Nintendo Wii; £7. Age 7+

Five stars

LostWinds is the pick of the range of budget Wii games that are available to download from Nintendo’s new WiiWare online store. It’s an ingenious take on the old-fashioned 2-D platform style of game and tells the tale of a child who discovers an air spirit and so learns to harness the power of the wind. By making sweeping gestures with the Wii remote, you must use gusts of air to propel our hero over gaps, hurl objects around or create draughts that can, for instance, channel bursts of flame.

The premise is simple, but this is game design at its very best: the controls are superb and the puzzles are truly engaging. As convoluted barriers and switches keep you from achieving your next objective, you must use your powers to clear the way. Contrary to our expectations of a budget title such as this, LostWinds transpires to be one of the most polished games on the Wii, featuring gorgeous oriental cartoon graphics and music that makes it all feel oddly relaxing. It’s short, yet LostWinds packs more ideas and gaming magic into five hours than most full-priced Wii games manage in 20.