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This is NOT really a game, but an adventure of sorts.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: March 10, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Let me start by saying I bought this for my non gaming wife, just so she could have something where you can't lose, you can't die, there is no challenge, no levels to beat, and time is virtually meaningless. All of this is achieved in Endless Ocean. A non-gaming game genre!

With that said, SHE LOVES IT! I think she would easily give it 5 stars, but she's not writing this, I am. The first time (or two) I plugged in the disk I have to admit being disappointed. But when I reached a point where I was tired of action, strategy, and games in the fast lane I tried again. What I discovered is that Endless Ocean lets you immerse yourself in a relaxing, slow paced world, that is very enjoyable, even surreal.

Ok, there is a little too much reading dialog at times (for me), but it does give some direction of "things to do, if you want to", and I think this is one of the things my wife likes about it. The dialog among other things, sort of provides missions to accomplish in order to give an additional sense of purpose (besides exploring) to the experience.

You might have read that you can play MP3's (if you have an SD card) and that is true, however it plays the same song over and over so you better pick something soft and smooth, or even instrumental. I loaded a few songs from Enya which seem to go very well with diving. I know you can turn it off during a dive, but if you can change the song without being on the boat I haven't figured it out yet.

So if you ever get in a NON-GAME mode, or you're not much of a gamer in the first place, you can spend hours exploring the ocean, interacting with sea life, and collecting artifacts with stunningly beautiful graphics. This is an adventure for all ages and even this gamer has logged a few hours under the sea. Actually I can't wait for my next dive. I'm no longer disappointed with this title, but it took my wife really liking it (and me feeling like I didn't need to conquer something) before I gave it the chance it deserves.

Immersive Experience, I'm Hooked! (No pun intended...)

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: January 28, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Endless Ocean is far from 'boring' as some gaming critics would have you believe. From the several hours I've already played, I felt like there was plenty to keep me busy (and I've barely scratched the surface). Yes, it's certainly not an adrenaline pumping adventure, but that's not a bad thing. It's an exploration experience... it doesn't try to be something it's not, and this works beautifully.

The educational aspects of the game aren't forced down your throat either. (You gain facts on each creature as you meet and interact with them.) You can choose to read the descriptions at any time, or as far as I can tell, never at all. The animals and treasures you discover get collected back on your boat so you can read and look over them at your leisure. This is definitely a bonus if you're a junkie for collecting everything within a game. Adding to your collection of info and items also gives a sense of accomplishment after each dive.

I think Endless Ocean offers a healthy dose of wonderment and fun. I look forward to discovering everything else the game has to offer... I've already experienced a lot but the game promises much much more. (i.e. night diving, finding/training more animal companions, exploring the rest of the island waters, completing its occasional objects, discovering hidden treasure, etc.)

The game has its share of imperfections yet they are minor enough that they don't ruin the overall experience. My major disappointment is actually the price. While the discounted MSRP of $30 might lure in skeptics and casual gamers, I'm afraid it might have the opposite affect on other players. There's some kind of stigma attached to cheaper games... it's harder to take a title seriously when it's being undersold right from the start.

I hope a lot of people will give this game a chance regardless of any prejudice. I recommend it to anyone (young or old, casual gamer or serious player) that is looking for a unique experience. Even if you're more inclined towards task-oriented action games, still give this a try. It's nice to have at least one game to come back to at the end of the day that offers you the opportunity to unwind and the freedom to play as you please.

Relaxing, visually beautiful, and entertaining

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: March 09, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I am no "video gamer" but got this for myself in case my kids ever let me have a crack at the "Wii". I must say as a SCUBA diver this brings back memories, and there is a little bit of adventure, but this is the kind of game you can turn down the lights and just enjoy exploring the sights and the ocean life. There are occasional surprises, and the beautiful and fairly realistic scenery (on a high def TV) is worth it.

What an amazing experience

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: February 14, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Even though I am a COD4 fan, I absolutely love this game/experience. It is such a relaxing alternative to the run and gun games and you truly get lost in this amazing world. Very highly recommended.

Completely Different

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: January 29, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Games like this (and No More Heroes, Zack and Wiki etc.) are the reason why the Wii was built and why I picked one up in the first place: innovation. In a world of games where every shooter or strategy game is just like the last, games like this are few and far between. Thanks to the wii's technical limitations, small development firms can create such gems at budget prices for gamers.

Endless Ocean is essentially about the feeling of diving. It may sound boring and frankly looks boring if you are watching somebody play it, but the experience is completely immersive. I thought looking at the data on fish or examining rock formations would turn me off eventually, but with every new discovery it becomes more engrossing. The addition of mp3s was one of the best choices for this title. The soundtrack by Hayley Westenra is quite suitable, but when you put on some epic music (like the intro from Ghost in the Shell: Innocence or Berserk) it becomes something completely empowering. The same goes for the boat. The music for the boat is absolutely terrible until you put your own track. The best comparison to this game is probably Rez (the classic PS2 and DC shooter). In that game you have the feeling of floating to the music, and although you are not shooting anything here, the feeling is quite similar.

Lastly, although this may seem like a simple game, it will turn most children off. If anything, it is for adults who are curious about ocean life or simply seek a peaceful game experience. So buy Endless Ocean now. After all, make the most of your Wii. If you're just a Nintendo fanboy who bought the system for all the franchises, then I feel bad for you since most major first party titles have been released. If you are everybody else, you've come to the right place.

Hypnotic and addictive!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: January 29, 2008
Author: Amazon User

A peaceful, serene and strangely addictive diving simulation game, where you basically just "identify" sea creatures by interacting with them. The addictive part comes from the way you collect these identified specimens in your "encyclopedia" each time you identify one. It's like collecting baseball cards: the desire to fill your collection is hard to resist. The visuals are stunning, and it's amazing how exciting it is to discover some new form of sea life around every corner.

As others have noted, pretty much everything that takes place on the deck of your boat is of lesser quality and slightly silly. It's disappointing that there's no voice acting, just a character that "mimes" talking while dialogue appears on the screen. That shortcoming hardly seems fitting for a console game in 2008. It seems more like old Playstation 1 quality.

However, once you're in the water, the visuals are beautiful enough to make you forget that minor complaint. The in-game music by Hayley Westenra is hypnotic and uplifting, making underwater vistas take on an almost spiritual quality. At one point, when I found an elusive manatee in a secret sunlit cave, the music suddenly changed and I was practically ecstatic for a few minutes!

Even my daughter, who's only three and a half, enjoys finding sea animals (with my help) and interacting with them. Overall, I recommend this game to anyone of any age who wants a unique, pretty, and relaxingly open-ended gaming experience, with some cool surprises along the way. I've logged over 15 hours on the game so far, and there's still more to discover.

Refreshing and well done

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: February 07, 2008
Author: Amazon User

As a certified SCUBA diver, I must say this is the best attempt to capture real life SCUBA diving in a video game. One does not need to concern themselves with the technical aspects of diving to enjoy this game. Those are left out. You don't even have to worry about dying. What this game does capture is the mental zone of being in a completely different world that reminds you that there is another planet down there. Did I mention that this game is only like $30 bucks? This is a great game for parents and their kids. I also commend Nintendo on the route they have decided to take with their game content.

Endless Ocean

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: February 16, 2008
Author: Amazon User

As an experience scuba diver and with a ollege minor in Marine Biology, I really enjoy this game. It is very relaxing and colorful. After working all day, I think I will just put an hour in exploring the ocean and the next time I look it is closer to 3 hours. It is nice not to have any tension causing activity. May not be for those who like fast pace action but it is time to slow down and just enjoy.

The whole family plays together

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: February 29, 2008
Author: Amazon User

The best thing about Endless Ocean is the time we all spend together "exploring" the beautiful waters. The kids are 11 and 12 and both were sort of "whatever" first, but soon we were all hooked. The room is filled with comments like "ooh,ooh, what is that?" and "look over there, look over there!" We enjoy learning about the fish together and the gentle easy pace.

This is a hard one to describe, but it is addictive. We use it to calm the older one who gets kind of too caught up in the gaming because it's hard to get aggravated playing this!

Not quite what I was expecting.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 6 / 11
Date: April 09, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I purchased this game primarily on the reviews which led me to believe I'd be getting a free-roaming scuba simulation with a little game tacked on.

Really though that isn't the case. Your ability to free roam is limited to a small circular area of a few hundred square feet which you can't leave. If you want to roam further you have to move your boat which then moves the boundary to the new point. But to get the use of the boat you have to perform several tasks first - in fact to get use of several items you have to perform these tasks.

Perhaps later in the game the boundary gets bigger - not sure. The mandatory 'teach your dolphin to somersault' sub-game turned me off so much I doubt I'll return.

Very disappointed.

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