And Yet It Moves Review

Nintendo's WiiWare platform never ceases to amaze. While the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade are generally filled with titles that push the boundaries of gameplay and graphics, WiiWare seems to be a much better breeding ground for more innovative games. Perhaps it's because the emphasis is less about production value, but it means that games like And Yet It Moves exist.

Initially And Yet It Moves seems like a very simple game. You control a artistically drawn guy, who looks remarkably like Fido Dido of 7UP fame, and are tasked with getting from A to B. That's pretty much all the story you're going to get. There is, as expected, a slight twist though in that players are able to rotate the world, completely. It starts off being a little bit awkward, especially when you realise your wrist probably isn't meant to bend that way, but the game gradually eases you into its complex nature, so it's not too bad.

It adds a whole new dimension to the standard model, and while the main character doesn't actually control that well, it's a negligible point, because you'll spend more time manipulating his movements through gravity than the analog stick. This is perhaps emphasised by the fact that the player can walk and jump.

The first few levels revolved around basic manipulations and introduced the mechanic, but things didn't take long to get much more involved. It's a testament to the developers that they managed to employ the environment in such a way that it challenges a player's mind more than their skill with a controller. Especially when you consider that levels have been designed so that the player can go from the start to the finish without ever setting foot on the ground.

While getting the main character from A to B is always the objective, the player can also control other elements of the environment. This could be, trying to alter the direction of a spreading fire, or changing the rotation of the screen to stop a boulder falling on the main character's head. At one point, they have to try and transport a banana to a monkey without hitting too many edges.