Lost in Blue 2

Welcome to Let's Play Lost in Blue 2. In this episode, our ship sinks and we're trapped on a deserted island in surprisingly good shape. And then we find a g.

by Jeff Shirley - April 25, 2007, 5:34 pm PDT
Total comments: 1

Alternate titles have to use the word 'maroon'.

If there was ever a model of the 'if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it' axiom, Lost in Blue is a textbook case. The game is similar to its predecessor, even to the point where I accidentally got lost on a map because I thought I was in the first game. So similar, in fact, that it is hard to keep this review from merely being a laundry list of changes from one game to the other. But seriously, when even the graphics look exactly the same as the original Lost in Blue, a reviewer like me is left with few options.

Firstly, one concern I had with the original was the occurrence of fish-less screens when spear-fishing. I have never seen a fish-less screen in this game, so I think that’s been addressed. Another thing changed is the amount of stylus interaction in the game, which appears to have been increased dramatically. Your character is now totally controllable by stylus on the map, and several of the segments that were buttons-only are now optionally touch-screen as well. Another concern addressed from the original is that there are more things to hunt, even so much that the game hunts you with the addition of predators, which you fight off with the typical Lost in Blue weapons (spears, bows, whatever). Although an island with tigers, wolves, and alligators existing in the same spot is nonsensical, it does greatly boost the meat intake, now that the meat finds you instead.

Another big change is the island itself. It’s huge now. I’d estimate it is about twice the size as the one in the original, if my fuzzy memory can be trusted. This is great and terrible at the same time, because even though one of the characters can run a lot faster than in the previous game, it is easy to waste an entire day’s time just traversing the island. Of course, the game wants you to make shortcuts back to your home cave as you go along, but it’s easy to tire out trying to find them and be forced to go back the long way.

I believe the variety of food available has been increased, and the cooking/building mini-games have been given a makeover as well. Gone are the strange metaphorical trials of Lost in Blue. Now the cooking minigame actually resembles cooking (flipping the food over while grilling, stirring soup, etc.) and the building game is now somewhat of a jigsaw puzzle. No complaints here.

Actually, I’m wrong. There could be complaints here, depending on how much you enjoyed the original Lost in Blue. The games are so similar, I could even recommend reading our review for the first as a primer for this game, which leads me to my conclusion: The enjoyment to be had from this game almost solely depends on your opinion of the first, if you’ve played it. Depending on whether you love or hate Lost in Blue’s slow-paced survival gameplay, you will love or hate Lost in Blue 2. If you haven’t taken the plunge into the series yet, by all means give it a shot. It’s one of those new ideas that rarely get a chance to exist these days as companies strive to homogenize games.

Score

Graphics

The same functional graphics return from Lost in Blue, although this time there hasn’t been any framerate drop like I remember from the first game. So I’m bumping it up half a point, for that and my question as to the graphic they used to portray 'lard'. Did they melt a candle or something?

Sound

Limited music, most of which is remixed from the first game, gives way to the ambient sounds of the island. Voice acting is bland but thankfully minimal.

Control

Stylus control becomes much more integrated into the games, although you may still opt to use the control pad if you wish. Sometimes the stylus leads to some funky control problems, but otherwise everything’s still as hunky-dory as in the first game.

Gameplay

Seriously, it all depends on whether you didn’t get enough Lost in Blue the first time around and demanded a sequel right then and there. There are some good changes, like being able to choose being a boy or girl at the start, if only to free the girl from the quiet desperation of being an injured housewaif as in the first game, but all that really does is make the other character a somewhat useless homebody instead. If you dig Lost in Blue, you’ll dig Lost in Blue 2, and it probably doesn’t matter what I say anyway.

Lastability

I can’t imagine really playing this game a second time through, if only to experience it from the other gender’s perspective. It appears to be the same perspective as the man’s, except it smells more flowery and giggles.

Final

I’ll reiterate it here. Hate Lost in Blue? Don’t get this game. Like Lost in Blue? Grab this game, because it’s basically the same game with minor alterations that hardcore fans would notice. Never played Lost in Blue? This game is a good one to start with, as it’s only a sequel because of the number on the box, not the events in the game, and it deserves a shot for being an original idea.

Summary

Pros

• Concept doesn’t feel too played out yet
• Fun if you like the concept
• Interesting idea for survival based gameplay

Cons

• In some cases identical to the first, even similar events happen
• Pace can get very slow

Talkback

All this talk about meat and hunting made me wonder: Can you die of dysentery?

Worldwide Releases

Lost in Blue is a sandbox style video game for the Nintendo DS handheld system, and is a continuation of Konami's Survival Kids series. Lost in Blue follows two young teenagers, Keith and Skye, who struggle for survival on a deserted island. The player must learn to use the island's natural resources to create a makeshift home away from home. The sequel, Lost in Blue 2, was released two years later. A third installment of the series, Lost in Blue 3, was released on December 20, 2007 in Japan.

Due to an undershipment, the game was difficult to find in the months following its North American release.

Gameplay[edit]

Lost in Blue's gameplay makes extensive use of the system's touchscreen and microphone features. In the fire building sequence, the player must alternate pressing of the L and R buttons in order to build enough friction on the wood, and then blow into the DS's microphone to successfully ignite the fire. If the player later gets a fire maker with bow, he or she can press L or R and it will automatically fill up, allowing the player to blow into the microphone and finishing the fire. The touch screen interface is used for navigating menus, and the island can be explored and interacted with using either the touch screen or the standard control buttons.

The game's primary action takes place on the touch screen, while the top screen is used to display Keith and Skye's health, which is categorized by hunger, thirst, stamina, and hit points. If the thirst or energy categories hit zero, the character's hit points will begin to drop. It is also possible for other conditions, such as passing out due to lack of stamina, to occur. The player loses if either Keith or Skye runs out of hit points and dies. Players must multitask in micromanaging both characters' vital statistics while also exploring the island.

Microsoft office 2010. Lost Echo Review: A story driven adventure game with plenty of mysteries to solve Lost Echo was released in the Windows Phone Store last week after having a fair amount of success over on iOS.

The game's primary protagonist is Keith, who must lead Skye around the island by hand due to her poor eyesight. Upon completing the game, a 'Skye Mode' is unlocked which allows the player to play the entire game from Skye's perspective. In this mode, she can freely move about the island without assistance, although she is unable to climb as Keith can, severely limiting her range of travel.

Story[edit]

Lost in Blue is not a linear game in its gameplay and its multiple endings provide a different story nearly every time one plays through it. The story advances through exploration of the island, which consists almost entirely of moving deeper inland into the island and uncovering its secrets. Some days may not be spent exploring and advancing the story but rather by just trying to survive by collecting food, building furniture, and so on.

The story begins with the protagonists riding on ship when a massive storm causes the vessel to sink. In the commotion, Skye manages to get on a liferaft while Keith plunges into the water, at which point he loses consciousness.

Keith wakes up on the beach of the south side of a deserted island. After exploring his surroundings, he finds shelter in a cave. The next day, Keith crosses a nearby river and finds Skye asleep next to her raft, which is apparently undamaged. After she wakes up, Keith and Skye meet for the first time and she tells him that she can't see very well because she has lost her glasses. Keith offers to help her look for her glasses, but accidentally steps on them during the search. With Skye's vision severely impaired, she becomes dependent on Keith to guide her safely around the island.

The two return to the cave and make a home. In the following days, Keith enters a routine of leaving the cave to explore the island and gather food and supplies, and Skye helps by preparing meals. Keith also brings Skye along with him on occasion when he finds an area of the island that he can't traverse by himself.

During his explorations, Keith comes across some ancient ruins on the island that are clearly man-made and filled with various puzzles. Eventually making his way to the other end of the temple, he discovers that there are in fact other people on the island, but his joy turns to caution when he overhears a conversation between the two men discussing their orders to kill intruders. Keith decides to stealthily slip past them to try to use them to escape the island. Sneaking into the bandits' hideout, Keith discovers a ship and, after uncovering what information he can, returns to Skye.

When Keith returns to the bandits' hideout, he discovers that the guards have shaped up and are more vigilant. He also discovers a uniform that he can use as a disguise to sneak into the hideout. When the teens finally escape together, they end up in civilization again. The ending varies depending on Keith's relationship with Skye.

Reception[edit]

The game received 'average' reviews according to video game review aggregatorMetacritic.^[1]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^ab'Lost in Blue for DS Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
2. ^Parish, Jeremy (September 27, 2005). 'Lost in Blue'. 1UP.com. Archived from the original on May 27, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
3. ^EGM staff (November 2005). 'Lost in Blue'. Electronic Gaming Monthly (197): 162.
4. ^Walker, John (October 26, 2005). 'Lost In Blue'. Eurogamer. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
5. ^'Lost in Blue'. Game Informer (150): 152. October 2005.
6. ^Massimilla, Bethany (October 6, 2005). 'Lost in Blue Review'. GameSpot. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
7. ^Leeper, Justin (October 10, 2005). 'GameSpy: Lost In Blue'. GameSpy. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
8. ^Sandoval, Angelina (October 17, 2005). 'Lost in Blue - NDS - Review'. GameZone. Archived from the original on September 28, 2008. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
9. ^Nix, Marc (September 28, 2005). 'Lost in Blue'. IGN. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
10. ^'Lost in Blue'. Nintendo Power. 197: 112. November 2005.
11. ^Sewart, Greg (November 29, 2005). 'Lost in Blue Review'. X-Play. Archived from the original on December 27, 2005. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
12. ^Huschka, Ryan; Campbell, Craig (November 6, 2005). 'RECENT RELEASES'. Detroit Free Press. Retrieved January 4, 2016.

External links[edit]

• Lost in Blue at MobyGames
• Lost in Blue at Nintendo.com (archives of the original at the Internet Archive)