This episode of Survivor is not hosted by Jeff Probst.

The Nintendo DS is finally starting to get some serious love as of late. Fans who were once worried about the fate of the system may worry no more as a bevy of fantastic touchscreen games are either in stores now or on their way; which include Castlevania, Phoenix Wright, Trauma Center, and my latest review Lost In Blue

After a disastrous incident at sea, two young strangers are now stranded on a deserted island. In a journey of survival, adventure, and mystery, they must work together to uncover the secrets of the island, learn to hunt, search for food, build tools, and live long enough to escape. In short, think Survivor without the complaining, production value, and challenges and you have Lost In Blue.

After a quick opening scene, you are tossed like yesterday's news into the world of Lost In Blue. Ever wondered what it would be like to be stranded on a deserted island with only your DS? The visuals in Lost In Blue are just that, one big freakin' deserted island. No flashy special effects, no magic spells, nothing but sand, grass, trees, and water. But hey, that is reality and Konami pulls no punches to make your stay on this island feel or look like a vacation. What you see is what you get, but you can explore every nook and cranny of it. Want to shake a palm tree for coconuts, you can. How about digging through the sand or grass to find sources of food or tools, you can. Want to visit caves to find shelter and possible items of necessity? You can. Even cooler is that you are stranded on this island with someone of the opposite sex... but she is as helpless as the princess from Ico so don't get your hopes up. Thanks to the touch screen of the DS, the world really comes to life as you can touch, explore, and fight nearly everything visible on screen. Lost In Blue manages to produce an environment that is pleasing to the eye, yet doesn't quite reach the capabilities of the DS power.

Audio isn't really much more than soothing ocean sounds and ambient music that move left to right in beautiful stereo sound. Unfortunately even though there is dialog in the game, there is no voice acting to accompany it, which is a disappointment considering the system is more than capable of producing some vocal audio.

Lost In Blue is all about the gameplay. If you come into this title thinking you are playing a fun little game, think again. This game tries to as accurately as possible replicate the feeling of being left for dead on an island. This means no tutorial whatsoever, so make sure you read those instructions before diving into this blue. How much fun you actually have in Lost In Blue depends on how much you are glutten for punishment. The first half hour or so is a game of searching. You search for twigs, tools, and dry areas to make fire. You search for shelter to keep you safe when it is dark. You do this while also searching for food and water sources to keep your vitalities up. In the beginning, this seems pretty cool, but once you notice that your vitals drop off so quickly, you'll begin to become frustrated with the fact that you can't walk a few feet without being tired, thirsty, or hungry. Things become worse when you have to fend for two when your helpless companion tags along. Toss in the fact that you may go hunting or fishing for bigger game, which really helps strengthen those vitals, and you have an enjoyable game.

If you have the patience to make it through the first hour or so of Lost In Blue, with all the searching, trekking, and fighting to keep yourself alive, you should find your experience with Lost In Blue most enjoyable. Otherwise, this game is not for everyone and is thankfully more than another touch screen gimmick game.