Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure

Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure is a video game made by Capcom in 2007 for the Wii gaming console.

Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure
Developer(s)	Capcom
Publisher(s)	Capcom
Director(s)	Eiichiro Sasaki
Producer(s)	Hironobu Takeshita
Designer(s)	Haruki Suetsugu
Programmer(s)	Akihiro Kashimoto
Artist(s)	Hiroshi Yūgen
Writer(s)	Kosuke Nasu
Composer(s)	Shinya Okada Tadayoshi Makino
Platform(s)	Wii
Release	NA: October 23, 2007 JP: October 25, 2007 EU: January 18, 2008 AU: February 21, 2008
Genre(s)	Point-and-click adventure, puzzle
Mode(s)	Single-player

Plot

Characters

• Zack - The star of the game. He and Wiki discover Barbaros, and go on a quest to rebuild his body while being pursued by the Rose Rock Pirates.
• Wiki - Zack's companion and a flying monkey. He has the ability to transform into a bell, and when he is rung, living creatures can be turned into items.
• Barbaros - The former Captain who once owned Treasure Island before he was cursed into the form of a golden skeleton and had his parts scattered across the world. Promises Zack and Wiki his ship and Treasure Island if they return him to normal.
• Captain Rose - The leader of the Rose Rock Pirates. She has a rivalry with Zack and Wiki, and tries to beat Zack and Wiki to the treasure throughout the game.
• Johnny Style - A member of The Sea Rabbits who joins Zack and Wiki often, and is able to pilot a plane. He gives advice and often runs away from danger.
• The Sea Rabbits - A group of pirates that Zack, Wiki, and Johnny Style belong to.
• Goons - Goons are members of the Rose Rock Pirates, and the minions of Captain Rose.

Summary

A pirate called Zack and a monkey called Wiki search for treasure and meet a pirate called Barbaros (who is a flying skull) after their plane was destroyed. Zack and Wiki agree to help him get his body back if he gives them his ship and treasure. Throughout the journey, Zack and Wiki collect pieces of his skeleton (all of them resembling objects used by pirates), while solving puzzles and fighting enemies, the most important being Captain Rose and her pirates. After Zack and Wiki find all of Barbaros's parts and revive him, Barbaros betrays Zack and Wiki to keep his ship and treasure, and returns to Treasure Island. Zack, Wiki, and Johnny Style join forces with the Rose Rock Pirates and travel to Treasure Island. Barbaros kidnaps Wiki to bring back his pirates, while Zack and the Rose Rock Pirates are captured. Zack breaks out and fights Barbaros, rescues Wiki and the Rose Rock Pirates, and escape in Barbaros' ship. They beat Barbaros and his giant robot when he chases them and he is sucked into a black hole.

Gameplay

Zack & Wiki uses the Wii Remote by itself to play the game. The Wii Remote is pointed at the screen, and a star icon is shown. The player uses the star to move to a spot he or she picks, to pick up stuff, or to check things. The level is seen zoomed out from Zack. The player can do many things to look around the level, including zooming out more or zooming in. The main goal of almost every level is to reach a treasure chest at the end, most containing a part of Barbaros. The player also has to get as many points, or "HirameQ", as he or she can to rank the player on how well he or she did. This is done by solving puzzles quickly and making as few mistakes as possible.

When the player starts the game or ends a level, he or she returns to the Sea Rabbits HQ. There are eight things that can be done here. The first thing is that the player can go to the map of the world and pick a level to go to. After that, the player can buy Platinum Tickets (which revive Zack) and Oracle Dolls (which give hints), have a rabbit go treasure hunting, be taught how to do all the Wii Remote actions, see his or her stats, see all the treasure he or she has found, hear rumors, and check his or her progress on building Barbaros.

Each item in the game has a special way to hold it. For example, when the player gets an umbrella, he or she has to hold the Wii Remote like an umbrella. There are dozens of different items, and they are used on stuff around Zack and Wiki or as a tool to protect them. An umbrella can protect Zack from rain, while a key can be used to unlock a door. These items can be found in every level, and when they get picked up, they are added to the player's treasure list. There is another group of items called "Enemy Items", which can only be gotten when Zack turns an enemy or creature into an item by shaking Wiki. Some enemies can be changed, while others can not. The first enemies in the game, the Centipede, can be turned into an item called a "Centisaw", which can cut down trees. Human-looking creatures like Goons can be turned into totem poles also.

Most levels have enemies in them. They are often able to kill or capture Zack and Wiki, while others are harmless and can be turned into items. Each world ends with a boss level, where the player has to either battle a boss or survive it to beat the level. Zack & Wiki has many parts where the player can get a game over. The game does not have a health bar, and falling in a pit of spikes or getting crushed is instant death, and it makes the player have to start the level over unless he or she has a Platinum Ticket.

Development

Controversy

Capcom's video of Zack & Wiki at E3 in 2007 had a sound effect in it that sometimes plays when the player does something good. The sound effect is the Islamic prayer "Allahu Akbar" ("God is Great"), and after The Council on American-Islamic Relations complained, Capcom removed the phrase.

Reception

Publication	Response	Award
IGN	Wii: 9/10	Editors Choice
Nintendo Power	Wii: 9/10	7th best Wii game
GameSpot	Wii: 8.5/10	Adventure Game of the Year
GameSpy	Wii: 4.5/5	Editors Choice
Gaming Target		52 Games We'll Still Be Playing From 2007 selection
1UP	Wii: 9/10
X-Play	Wii: 4/5
NGamer	Wii: 90%	Best Wii Controls 2007
Official Nintendo Magazine	Wii:94%

Zack & Wiki received mostly positive reviews, gaining a score of 87 on metacritic. Praised for reviving the point-and-click genre, IGN called it "an unpredictably top-quality undertaking whose winning marriage of sometimes-genius environmental puzzles and beautiful graphics will suck you in."

IGN gave Zack & Wiki their "Adventure Game of the Year" 2007 award, while Nintendo Power ranked it was 7th on their best Wii games list.