Endless Ocean - Swim With the Fishes Online - $30

[quote name='RollingSkull']Dammit Woman You'll See A Goddamn Bower's Clownfish When I Find A Goddamn Bower's Clownfish You Stupid Dipshit

Why Couldn't You Want To See A Dualfin Tang They're Friggen Everywhere

Other Fish Must Shit Them That Is The Only Explanation

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrgh[/quote]
I wanted to beat that hairy Richard Dreyfus with a Tang when he made me go find him a Bigeye Trevally.
 
[quote name='mephitical']I wanted to beat that hairy Richard Dreyfus with a Tang when he made me go find him a Bigeye Trevally.[/quote]

Now you're just making shit up. Bigeye Trevally?
 
[quote name='RollingSkull']Now you're just making shit up. Bigeye Trevally?[/quote]I'm not allowed to lie about fish.
 
I'm friends with a Bigeye Trevally I think. There are a few kinds but one of him is big and yellow and another kind schools/shoals right?

Spoilers for anyone who has not yet gone to the Abyss or Ruins:

Wow, just wow. While at first it seemed to big to handle, I'm pretty confident I found every species there was to find on the first trip at least. The Giant Squid was cool as hell. The sharks (goblin and bigmouth (I think) were huge and pretty scarry looking. Whalebones graveyard: Sick!!

I really like the attention to detail they paid in this game, finding things like a T-Rex skeleton embedded in deep ocean walls is really cool. I did think it was pretty stupid though, that they made you scribble to befriend some fish. It's just too unrealistic and kind of silly IMO. The whisle, petting, poking, and feeding were enough but to add a fish that can only be befriended by scribbling? How the hell are we supposed to know to do that? EDIT: It says so in the manual, oops!

I was somewhat disappointed wtih the ruins but w/e. The whale shark was cool.
 
Just got this game yesterday afternoon and played it for my daughter. She wasn't as impressed as I thought she would be (she is 2.5), but I had fun. I've only played for around an hour but I can see this game being something that I pop in every so often to do some exploring.
 
I've atually found this game to be quite addicting. I'm desperately trying to fill out my fish encyclopedia and trying to advance the story as fast as I can. It seems that just about eveyr dive there is a huge surprise though sometimes in small packages, (I love you Green Mandarin Goby!)

I was surprised to see that the game actually can be "beat" in some sense. There are alot more story missions and side assignments than I thought there would be.

The locations are so expansive and have so much diversity, it really is captivating.

I may be biasd though b/c i love the ocean and really like diving.

For $30 I'm really really happy. My girl actually played a little (though for like 2 mins) last night as well.
 
I'm heartened to see all the love for this game (even though I haven't picked it up yet). It makes me sad that EGM has basically been trashing it as a "non-game."
 
[quote name='ArthurDigbySellers']Just got this game yesterday afternoon and played it for my daughter. She wasn't as impressed as I thought she would be (she is 2.5), but I had fun.[/QUOTE]
I'd be surprised if she was hooked on it -- IMO, this is a game that's more appealing for adults (who have longer attention spans and can appreciate taking time to appreciate the setting) than younger kids (who want instant gratification). And people say the Wii doesn't have adult games. ;)

[quote name='Tybee']It makes me sad that EGM has basically been trashing it as a "non-game."[/quote]
Eh, they're already irrelevant, they just don't realize it yet. If it wasn't for the free subscriptions, I wouldn't even read it.

--R.J.
 
[quote name='Tybee']I'm heartened to see all the love for this game (even though I haven't picked it up yet). It makes me sad that EGM has basically been trashing it as a "non-game."[/quote]
In the newest issue they agian slam it in thier letter pages. They have a serious wii-hatred. In that "election" issue, each preview had a negartive comment in the wii section.
 
[quote name='UltimoRey']In the newest issue they agian slam it in thier letter pages. They have a serious wii-hatred. In that "election" issue, each preview had a negartive comment in the wii section.[/quote]


They, and I mean 1Up, not EGM, actually had a good segment on The 1Up Show that showed Endless Ocean in a positive light. It was Ryan and some freelance guy talking about it for a good five minutes or so.

There is derision within the Ziff family over many games, and EO just happens to be one of them.

My free EGM subscription ran out so I haven't seen an issue in months, so if there is a true anti-Wii slant, I think it is coming from the fact that these reviewers are hardcore, traditional gamers. Most of them do not like the fact that the Wii is succeeding in bringing gaming to the masses because they feel like it is "dumbing down" gaming and possibly shifting the industry in the process.

What I find funny is that these same detractors of so-called casual games often bemoan the fact that gamers and videogames are not taken seriously and are not treated with "respect" like television, movies and books. They don't realize that in order for gaming to become mainstream, at least in the view of the media, more people need to be exposed to gaming, and that is exactly what the Wii is doing.

Oh well, it must suck for them that Ziff is at the precipice of shutting down and print media for games is all but obsolete.
 
[quote name='UltimoRey']In the newest issue they agian slam it in thier letter pages. They have a serious wii-hatred. In that "election" issue, each preview had a negartive comment in the wii section.[/quote]

Yeah, I noticed that. I was like, here is an opportunity to amend your shortsighted opinion, and instead they just echoed their previous flippancy.

And yeah, the election issue was a joke. Honestly, and I say this as a 360 owner, Nintendo Power has been a much better read lately than EGM.
 
[quote name='ArthurDigbySellers']Just got this game yesterday afternoon and played it for my daughter. She wasn't as impressed as I thought she would be (she is 2.5), but I had fun. I've only played for around an hour but I can see this game being something that I pop in every so often to do some exploring.[/QUOTE]

My daughter is 4 1/2, and she absolutely loves it. She loves finding new fish, the treasures, and changing her outfit (she changes hair & outfit between every dive). 2 1/2 is pretty young for almost any video game--some kids get into them at that age, but in my experience most kids just don't have the attention span when they're that young.
 
[quote name='ma']My daughter is 4 1/2, and she absolutely loves it. She loves finding new fish, the treasures, and changing her outfit (she changes hair & outfit between every dive). 2 1/2 is pretty young for almost any video game--some kids get into them at that age, but in my experience most kids just don't have the attention span when they're that young.[/quote]

She is definitely too young to play it herself, but I thought she would really like seeing the fish as she loves animals and went nuts the first time we took her to an aquarium.

Maybe it wasn't immersive enough on my 32 inch screen. I'll need to invest in a big flat panel ;)
 
Picked it up a while ago and finally got around to playing it, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. Though some of guiding missions when finding specific fish are quite frustrating (humphead wrassle anyone?).

My roomate complains about the lack of a more detailed mapping system that lets you know where you're going and where you've already been, but I like the idea of not knowing where to go. Its always exploration and less of getting to a specific point because I know I have to go there.

And the opening music - I love. I can't wait to unlock more of the tracks by the artist. Anyone know where I can get the music?

If anyone wants to swap codes, let me know. Could be fun.
 
[quote name='ArthurDigbySellers']She is definitely too young to play it herself, but I thought she would really like seeing the fish as she loves animals and went nuts the first time we took her to an aquarium.

Maybe it wasn't immersive enough on my 32 inch screen. I'll need to invest in a big flat panel ;)[/QUOTE]
Speaking of immersive, I was thinking how great this game would sound if it had real surround sound support. The great water sounds of Undertow made me think of this.
 
[quote name='hack']
My roomate complains about the lack of a more detailed mapping system that lets you know where you're going and where you've already been, but I like the idea of not knowing where to go. Its always exploration and less of getting to a specific point because I know I have to go there.[/quote]

I couldn't agree with you more. I was playing last night and realizing how much I was enjoying making a mental map of the ruins and also how familiar I had become with the early areas like the Coral Garden.
 
The humphead wrasse is in the Coral Forest. It's big and blueish-green.

Re: the map and exploratin. A few hours in, its fine. At first, especially ina new area, it can definitely be disorienting but I find the map/tracking coupled with teh compass quite effective. At first I found myself checking the map ALOT!! It can be tough to stay on track when you're trying to travel somewhere, especially with so much to distract you.

IMO the game is meant to be played and is best played by allowing yourself to get distracted and wander off track. The tanks are long enough that you usually have plenty of time to get back to wherever you were trying to go.

I loved it and just "completed" it Saturday; though I still have alot of fish left and treasure left to find.
 
Pitpizza,

What the heck do you do to complete it? Have you swam the entire ocean I take it? I have yet to get this one, but I guess its good and bad that its not endless...
 
[quote name='Snake2715']Pitpizza,

What the heck do you do to complete it? Have you swam the entire ocean I take it? I have yet to get this one, but I guess its good and bad that its not endless...[/quote]


Umm...there is all kinds of things you have to do. Basically you must explore every area, find every type of a certain type of species (dont wanna give it away), find some specific items (she tells you where to look) and do some little tasks and assignments that Kat asks you to do. It's really not that long and I don't advise rushing through it b/c you sort of get an "Awww....it's over?" feeling after it.

Now I still have to find some fish but not too many are left.
 
Best Buy was probably out of it becasue they only got like 5 copies to begin with. Across almost all of the boards I post on, there has been VERY little chatter and activity in this game's boards. I'm actually surprised to see CAG's Endless Ocean thread so busy.

It is just not a very popular game and out of all the gamers I know I only know one other person with this game. It is VERY different and not for the majority of people who own Wii's. It's definitely off the beaten path and this has made me like it very much.

Well, the unknown "eliteness" of the game coupled with the fact that it looks, sounds, and plays like a dream.
 
According to some of the retailers on NeoGaf, Endless Ocean has been selling surprisingly well and people have been asking for it by name. o_O Was there an ad campaign on the Discovery Channel or something?

Finally got to the
ruins
last night... after I picked my jaw off the floor, I spent 90 minutes just exploring the bejeebers out of it. Can't wait to go back...

--R.J.
 
[quote name='rjung']According to some of the retailers on NeoGaf, Endless Ocean has been selling surprisingly well and people have been asking for it by name. o_O Was there an ad campaign on the Discovery Channel or something?

Finally got to the
ruins
last night... after I picked my jaw off the floor, I spent 90 minutes just exploring the bejeebers out of it. Can't wait to go back...

--R.J.[/quote]

As far as I know, there haven't been tv ads, but there were someprint ads and the nintendo store did a dispaly.

As for the
ruins
I think that was the most visually impressive moment I've had had yet. I still need to find one more
idol piece
, which is hard in such a big area.
 
[quote name='rjung']According to some of the retailers on NeoGaf, Endless Ocean has been selling surprisingly well and people have been asking for it by name. o_O Was there an ad campaign on the Discovery Channel or something?

Finally got to the
ruins
last night... after I picked my jaw off the floor, I spent 90 minutes just exploring the bejeebers out of it. Can't wait to go back...

--R.J.[/quote]


You know what, I doubt it was planned but your comment really reminded me of a funny timing coincidence b/w my gaming and TV watching.

When I watch TV (big gamer and movie watcher so TV time is less frequent) it's usually the Discovery channel, Animal Planet, History channel, etc..

Anyway I get done with some Endless Ocean last week (weeknight but I forget which) and there is some show on called something like "Into the Abyss". It was a special, on the Animal Planet I beleieve, about the DEEP DEEP Abyssal Plane. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abyssal_plane Some guys went like 3 miles down in a sub where they visited a decaying whale carcass that created an ecosystem (A BIG ONE) all of its own.

It visited deep sea sharks, shrimp, squid, fish, tubeworms, crabs, and all kinds of other animals, some of which I would not even be able to describe. Some creatures were so wierd (
 
beat the game and then got my
killer whale
to ride. Don't know if i will try for all fish since it seems like a real pain, have like 44 or so more to get. It really blows that Co-op doesnt let u discover new fish.
 
[quote name='Veronica Mars']So, is this a good game?[/QUOTE]
If you like exploration adventures, yeah.

If you have an EGM-style attention-deficit disorder and need immediate gratification, no. ;)

--R.J.
 
[quote name='rjung']According to some of the retailers on NeoGaf, Endless Ocean has been selling surprisingly well and people have been asking for it by name. o_O Was there an ad campaign on the Discovery Channel or something?

Finally got to the
ruins
last night... after I picked my jaw off the floor, I spent 90 minutes just exploring the bejeebers out of it. Can't wait to go back...

--R.J.[/quote]

Yeah surprisingly a lot of hardcore gamer around forums such as this one have really taken notice to this game. I'm not sure if casuals and nongamers have as much, but it's great to see there aren't only shallow hardcore gamers out there.

Endless Ocean is quality, for hardcore or casual/nongamers.
 
I must say this game is fun and my wife really likes it.

We're just super bummed that you can only 2 player dive online. I mean if you built it into the game then why not make it available to dive with someone sitting next to you!
 
That does seem silly combat craig. I really have no idea why they would make it that way. I doubt I will end up getting every fish. Maybe I will but I doubt it. THe only incentive to go back and play more is to do co-op but you can't store new fish info so WTF?
 
[quote name='UltimoRey']Wooo. I got to the title sequence. I "beat the game".[/QUOTE]
If you haven't found the
white mother
, I don't think you have. :)

And you can see the credits at any time by sitting in the beach chair during sunset.

--R.J.
 
Yeah, for some reason certain groups(specifically EGM) are giving the mistaken impression that this isn't a game... which implies that there is nothing to do in this game. There actually is a story.

I've almost beat the game, I'm at the part where
you have to set the sonar sensors to find the Ancient Mother
. I've still got plenty to do though, since I know for sure there's one secret area I haven't found yet(plus lots of animals I haven't found or unlocked yet).

I have a stupid question though, how can I return to the ruins? I can't figure it out for some reason, I tried following a whale shark but that didn't work, and just going to that area on the map doesn't work either.
 
[quote name='pygmy carnotaur']Yeah, for some reason certain groups(specifically EGM) are giving the mistaken impression that this isn't a game... which implies that there is nothing to do in this game. There actually is a story.

I've almost beat the game, I'm at the part where
you have to set the sonar sensors to find the Ancient Mother
. I've still got plenty to do though, since I know for sure there's one secret area I haven't found yet(plus lots of animals I haven't found or unlocked yet).

I have a stupid question though, how can I return to the ruins? I can't figure it out for some reason, I tried following a whale shark but that didn't work, and just going to that area on the map doesn't work either.[/quote]
I think it depends on what time of day you go. Sometimes you go to the entrance where you first
rode the whale shark
and you get dialogue that says something along the lines of
"that's weird, when we were here before the current was too strong and now it's calm. I wonder what's going on"
. Then it automatically takes you there.
 
[quote name='rjung']If you haven't found the
white mother
, I don't think you have. :)

And you can see the credits at any time by sitting in the beach chair during sunset.

--R.J.[/quote]
I did and it's
Ancient Mother
, BTW. Now it's sending me around to spots that were previously hidden.
 
[quote name='CombatCraig']I must say this game is fun and my wife really likes it.

We're just super bummed that you can only 2 player dive online. I mean if you built it into the game then why not make it available to dive with someone sitting next to you![/QUOTE]

While I have not played the game, I assume its because online the diver can leave you, where as it would need to be split screen or a joint decision where to go if it was multiplayer. Given the game i think that would take away from it.
 
[quote name='UltimoRey']I did and it's
Ancient Mother
, BTW. Now it's sending me around to spots that were previously hidden.[/quote]


Wait, does this mean that Kat gives you more assignments and places to go? If I already uncovered every part of the map, would this happen for me to or do you think you're only being sent around to areas that you haven't been to yet becasue you haven't been there.

I didn't turn it back on after teh credits yet so I'm curious about what else there is to do after you find the
Ancient Mother
.
 
[quote name='pittpizza']Wait, does this mean that Kat gives you more assignments and places to go? If I already uncovered every part of the map, would this happen for me to or do you think you're only being sent around to areas that you haven't been to yet becasue you haven't been there.

I didn't turn it back on after teh credits yet so I'm curious about what else there is to do after you find the
Ancient Mother
.[/quote]
so far its opened a cave and pointede out some stuff i missed
 
[quote name='Mr. Anderson']I think I'm gonna pick this up from TRU today with my $25 gift card I've had since November. :D[/quote]


Thats what I did Mr. Anderson. It came out to like 7bucks and some change. VERY worth it IMO.

Not much else on the Wii currently interests me and I was pretty comitted to trying to use that $25 on a game priced 29.99 or less.

It really is a great pair, a great way to go.
 
[quote name='pittpizza']Thats what I did Mr. Anderson. It came out to like 7bucks and some change. VERY worth it IMO.

Not much else on the Wii currently interests me and I was pretty comitted to trying to use that $25 on a game priced 29.99 or less.

It really is a great pair, a great way to go.[/QUOTE]

Unfortunately, my TRU was sold out, so I grabbed Zack and Wiki instead. This is definitely at the top of my to-buy list though, so I'll be getting it soon. I've been wanting to play a game like this since Aquanauts Holiday on the PS1.
 
[quote name='lilboo']So how does this look on an HDTV w/ component cables.. ??:cry:[/quote]
It looks good. Really good. Good enough that you can easily forget about any graphical limitations within a few minutes of playing and lose yourself in the world of the game, which is what really matters. If you are looking for flaws, you will find them for sure, but they fade away if you're not searching for them. The lighting effects are pulled off really well, but if you get too close to some fish you will be reminded that you're playing a video game. Which you are doing, so it's not a terrible distraction.

Some people hate the way the "overworld" of the boat looks, but I don't see why; it's on a similar scale to the underwater graphics without the fluidity, which makes sense. I think any clunkiness out of the water only helps to make underwater that much more beautiful and freeing.
 
Mephitcal, my response is in no way to attack you. Really :)

But I think what happened with me is that a lot of people were saying exactly what you are saying about the Wii with component cables. "It looks great!"..I am disappointed actually.. :whistle2:( (I posted a lengthy response in the "Whats ___ Wrong with my Wii thread if your curious to what my complaints are about).

This game seems beautiful, and like I've said earlier in this thread that I would pick it up once it hits a decent price point, but I really don't want to be disappointed with how it looks.. :whistle2:(

BEFORE I GET FLAMED: No it's not the graphics that matter, but everything looked much better on my standard TV, then it does currently on my new HDTV. I think this is a legit complaint for me.
 
[quote name='lilboo']Mephitcal, my response is in no way to attack you. Really :)

But I think what happened with me is that a lot of people were saying exactly what you are saying about the Wii with component cables. "It looks great!"..I am disappointed actually.. :whistle2:( (I posted a lengthy response in the "Whats ___ Wrong with my Wii thread if your curious to what my complaints are about).

This game seems beautiful, and like I've said earlier in this thread that I would pick it up once it hits a decent price point, but I really don't want to be disappointed with how it looks.. :whistle2:(

BEFORE I GET FLAMED: No it's not the graphics that matter, but everything looked much better on my standard TV, then it does currently on my new HDTV. I think this is a legit complaint for me.[/quote]
I wouldn't have thought it to be an attack at all; in fact it's a totally valid complaint. I was playing Scarface when I switched to the component cables, and what I noticed was that there was a difference. Not necessarily a difference for the better, but a distinct difference. Some things were sharper and clearer, some things were too sharp, and some things got muddier. Ultimately, I preferred the look of component, and I was lazy (I have a multi-plug cable joining my PS2 and Wii). Despite everyones raves about HDTV, the better CRT TVs (especially in smaller sizes) had the potential to look amazing. I went from playing Burnout Revenge on a CRT to the new LCD last year and pretty much stopped playing the game it looked so bad on the HD set.

If you have enough of an eye to notice the changes in your existing games, you will not be awed by this game. I am not awed by it, but I enjoy it immensely. In the same way that I still enjoy playing the TI-94A game Hunt The Wumpus; it's fun, there are new things to discover, and a little mystery. I can lose myself in a stick figure as well I can in lush graphics if I'm enjoying myself.

If you haven't already, you may want to futz about with your TV settings a bit too. Zelda looked much better for me once I turned my brightness up and contrast down.
 
We've been playing this game for about a week or so. The kids love it. My son is playing it like Pokemon, he's blazing through it in gotta-catchem-all mode. I'm taking a more relaxed pace.
 
I have a serious case of the gott-catch-em-all disease.

I'm not rushing through it, heck I don't even know how you could since there is only one swim speed, but I definitely get very happy when I see those three "???" pop up in the fish ID screen.

"ALLRIGHT NEW FISH!!!" Who would have thought such relaxing game could be so exhilarating.

Anybody who hasn't played Endless ocean would probably read that last sentence and be like "WTF is wrong with these people?" but if you play you know exactly what I mean and probably feel the same way too.

Lilboo it does seem if you mention the two words "graphics" and "wii" in the same sentence, the average CAG's reading comprehension plummets and you get a two page flame about how you bought the wrong system or its not what N was going for. Makes me sick.

I completely completely agree with what you said about how so many on here will say "oh no, the graphics are fine" Guess what people, they're NOT! There are jaggies, there are crappy clunky muddy graphics on some Wii games. IMO component cables and an HDTV are still worth it though b/c the advantages of the HD improvement are outweighed by the detriment of the minor flaws being exaggerated. Now you have a HD jaggie instead of a muddy jaggie
 
That's exactly why I was so disappointed. Too many people were saying how AMAZING it looks with the component cables and when I hooked everything up and realize it DIDN'T look great, I'm already assuming something is wrong with my Wii or TV or component cables.
 
One of the curses of HDTV is that it lays bare all the flaws in an SD source -- and even HD sources if they are too compressed (chronic macroblocking of Comcast content has become de rigeur, for example). I've had an HD set for two years now, and I am maybe more forgiving of the kinds of flaws you see in the Wii's 480p signal. You do get used to it.
 
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