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| From: Nintendo
Category: Video Games
List Price: $29.99
Buy New: $27.65
You Save: $2.34 (8%)
New (30) Used (13) from $24.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  118 reviews
Sales Rank: 87
Platform: Nintendo Wii
ESRB: Everyone
Media: Video Game
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Age: 5 - 20 years
Operating System: Nintendo Wii
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 0 x 0 x 0
MPN: WI-RVLPRFBE
UPC: 045496900427
EAN: 0045496900427
ASIN: B000WINB56
Release Date: January 22, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: **US Release WII GAMES ARE NOT COMPATIBLE with UK WII Consoles** 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Completely Different January 29, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
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.
Diving in a World of Dreams January 28, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Endless Ocean is possibly one of the most innovative games of the year, and it comes to us from Arika, who has given us forays into tropical waters before.
To start off you are given a boat and a crewmate named Katherine. She's a hydrophobe studying the ocean with your help and diving expertise. You can just straight dive, give underwater tours, or unleash your camera on some wildlife. During dives you also can interact with creatures, gaining yourself dolphins to train and specie data in your notebook. There is also no life bar and no danger of death, this serves to make the game both relaxing and educational.
Traditional gamers will struggle with the lack of listed goals, but this is a game more about exploration and education than accomplishments. There is no offensive language or content of any kind, only a handfull of specie may be frightening to young players and even then I'm talking VERY young. The controls work very well and little movement is really involved. All this wrapped in a [...]$ game with Wifi connectivity that lets you train dolphins with a friend or cooperate on dives.
I'd recommend for parents, gradparents, children, teachers and all lovers of the ocean.
The negatives are that it could have more species and areas but hopefully we'll get a sequel somewhere down the line. All in all a five-starred game!
Immersive Experience, I'm Hooked! (No pun intended...) January 28, 2008
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
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.
Dive, Discover, Dream - Exactly! January 25, 2008
87 out of 88 found this review helpful
Absolutely beautiful game. The underwater visuals are incredible from the sea floor, hidden treasure, coral, caves, sunken ships, schools of fish, dolphins, manta rays, whales, and much more. Sunlight from above will also filter down below the surface. Day also turns to night and you can go night diving where you may find different types of sea life.
Now, when you are on the boat, it's a different story. The visuals look incomplete. The boat, character, water and skyline all have a "unpolished" look to them. Also, your character apparently has something shoved up his or her rear as you walk around the boat "stiffly". But, this is all minor stuff as you will be underwater most of the time so, it's not a big deal. Again, the underwater world is absolutely a joy to the eyes.
The music is nicely done and very relaxing, but you can load up your SD Card with .MP3 files and listen to your own music while on the ship or diving below. That is a very nice feature and I believe only the second developer to implement this feature on the Wii so far.
You will also be able to customize your character by changing your diving wear and equipment.
The game is totally laid back and you can pretty much do whatever you want, when you want. But you aren't completely on your own. There are definitely specific things to accomplish if you want to. You will receive emails from people wanting you to investigate a specific underwater location, find a special fish or hidden treasure, take photos or even to go along with you as a diving guide. Many of these result in rewards such as new equipment and gear. You actually should accept the first few email requests as it's the only way to get the underwater pen and camera and to unlock the Wi-Fi Connection gateway.
You will help a dolphin early on in the game and he will then become your partner and you can go on dives together. The dolphin will actually help you find hidden items on the sea floor. You can also have the dolphin do tricks up above while you are on the boat. It looks like you can have up to 3 partners to play with. I've only found the dolphin so I don't know what the others will be.
I haven't tested the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection feature, but you can have a Wii friend come over to your boat (or you can go to their boat) and you can go on dives together. Looks like that can be fun. You can communicate with various pre-set greetings and commands or use an underwater pen to draw or communicate (like a whiteboard). It would of been nice to have built-in voice chat capability.
This is a refreshing addition to your Wii library and I think everyone should own this game. It's a very unique and refreshing experience.
If You Want Something Relaxing.... January 24, 2008
5 out of 10 found this review helpful
Then this is the game for you. If you want action, look somewhere else. This is the perfect video game for after a stressful day of work....you swim around and interact with fish and explore the enviroment. The music is relaxing and the graphics are impressive for a Wii game. Very detailed...you can even see sunlight reflecting on the sandy bottom. Sound effects are relaxing too, as you always have the constant sound of breathing through a regulator.
I have a 42" LCD tv but I'd imagine it wouldn't be as impressive on say a 27" tv.
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