"Another Classic for the Vault"

Ever have a day where you want to just take a boat and go to a deserted island for a bit? Now you've got your chance in this game of survival. Those who have played “Survival Kids” for the game boy should recognize the concept, and those who enjoy other titles such as “Harvest Moon” and “Animal Crossing” should have a ball with this one!

Story:

You (Keith) find yourself shipwrecked on a deserted island, tired, hungry, and alone... until you find Skye, a girl from the same shipwreck (?) Now it's up to the two to of to survive until you can find a way off the island. The basic concept is classical, but the filling in this story sandwich is very interesting. The deeper you go, the more interesting it gets. Can YOU discover the mysteries of the island?

For a classic, yet fresh concept, I give the story an 8 on 10

Graphics:

You go and play PS2 before rating the graphics of this game, they can seem kind of meh... at the same time, they're not bad. Considering the fact that these graphics are coming from a hand-held game, they're pretty good. The characters are a little crisp, and aren't as finely defined as some of those fancy games you find today, but they're still pretty good. I find the world itself with its lush, grassy fields, sandy beaches, rolling waterfalls, and barren wastelands is very well made.

All in all, the graphics are pretty average. A 7 on 10 sums it up.

Sound:

In all my life playing hand-held games, I've never found one with music and sound this good! The cave music makes it sound like home; especially the transition when Skye starts to like you! I could go hours just listening to the music of this game. The sound gives places like the beach and the jungle good definition. Sometimes they go a bit over the top, or cut off a bit suddenly but good overall.

I can't give less than a 8 on 10 for this part.

Game-play:

Wake up, get breakfast, explore, bring home supper, go to bed. Sounds simple? Maybe. How it plays? Very well! Once you get started, there will be so much for you to do, it'll keep you entertained for hours! Starting up, it will be a challenge to find enough food for you and her to survive, but as you go, new food sources will come your way, from fishing to hunting, and even foraging will reveal new and tastier food. I must say there's never a dull moment in the game of survival! Eventually, you can play as Skye. Not as much exploring, but you do get to forage and cook. Some may prefer this, some may like Keith mode better. Either way, there's something for everyone in this game!

This is more of a "to each their own," area, but I give it a 9 on 10
Thumbs up!

Controls:

I found at first, the game was a little hard to control. I kept missing when I tried to pick up stuff. After you get a feel for them though, the controls are alright. The all famous DS touch screen brings things like digging, fishing and building to a whole new level! Holding the stylus AND pushing buttons may be a little cumbersome at first, but you'll get the hang of it!

After getting past the learning curve, I give the controls an 8 on 10

Replay Factor?

Considering I'm not one to go back and replay games too much, with Lost in Blue, I would! With so many ways to escape, 2 (+1 secret) modes, and so much to do and explore, You could play for months and not even be halfway done everything! For all you perfectionists, there's a scrapbook for you to fill with your food sources, handy tools and even witty recipes for Skye mode. If someone were to play from 0% to 100% completion without any help or anything, you could probably keep playing for a year! Maybe even more than that! In conclusion, this game has pretty good replay value.

Story 8/10
Graphics 7/10
Sound 8/10
Game-play 9/10

Overall: 8/10

Conclusion: I don't know how anyone could hate this game! When you though you've done it all, you find some more! So much to do, so short a lifespan! Good job, Konami! I salute you for this awesome game!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/16/06