After many months of anticipation, Lost in Blue has finally arrived on the Nintendo DS. If you have been looking for more games that use the innovative features of the DS, then you are on the right track. This game is full of imagination and originality. Yet Konami's tale of survival and hope is not without its faults, as the adventure may leave you feeling a bit abandoned when all is said and done. But hey, Matthew Fox has been in uglier situations and he's still doing great. Isn't he?

Facts and Features:

• Survive on a mysterious island.
  
• Unique use of the touch screen.
  
• Lush 3D graphics.
  
• Create weapons for survival.
  
• Multiple endings.
  

Survival of the Fittest
Lost in Blue begins with a trip that goes wrong, ending in a tragedy that leaves a young boy stranded in the dangers of the wilderness. Upon reaching the island's shore, you will take control of this young lad who sadly discovers that he is all alone and that the only thing left in his life is, his life itself, and it is up to him to protect it.

If you enjoy the "lonely survival" theme, I am sorry to disappoint you, because you will also meet another survivor: a young woman who, in exchange for your help, will keep you company until you finally find a way to get out of the island. Besides, you completely ruined her glasses so you cannot complain. Basically, if you played Survival Kids on the Game Boy Color, you should not have a problem understanding the in-and-outs of this game.

Your first assignment is to hastily find a place to live. After all, who wants to take a nap without a roof? Rainy days are not very pleasant, let me tell you. Coincidentally, you will find a cave that will provide you with that warm sensation that only a home offers, and if it doesn't, then at least you have a girl to keep you company.

After setting up camp, you must ready yourself for what is probably going to be your biggest adventure ever. Every day, you will have to look for food and tools that will allow both you and your companion to live safely, keep your stomachs happy, and explore the rest of the island. You do want to get out, don't you? Also, like any person who knows how to survive, you will stock up on supplies (in case the weather gets nasty), and even create traps for animals. The DS touch screen is a blessing, as you can do pretty much anything imaginable that is relevant to the theme of the game.

The beginning segments of Lost in Blue are a little difficult. For instance, both characters are so weak (to be fair, they have not eaten in a while) that you spend most of the time trying to save what little energy they have just to look for food before one of them faints into oblivion. I easily died a couple of times because I just did not have enough food, and if I did have the food, I could not distribute it accordingly because I kept juggling my attention between the two characters to avoid any starving or dehydration. But like any game, all you need is practice. After playing for a couple of hours, I finally got the hang of it, and my characters got the necessary amount of food most of the time; now they are never hungry.

Hunting for food is not impossible when you are in a paradisiacal island like this one. Fortunately for us, there are a lot of trees and animals that are just dying to be part of your every-day banquet. You will find coconuts and other fruits, get salt from the beach, hunt for deer meat, and even make your own traps in order to catch the poor things. So if you were expecting “one-meal menus," you are in for a big surprise.

Another interesting feature in the game is the cooking system. It is my favorite thing to do, and it is fairly easy as well. First of all, you have to create a tool for cooking. There are no heaters here, so you better think quickly. Ah, I know! Let’s make a natural fire. By finding some twigs and sticks, you can create one by starting friction between the twigs when you press the L and R buttons in succession. After blowing some air via the DS's microphone, you will be the proud owner of a cute little fireplace. Voila! Done!


Start your own fire!

Now for the food; you have to pick which ingredients you are going to use to make the most wonderful meal you will ever taste (work with me people, we are on an island). After selecting the ingredients – which are not as good in the beginning but keep getting better and better as time passes – you place your pot on the fire we created before. Naturally, the pot needs to be closed for a bit in order to get the yummy meal cooked, and you do that by closing the Nintendo DS for a few exact seconds.

You have to understand that this game is a lot like Harvest Moon, in that you have to take care of your character (or in this case, both of them), like you take care of yourself. Daily food means daily hunting, and while that may be a tedious task on the real world, it is actually pretty fun in the Lost in Blue world. Something I should point out is that creating tools is very important. You can fish for food, for example, but to do that, you have to create an item that will allow you to reel in the fishes. A spear perhaps? Good thinking. Just get a large stick and some creeping vines, and you are good to go. You can also create bows, fishing rods, and many other items that will help you on your quest.