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Good: Use of the Wiimote, physics, music, variety

Bad: Some problems with control, voice acting

Elebits is one of those titles that's so Japanese that it's surprising to see it come stateside. It's got a ridiculously absurd story, a unique control scheme, and somewhat odd gameplay mechanics, but it winds up working out very well. It's an engaging and entertaining trip through a suburban town filled with the tiny titular creatures.

A terribly voice-acted intro cutscene lays out the basis of the story (or what little there is of it). Apparently, the world's electricity is powered by miniscule creatures called Elebits, and they've scattered throughout the town. Power is down worldwide, and it's up to you and your capture gun to gather them and restore electricity.

Your gun performs two main functions zapping up Elebits and moving items. The gun shoots out a beam that connects to items, and you can move them around the level by moving the Wiimote. Twisting it causes them to move accordingly, and you can also bring items closer and push them farther from you. When you first start the game, you can only lift extremely light items. The first several levels are set within a house, so expect to move a lot of plates and chairs before moving onto anything substantial.

Elebits are hiding in every nook and cranny. They're in drawers, behind books, in vases, etc. etc. You capture them by simply pointing at them and pressing A or B. As you catch more and more of them, your watt level goes up. Each item that uses electricity requires a minimum level of watts to energize. Once energized, you can make numerous "power Elebits" spring from them by pressing a switch. These power Elebits are used to power up your capture gun, allowing you to lift heavier objects.

There's a certain addictive quality to leveling up your gun, as some of the best moments are when you gain the ability to manipulate huge objects. You may start with plates and chairs, but you'll be tossing houses, hot air balloons, and cars with abandon by the end. It's great to run around levels simply trashing the place, and they'll often look like an absolute mess by the end.

To keep things fresh, many levels feature different criteria. Some require you to stay below a set decibel level, and other missions will fail if you break too many objects or take enough damage. There aren't many hostile forces in Elebits, just a few levels featuring toy tanks or guns. Late in the game, you'll be introduced to a new type of Elebit that shoots damaging energy balls at you. Despite this, it's certainly not a shooter by any means. Don't expect to be fighting for your life often this is primarily a game of exploration.

It certainly won't wow anyone with its visual power, but it gets the job done. The Elebits are visually interesting and animate decently, and all of the physics behave realistically. Some slowdown rears its head occasionally, but only when there's a massive amount of motion onscreen. As I mentioned before, the voice acting is simply atrocious, but the soundtrack fits the mood of the game perfectly.

Elebits is an excellent showcase for the Wiimote, as it's truly a game that couldn't be done on another system. There are a few times when the control can be an issue (mainly when opening doors), but the overall experience certainly makes it a worthwhile title.

Graphics: 7.0

Sound: 7.5

First Play: 8.0

Replay Value: 8.0

Gameplay: 8.5

Overall: 8.4