Endless Ocean (Nintendo)

Does Arika's undersea simulation sink or swim? Endless Ocean may give you access to undersea environments, but this serene aquatic adventure might not be for everyone...

When we were first assigned to review Endless Ocean, we were excited. The idea of swimming around in full scuba gear while using the Wii Remote to navigate underwater sounded intriguing. We felt like the game's premise had potential. But after taking the plunge, we were disappointed to find that life under the sea is tedious, repetitive, and ultimately boring.

The biggest problem with Endless Ocean is that it lacks any sense of challenge or fun. It just simply plops you underwater where you're left to explore at your leisure; your scuba tanks are filled with an endless amount of air, all of the sea life is cuddly and loves to be petted. The only real challenge we faced in the game was not falling asleep while we were immersed in what turned out to be a virtual aquarium.

But at least the controls are solid. Swimming throughout the ocean is as simple as holding down the B button and pointing the Wii Remote in the direction you want to go. The graphics are also surprisingly decent; you will never mistake it for the Discovery Channel, but they get the job done. The real problem is that we were left wondering why we were going through all of the effort.

Endless Ocean's underwater atmosphere is soothing and relaxing, but it lacks a crucial element: fun. It could pass as a mildly interesting educational title, but it's presented in a manner that can only be described as sleep-inducing.