There was a period in the '90s when finding hidden objects on a page seemed like a great idea for a book. Where's Waldo, I SPY ,and even Magic Eye were just some of the notable books that came out that didn't require a lot of reading--if any. I SPY--the children's book series written by Jean Marzollo--however, was known for having detailed photographs taken by Walter Wick, as well as riddles, to get the reader to search for particular items instead of just looking for a man in a red-and-white shirt. Now, developer Gusto and publisher Elastic have teamed up to bring the seek-and-find gameplay to Ultimate I SPY for the Nintendo Wii.
This game brought back memories of playing I Spy as a kid. It is a game that would be great for kids of all ages, and adults that remember playing the books. Although, the game is lacking in its concept and multiplayer, it does deliver the same experience as the books, which is a very good thing.
Gameplay 7.5
Graphics 8
Sound 7.5
Difficulty Easy
Concept 6.5
Multiplayer 6
Overall 7.0
In Ultimate I Spy, you discover a mysterious futuristic machine that houses the 10 interesting locations for the puzzles, including a fish tank, outer space and a city made of paper. Each location has four riddles that send you hunting for objects. The machine will also send you on a scavenger hunt to find eight objects within the 10 locations, which then opens one last game.
Ultimate I Spy is a good addition to a Wii library of games for kids who like the I Spy books. But these puzzles are harder than those found in books because of the immersive 3-D environments. Because they are challenging, they are best played by kids who like contemplative, visual puzzles, and may not be as good a fit for kids who want a lot of action.
However, the addition of the minigames will broaden this game's appeal to a wider audience than just puzzle-lovers.
CSM:
"Ultimate I Spy does a good job of presenting traditional I Spy puzzles in a fresh new setting. The addition of 3-D environments, which can be turned 360 degrees, makes these puzzles harder than those found in the books by Jean Marzollo and Walter Wick. And the addition of playing a minigame to satisfy a riddle is very innovative. For example, in one riddle, you are asked to find "two juggled balls" but you'll only see one ball in the scene. When you click on it, it leads to a minigame where you turn the Wii remote sideways and tilting it back and forth to simulate juggling two balls. When you have juggled long enough to fill up a meter on the side of the screen, the riddle is satisfied.
Because these puzzles are challenging, they are best played by kids who like puzzles and are between 7-12 years of age. Each puzzle has some objects that are hidden so well that it takes careful, slow turning of the environment to find them."
