Project Treasure Island Z takes a vastly different approach than previous Capcom games, forcing gamers to logically solve puzzles instead of taking the usual platforming route. Designed specifically to utilize Nintendo's motion-sensitive Wii remote controller, players never lose the hands-on feeling.

Strangely enough, the game's plotline works similarly to the 1985 adventure film The Goonies (but no Sloth, sorry). Zack, game's hero, becomes obsessed with finding a lost treasure left behind by the much-feared pirate Barbaros. He boards a plane and sets out to find it with the help of a map and his yellow-colored musical monkey companion, Wiki. Shortly thereafter, the plane crashes but Zack, determined, refuses to let that stop him from completing his quest. During the journey, he encounters a series of traps that could lead to certain death, like a boulder running down a staircase or a spiked tomb with nasty suction power. Only with quick thinking and puzzle solving will Zack survive these perils and score the loot.

Capcom could have easily taken the platforming direction with Treasure Island Z. Instead, the developers decided to turn it into more of a puzzle-solving affair. Players move around a level, accessing certain items located within it. However, instead of using the D-pad, movement works by pointing an on-screen cursor to indicate where Zack should go and then pressing the A button. Once reaching a certain interactive item in the level, the screen changes to a first-person perspective. Here, players get a closer look at the puzzle. Once the player comes up with a solution, the game either allows them to progress or shows a short sequence where imminent death follows -- kind of like the classic Dragon's Lair arcade game. Despite the trial-and-error method, Treasure Hunter offers unlimited continues, so frustration should be minimal.

Capcom showed off three levels in the game. The first has Zack recovering items following the plane crash and then coming to a waterfall with no way to cross over to the other side. Upon shaking a tree (from the first-person perspective, pushing the Wii remote back and forth), a large centipede pops out. For combat, Wiki (who performs an annoying *DING* effect) changes into a large bell, which Zack can then swing to hit enemies. Once beaten, the Centipede transforms into a usable item, the Centisaw. Zack can equip this item and use it to cut down the tree. Players then perform a back-and-forth sawing motion (in first-person) with the Wii remote to chop it down and get across the waterfall. This section actually provides a bit of tension, thanks to a large piece of debris that threatens to crush Zack if it comes over the waterfall too late.

The second level features different Aztec-like statues, a couple of levers and boulders. In this one, Zack must stack three statue heads in a particular order, picking them up and placing them on top of each other with the Wii remote. One piece needed to be flipped over, forcing the player to actually twist the remote around to set it up correctly. From there, a crank falls to the ground. Zack can pick this up and heads over to a nearby lever box, making sure that the correctly shaped piece goes in. (If not, no worries – players simply flip it around with a simple hand jerk until the right piece comes into view.) Following that, players perform a circular motion with the remote to activate the lever, lowering the statues into the right position and proceeding after the treasure. One wrong move, however, and Zack gets crushed by the boulder.