La-Mulana

It's been a long wait, but WiiWare fans can now finally get their hands on this lesser known indie classic. Beating it can be an incredibly daunting task for less experienced players, but despite all of the difficult puzzles and fights there are lots of features that make the experience much less frustrating than you'd think it would be. With this title's significant size, if you can't beat one area you can just go to another first, so there are always options to progress. The lack of DLC is a bit of a disappointment, but the basic game is still, in a word: perfect.

This is a masterpiece of a genre whose essence has been lost because of the "casualization" of the video games. It's like going back to the 8/16 bits, when the experience was the most important thing. There's only two things we can complain about: not being localized (into Spanish) and not being ready for HDTV's. If this is not a problem for you, then it scores a perfect 10.

The Wii's answer to Dark Souls or Spelunky. Harder than your average Metroid-a-like, but with a greater sense of accomplishment. Dauntingly good.

For gamers made of sterner stuff, it's a must have. [Christmas 2012, p.91]

I look back on my time with La-Mulana with plenty of frustration at the challenging platforming, enemies, bosses, and puzzles. But I'm also amazed at the time, thought, and talent that went into creating this experience. There may never be another game like La-Mulana. If you have the determination to see it through, you'll be glad you played this unique adventure.