure game that has some platforms you must jump on to get out of and in to places. This is one of those games that is truly unique in all things - genre included.
Alright, I see that some folks such as you guys do find some appeal in it. I'm simply experiencing a sort of philosophical allergic reaction to this one's mechanics, movement-wise, excluding the wind maneuvers. It should be noted, though, that the original Wiiware version did implement ground control of your little guy via d-pad, if my memory serves correctly. It played fine too.
This looks like an incredible game that I'd like to have, but the controls just don't seem that intuitive or easy to pull off to me. Am I wrong? The swiping for the mechanics/movement seems difficult and odd, as Ghouls'R' us (above) stated. Seems like a great Adventure-type game, though, and if it does work well enough, I will pick this up.
Aha, exactly the word I was looking for: unforgiveness. The swipe controls, on long jumps, are, in my opinion, too unforgiving. I'm stuck on one of those jumps and, knowing exactly, where I should be landing, gave it literally dozens of tries before going up. True, my failure didn't end in death, just a helluva lot of frustration. And I want so much to get on with the game and see what happens next. I like the visuals and the story, but...
