Dive below the surface of a serene ocean and explore your own little slice of paradise in Endless Ocean. Inviting you to take a relaxed trip through stunning seascapes and witness spectacular marine-life, Endless Ocean for Wii is like nothing you have ever experienced before.

As a Marine Correspondent with the Oceanic Research Society you are free to discover the wonders of the Manaurai Sea - an exotic diving location teeming with tropical fish and full to the brim with fascinating sights. As you journey through the waters off Manaurai Island you can choose to go on different diving missions; sharing your expertise of the vast underwater area with others, collecting valuable artifacts, taking photos of rare fish and much more.

Endless Ocean begins with you customising your own character before heading under the surface to be tutored in the basics of the game. From on-board a boat above the water, your friend and colleague will talk you through how to swim around and interact with the many forms of sea-life you will come across.

The fist thing that is likely to strike you about Endless Ocean is just how beautiful it looks. The depths have been recreated in painstaking detail – with everything from the ocean bed to the hull of your ship up above rendered with the greatest of attention to detail. Jaw dropping sights are never far away as you explore the waters of Manaurai Bay and bump into dozens of different species of fish.

The game puts the emphasis firmly on relaxation and, as you would expect, is very easy to control. Swimming can be done by simply holding the B Button on the Wii Remote and pointing it in the direction you wish to go. There’s even the option of activating an auto-swim function that just leaves it up to you to point your diver in the desired direction.

Getting to know more about the fish you encounter is equally simple. When you see a new kind of fish, just point the Wii Remote at it and press the A Button to interact with it. A hand icon will appear, giving you the option of prodding, rubbing or grabbing it. Interacting with a new fish you come across will cause information about it to appear in your Fish Log – a book recording all of the fish you have discovered underwater. The more time you spend interacting with fish, the more you will learn about them. 

Adding fish to your Fish Log is also a worthwhile pursuit because of the aquarium feature in Endless Ocean. This feature allows you to add any of the fish you have spotted to a huge virtual fish tank and then swim with them to your heart’s content.

Between diving sessions you’ll head back above water to your trusty boat, the Gabbiano. As well as transporting you from one diving location to the next, your boat acts as a hub from which you can perform a range of essential functions. Wandering around the deck you’ll be able to chat to your colleague, pick up diving tips from a notice board or just take a seat in a deck chair and watch the sun go down!

The deck is also home to a treasure chest of sorts that contains all the precious artifacts you have recovered from the sea-bed. These can be found on your dives by keeping a lookout for glittering lights on the ocean floor.

From the deck you’ll also be able to customise the game’s soundtrack by uploading your favourite music from an SD Card. Diving to your own selection of songs is a nice touch and compliments the atmospheric default soundtrack, which features music from New Zealand artist Hayley Westenra.

Stepping into the cabin area of your boat will present you with more neat features to explore, and acts as a point from which you can examine your Fish Log, look at photos you have taken underwater or customise your appearance. The cabin is also home to your PDA, which will be updated with emails telling you more about the bay area or inviting you to complete certain tasks.

These tasks could range from being asked to capture an underwater photo for a magazine cover to acting as a guide for someone who wants to see a particular kind of exotic fish. Completing tasks will earn you new diving gear and allow you to progress to new challenges. Whether you are accepting a task or just want to move to a new diving location, you can determine your next port of call from the cabin by looking at a map of Manaurai Bay. A more detailed version of the map will be revealed as you explore, making it easier for you to re-locate some of the spectacular sights you have come across in the depths – and some of them really are spectacular!

Your first sighting of a hammerhead shark or humpback whale as you weave your way through the rocks or skim over the ocean floor will genuinely take your breath away and leave you hungry to discover more. And you won’t be disappointed. Stunning sights await you on every dive, and new species emerge at different times of the day and during different seasons to keep you coming back to familiar areas again and again.

Your diving experience is made all the more enjoyable by some helpful tools that you will pick up as you go. Among them is the light pen – a handy piece of equipment that allows you to scrawl messages or signs underwater to lead you back to areas of particular interest. You’ll also be able to capture photos of your amazing sightings with your underwater camera and check them out later back on your boat.

Another fun feature in Endless Ocean is the ability to befriend certain animals that will eventually act as your partners when you go diving. By getting to know a friendly dolphin, for example, you can enjoy watching it perform tricks at the side of your boat or have it by your side as you go exploring.

And if it’s human company you want underwater, then that’s an option too thanks to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Connecting with a friend over the Internet and going diving together is a clever feature that makes it easy for you to share your own discoveries and marvel at the sights your friend might lead you to. You can communicate with your diving buddy by pressing the +Control Pad on the Wii Remote to activate preset phrases or spell something out for them with the light pen tool.

Endless Ocean really is a unique experience that invites you to go at your own pace and simply enjoy the wonder of discovery and exploration. And with so much to see, plunging into the depths is a joy that will keep you coming back for more and leave you feeling thoroughly relaxed.

Dive into Endless Ocean and prepare to experience an adventure like no other. There’s a whole world waiting to be discovered just beneath the surface.

Discover the game at the official Touch! Generations website.