Wii Demo Roundup - 02/07/11

This week, Nintendo released a new pair of demos. Both are 3/4 top-down games, although they have very different styles. "Urbanix" and "Lit" round out this week's Wii demo roundup.

Urbanix
Rated E for everyone, 1-2 players, Wii Remote required

Courtesy Nordcurrent

In 5 words: cute, difficult, fun, simple, affordable

"Urbanix" is a fun, if simple take on a basic puzzler. You drive Urbanix, a small tractor, as you lay out plots for your tow'n. You have to occupy a certain amount of space within an allotted time in order to move to the next level, but there are a variety of enemies that are set on thwarting your goal, including the Helishark, a shark-helicopter hybrid that dives out of the sky to eat Urbanix. You can pick up powerups and bonuses to help you along. "Urbanix" also features a 2-player mode.

The full "Urbanix" game costs a paltry $5.00 and appears to provide a solid value at that price, although I was not super impressed with the game. I do recommend that you give the demo a try to see if the game suits you, especially if you have younger gamers around.

Lit
Rated E-10+ for scary situations, 1 player, Wii Remote and Nunchuk required

Courtesy WayForward

In 5 words: creepy, crawly, scary, difficult, dark

"Lit" is one of the more innovative game demos I have played and it shows a lot of promise. You play the part of teenager Jake who is trapped in his school. No big deal, right? Well, the problem lies in the shadows that have taken over the classrooms. You must use sources of light to cross each room. You can use lamps, TVs, or even break windows with your slingshot. You also have a rechargeable flashlight to help you get an idea of how to get across each room. If you walk into the dark, Jake will get sucked into the shadows by malevolent spirits and you'll have to start over. Lit also features hidden bonuses and innovative features like taking phone calls from the speaker on the Wii Remote. I found the graphics to be a little lacking, but the low fidelity seemed to increase the spooky atmosphere of the game as well.

"Lit" is hard to play: I found Jake to be difficult to control and the puzzles are unforgiving. These gripes aside, "Lit" has a lot to offer. Weighing in at only $8.00, the full game looks like a real bargain that should offer plenty of challenging puzzle gameplay. I recommend spending a few minutes with the demo to see if "Lit" piques your interest.

Remember, these demos might not be here next week, so if they sound like something you want, you better go get 'em! Have you played either of these demos (or the full games)? Sound off in the comments!

--Demo Gamer