Game Reviews

I can't talk about Ivy the Kiwi? without mentioning famed Sonic programmer Yuji Naka. After parting ways with Sega in 2006, Naka founded Prope Ltd. and slowly started releasing quirky downloadable games that were nothing if not unique. While many of those minigames were good, clean fun, Ivy the Kiwi? has the kind of innovative spark that longtime Naka fans will love to see again.

Ivy the Kiwi? is both the hero of this game and an awkward reply to the game's main objective. As the omnipotent, ivy-clad hand of god, it's your task to wrangle the poor little hatchling named Ivy who needs help finding her mother. Since Ivy is so distraught about her mother's absence, you have to use three magical vines to guide and guard her to the exit. Sound a little tricky to pick up? Well, only for a little while.

Ivy the Kiwi? isn't like most standard puzzle games or platformers. Instead of using a D-pad or joystick to control the hapless bird, Ivy is on a manic autopilot that you must reign in with the vines that sprout from your Wii Remote's pointer. It's similar to "create-a-platformer" DS games like Kirby Canvas Curse, but managing your panicked little friend here takes a bit more planning and patience.

Instead of giving you free reign to doodle all over the place, you have three elastic strands of ivy that can function as platforms, trampolines, ramps, and pathways. Since your little hatchling is utterly defenseless (literally everything will take her out in a single blow), you?ve got to box her in and pay attention to where you fling her.