Return to the land of Mistralis and harness the powers of the wind and the seasons in the follow-up to last year's smash hit WiiWare title, LostWinds.

We learnt of the existence of LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias last week thanks to Edge, but Frontier Developments have today officially announced and detailed the sequel to one of the best WiiWare titles of 2008.

LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias takes place shortly after the events of the first game, and sees our hero, Toku, and his wind spirit friend, Enril, on a more personal journey as they investigate the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Toku's mother Magdi, who vanished mysteriously whilst searching for the lost ruins of Melodia City. The duo travel to Summerfalls Village, which has been trapped in an eternal winter and infested with monstrous snow creatures.

Toku and Enril consult Sonté, the Spirit of Seasons, who lends the duo the power to switch seasons between summer and winter at will to unravel the mysteries of Summerfalls. Of course, complications arise and it turns out that Balasar, the exiled spirit who tried to conquer the world of Mistralis for himself thousands of years ago and swore vengeance on Toku at the end of the first game for foiling his plans to return to power, is to blame for these shenanigans, and it's up to you and your gusty magic to save not only your mother, but the whole world.

The new season-swapping mechanic allows for some interesting puzzles, including transforming frozen ponds and waterfalls into deep underwater chambers which can be explored with Toku's new swimming abilities, freezing and dousing enemies thanks to temperature changes, using the wind to whip up snowballs and rain clouds, and the creation of cyclones, which can be unleashed on enemies and the environment with devastating effects.

You're hot then you're cold, you're yes then you're no... Head on over to the LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias gallery to check out all of the new concept art and screenshots.

Says Chairman and Founder of Frontier Developments David Braben in regards to the announcement:

"LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias will delight both new and returning players. Every aspect has been extended and polished, and the major new gameplay elements dovetail perfectly to give a fantastically rich, fun, innovative experience."

Frontier didn't provide a price point or a release date for the game, but we've got our fingers crossed for a release round about Christmas time.