Endless Ocean

While the first Endless Ocean is definitely primitive, it's still a well executed game. The game wants to be a relaxing experience primarily but it does have a pretty charming (albeit barebones) story that I really liked as a kid. Finding new fish is also a blast, and a lot of the locations you end up exploring are pretty beautiful. Another thing that is sort of superfluous but worth mentioning is the games soundtrack, which consists primarily of licensed music from Hayley Westenra a lot of which is gorgeous. The actual song selection is pretty odd sometimes, I remember the first time I ever heard the American Civil War song "Shenandoah" was through this game. How an American Civil War song made it into a Japanese game about scuba diving? I'll never know, but I wasn't upset at it's implementation, in fact I ended up liking it. Ultimately there really isn't too much to this game, and if you're going to play an Endless Ocean game I would recommend the much more fleshed out sequel "Endless Ocean: Blue World." Nonetheless this game was a huge part of my childhood and I still think it's pretty good despite it's barren nature.

Set in the fictitious place of the Manaurai Sea, you play as an accomplished Scuba diver with a growing reputation aboard the Gabbiano boat. You are guided on your daily tasks by a young woman named Kat, who loves the sea but is unable to swim so she stays on board. There is a story which involves Kat, but you are allowed to explore the ocean at your own pace and have the optional tasks of diving with clients or taking photos of certain fish.

Despite being called Endless Ocean, the sea sadly isn't endless; but is fairly large. When you visit an area, a large circle shows on the map which you have to stay within. If you want to travel further, you must return to the boat and move to a new location. It's not a major thing and the restriction is probably put in place instead of having the game show you multiple loading screens.

The music soundtrack is 95% Hayley Westenra. This does suit the mood, but annoyingly, only 1 track plays on loop which you get to decide during the game's loading screen.

Whilst swimming around, there is plenty of marine life to observe and Kat sets you the task of completing her encyclopedia. There are many fish that are hard to miss, but there are some that you really need to look hard for. Fish can be seasonal or nocturnal, so you will need to return at different times to complete everything. To swim, all you have to do is point the Wii Remote at the screen and hold the B button. When you see a fish or other sea creature, you can focus your attention on it using the A button and then learn about it by tapping, petting, or feeding the fish. Certain fish respond to you blowing the underwater whistle, or drawing using the underwater pen. Once you see the creature sparkle, extra information appears in the encyclopedia. Learning about fish by stroking and prodding them seems a bit silly, and gets tedious over the course of the game.

You also need to keep an eye out on your boat, because some birds and animals may come aboard. It's quite strange to see a polar bear chilling out on deck, or some sea lions rolling around. I'd imagine some people would point out certain animals wouldn't live in the same region, so the game isn't fully accurate. You can make friends with dolphins and have the option to have them come diving with you. You can teach them tricks but this feature seems pointless because it isn't engaging or interactive.

There's no danger in the game, so there is no need to panic when a shark comes towards you, or if you swim towards a whale's mouth; although these are still exciting aspects of the game. You have a limited supply of air, but you have that much; I don't think I ever even lost 10%!

Overall, the game is definitely recommended if you want a different experience, or require something relaxing. If you are looking for a large quantity of action or a game based upon skill then this game isn't for you. Some people will love the game and others will hate it, so don't be surprised if you read conflicting reviews.