Endless Ocean

Last updated

Endless Ocean
Endless Ocean Coverart.png
North American cover art
Developer(s) Arika
Publisher(s) Nintendo
Director(s) Akira Kurabayashi
Masaki Tawara
Producer(s) Ichiro Mihara
Hitoshi Yamagami
Platform(s) Wii
Release
  • JP: August 2, 2007
  • EU: November 9, 2007 [1]
  • AU: January 17, 2008
  • NA: January 21, 2008 [2]
Genre(s) Adventure
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Endless Ocean (known as Forever Blue in Japanese) is a scuba diving adventure game for the Wii. [3] It is published by Nintendo and developed by Arika, who also worked on its spiritual predecessor Everblue , another scuba diving adventure game. It was released in Japan on August 2, 2007, Europe on November 9, 2007, and North America on January 21, 2008, after originally being scheduled for release in October 2007.

Contents

A sequel, Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep was released in Japan on September 17, 2009, Europe on February 5, 2010, and North America on February 22, 2010, under the name Endless Ocean: Blue World. [4] [5] Another sequel, Endless Ocean: Luminous will release on the Nintendo Switch in all regions on May 2nd, 2024. [6]

Gameplay and plot

In Endless Ocean, the player plays as a scuba diver exploring the Manaurai sea, [Note 1] a fictional sea in the South Pacific, in search of sea life and sunken treasure [7] under the guidance of their assistant, Katherine Sunday. [8] In the sea, they will encounter several marine species, ranging from smaller fish and penguins to whale sharks, manta rays and sperm whales, as well as dolphins and other cetaceans that can be trained to perform certain behaviors and become companions. Species such as sharks are also present; however, they pose no threat to the player. The player also has access to a large aquarium, which they can populate with species they have identified. The sea's various locations provide a means for the player to experience diving, cave diving, deep-water trench exploration, wreck diving, and other activities that might not otherwise be possible in a single real-world setting.

Late in the game, Katherine tells the player that in the past, her father set out in search of a unique whale called the White Mother, but never returned. The player and Katherine set out to find the White Mother, which entails seeking out the four types of whales present in the game, humpback whale, North Atlantic right whale, sperm whale, and blue whale, and placing motion sensors on different points of the map. Eventually, one of the sensors is set off, and the player witnesses the White Mother, a large albino blue whale, as Katherine remembers her father.

Music

Early Forever Blue screenshot montage Foreverblue.jpeg
Early Forever Blue screenshot montage

The song "Prayer", composed by Secret Garden and performed by Hayley Westenra, is featured in the game and its trailers. Westenra also contributes several other songs, including a rendition of the Maori folk song "Pokarekare Ana". [9] Players can transfer their MP3 music files to an SD card and listen to them while playing. [10] Endless Ocean is the second game on the Wii to use this feature, the first being Excite Truck .

Soundtrack

Reception

The game received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. [11] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 10/10, 8/10, 9/10, and 8/10 for a total of 35 out of 40, praising the open-ended exploration aspect of the game, the scale of the play area and its soundtrack. [15] [24]

Endless Ocean had sold at least 50,000 copies in Japan. [25]

Technical issues

On August 10, 2007, Nintendo issued a product recall in Japan after a major bug was found in copies of the game, [26] later re-releasing the game in Japan with the bug removed. The bug caused the screen to go blank and caused the console to freeze when the player put one or more bowmouth guitarfish into the aquarium, which did not affect the exploration mode.

Sequels

A sequel, Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep was released in Japan under the name Forever Blue: Call of the Ocean on September 17, 2009, and in Europe on February 5, 2010. It was released in North America on February 22, 2010, under the name Endless Ocean: Blue World. [4] [5]

Another entry, Endless Ocean Luminous, was announced on February 21, 2024, and will be released on Nintendo Switch on May 2, 2024. [27]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The sea is called Manaurai in the European version, but is called "Manoa Lai" in the US release.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shigeru Miyamoto</span> Japanese video game designer (born 1952)

Shigeru Miyamoto is a Japanese video game designer, producer and game director at Nintendo, where he serves as one of its representative directors as an executive since 2002. Widely regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential designers in video games, he is the creator of some of the most acclaimed and best-selling game franchises of all time, including Mario,The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, Star Fox and Pikmin. More than 1 billion copies of games featuring franchises created by Miyamoto have been sold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wii</span> Home video game console by Nintendo

The Wii is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006 in North America, and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, following the GameCube and is a seventh-generation console alongside Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3.

<i>Pokémon</i> (video game series) Japanese video game series

Pokémon is a series of video games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company under the Pokémon media franchise. It was created by Satoshi Tajiri with assistance from Ken Sugimori, the first games, Pocket Monsters Red and Green, were released in 1996 in Japan for the Game Boy, later released outside of Japan as Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version. The main series of role-playing video games (RPGs), referred as the "core series" by their developers, has continued on each generation of Nintendo's handhelds. The most recently released core series games, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, were released on November 18, 2022, for the Nintendo Switch.

<i>StarTropics</i> 1990 video game

StarTropics is a 1990 action-adventure video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Unlike most of Nintendo's games, it was never released or intended to be released in Japan, and was released only in North America and Europe. It was produced, written and directed by Genyo Takeda of Nintendo Integrated Research & Development, who also developed the Punch-Out!! series. StarTropics was followed by a sequel, Zoda's Revenge: StarTropics II, which was released in 1994.

The Virtual Console is a defunct line of downloadable video games for Nintendo's Wii and Wii U home video game consoles and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.

<i>Super Mario Galaxy</i> 2007 video game

Super Mario Galaxy is a 2007 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the third 3D game in the Super Mario series. As Mario, the player embarks on a quest to rescue Princess Peach, save the universe from Bowser, and collect 120 Power Stars, after which the player can play the game as Luigi for a more difficult experience. The levels consist of galaxies filled with minor planets and worlds, with different variations of gravity, the central element of gameplay. The player character is controlled using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk and completes missions, fights bosses, and reaches certain areas to collect Power Stars. Certain levels use the motion-based Wii Remote functions.

<i>Wii Sports</i> 2006 sports video game published by Nintendo

Wii Sports is a 2006 sports simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. The game was released in North America along with the Wii on November 19, 2006, and in Japan, Australia, and Europe the following month. It was included as a pack-in game with the console in all territories except Japan, making it the first sports game included with the launch of a Nintendo system since Mario's Tennis for the Virtual Boy in 1995. The game was later released on its own as part of the Nintendo Selects collection of games.

<i>Super Paper Mario</i> 2007 video game

Super Paper Mario is a 2007 action role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the third installment in the Paper Mario series and the first Mario game on the Wii. The game follows Mario, Peach, Bowser, and Luigi as they attempt to collect Pure Hearts and stop Count Bleck and his minions from destroying the universe.

<i>WarioWare: Smooth Moves</i> 2006 video game

WarioWare: Smooth Moves is a party video game developed by Nintendo SPD and Intelligent Systems. The game was published by Nintendo for its Wii video game system in Japan in December 2006, and in Europe, North America, and Australia in January 2007. It is the fifth game in the WarioWare series of games, and the only game in the series to be physically released for the Wii. Like its predecessors, WarioWare: Smooth Moves is built around a collection of microgames that last about five seconds each, and which require that the player hold the Wii Remote in specific positions. The game offers the microgames to the player in rapid succession, by first instructing the player to hold the Wii Remote in a specific manner, and then showing them the microgame. The microgames are divided into several stages, each of which loosely connects the microgames with the help of a story. Additionally, this was the first spin-off Mario game to be released for the console.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wii Remote</span> Primary game controller for the Nintendo Wii

The Wii Remote, also known colloquially as the Wiimote, is the primary game controller for Nintendo's Wii home video game console. An essential capability of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via motion sensing, gesture recognition, and pointing using an accelerometer and optical sensor technology. It is expandable by adding attachments. The attachment bundled with the Wii console is the Nunchuk, which complements the Wii Remote by providing functions similar to those in gamepad controllers. Some other attachments include the Classic Controller, Wii Zapper, and the Wii Wheel, which was originally released with the racing game, Mario Kart Wii.

Arika is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. It was formed in 1995 by former Capcom employees. It was originally known as ARMtech K.K, but was later named Arika. The name of the company is the reverse of the name of the company's founder, Akira Nishitani, who along with Akira Yasuda, created Street Fighter II. Arika's first game was Street Fighter EX. It was successful and was followed up with two updates, and its two sequels Street Fighter EX2 and Street Fighter EX3. In 2018, they released a spiritual successor to both Street Fighter EX and Fighting Layer, titled Fighting EX Layer. From 2019 to 2021, Arika collaborated with Nintendo to create the battle royale games Tetris 99, Super Mario Bros. 35, and with Bandai Namco for Pac-Man 99. Arika is also known for the Tetris: The Grand Master series, the Dr. Mario series, starting with Dr. Mario Online Rx, and the Endless Ocean series.

<i>Wii Play</i> 2006 party video game published by Nintendo

Wii Play is a party video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii console. It was released as a launch game for the console in Japan, Europe, and Australia in December 2006, and was released in North America in February 2007. The game features nine minigames, including a Duck Hunt-esque shooting range, a fishing game, and a billiards game, each of which are designed to showcase the features of the Wii Remote controller.

<i>Everblue 2</i> 2002 video game

Everblue 2 is a scuba diving adventure game. It is the sequel to the game Everblue. Arika, the developers of both games, followed it with the spiritual sequel Endless Ocean, for the Wii.

<i>Mario Kart Wii</i> 2008 video game

Mario Kart Wii is a 2008 kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the sixth installment in the Mario Kart series, and was released in April 2008. Like its previous installments, Mario Kart Wii incorporates playable characters from the Mario series, who participate in races on 32 different race tracks using specialized items to hinder opponents or gain advantages. The game features multiple single-player and multiplayer game modes including two- to four-person split screen. Online multiplayer was supported until the discontinuation of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection in May 2014. Mario Kart Wii uses the Wii Remote's motion-controls to provide intuitive and conventional steering controls. Each copy of the game was bundled with the Wii Wheel accessory to augment this feature and mimic a steering wheel.

<i>Wii Fit</i> 2007 exergaming video game published by Nintendo

Wii Fit is a 2007 exergaming video game designed by Nintendo's Hiroshi Matsunaga for the Wii home video game console, featuring a variety of yoga, strength training, aerobics, and balance mini-games for use with the Wii Balance Board peripheral. Matsunaga described the game as a "way to help get families exercising together". It has since been adopted by various health clubs around the world, and has previously been used for physiotherapy rehabilitation in children and in nursing homes to improve posture in the elderly.

<i>Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep</i> 2009 video game

Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep, also known in North America as Endless Ocean: Blue World and Japan as Forever Blue: Call of the Ocean, is a scuba diving video game for the Wii and a sequel to Endless Ocean. It was first revealed at a Nintendo conference held on October 2, 2008. It was released in Japan in September 2009 and in February 2010 elsewhere. The game was released as part of the Touch! Generations series of games in Europe.

<i>Rhythm Heaven Fever</i> 2011 video game

Rhythm Heaven Fever, known in both the PAL regions as Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise, Minna No Rhythm Tengoku in Japan and Rhythm World Wii in Korea, is a music video game developed by Nintendo and TNX for Nintendo's Wii. It is the third game in the Rhythm Heaven series, following Rhythm Tengoku for the Game Boy Advance and Rhythm Heaven for the Nintendo DS, and was succeeded by Rhythm Heaven Megamix for the Nintendo 3DS in 2016. The game was released in Japan on July 21, 2011, in North America on February 13, 2012, in Europe on July 6, 2012, and in Australia on September 13, 2012. It was digitally re-released for the Wii U in Japan on July 27, 2016, in North America on November 10, 2016, and in Europe on November 22, 2016.

<i>Endless Ocean Luminous</i> Upcoming 2024 video game

Endless Ocean Luminous is an upcoming adventure simulation game developed by Arika and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. As the third game in the Endless Ocean series, Luminous marks the first installment since 2009's Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep for the Wii.

References

  1. ↑ rawmeatcowboy (August 21, 2007). "Official European dates for Super Mario Galaxy, Endless Ocean, Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles". GoNintendo. Archived from the original on August 14, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  2. ↑ rawmeatcowboy (September 23, 2007). "Nintendo updates release list - Endless Ocean bumped to 08, and more". GoNintendo. Archived from the original on August 14, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  3. 1 2 Juba, Joe (January 2008). "Endless Ocean". Game Informer . No. 177. p. 95. Archived from the original on January 12, 2008. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep (Wii) News, Reviews, Trailer & Screenshots". Nintendo Life . Archived from the original on December 30, 2012. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  5. 1 2 Bailey, Kat (October 1, 2008). "Nintendo Reveals Punch-Out!! Wii, Sin and Punishment 2, And More". 1UP.com . Archived from the original on July 1, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  6. ↑ Endless Ocean Luminous - Announcement Trailer - Nintendo Switch . Retrieved April 9, 2024– via www.youtube.com.
  7. ↑ Gantayat, Anoop (August 2, 2007). "Endless Ocean Playtest". IGN . Archived from the original on August 20, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  8. ↑ In the US release, the assistant's name is spelled "Katherine" (sometimes called “Kat”).Walker, Torrey (January 24, 2008). "Endless Ocean". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on June 3, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  9. ↑ しおのれ (August 1, 2007). "[Wii] Endless Ocean JPN - Play movie". YouTube. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Forever Blue: plus d'images". JeuxFrance. July 5, 2007. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved July 13, 2007.
  11. 1 2 "Endless Ocean for Wii Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on October 12, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  12. ↑ Concelmo, Chad (January 22, 2008). "Destructoid review: Endless Ocean". Destructoid . Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  13. ↑ Edge staff (January 2008). "Endless Ocean". Edge . No. 184. p. 88.
  14. ↑ Welsh, Oli (November 22, 2007). "Endless Ocean". Eurogamer . Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  15. 1 2 "New Endless Ocean(aka Forever Blue) video, New Age music confirmed - Oct 29 release!". NeoGAF. July 11, 2007. Archived from the original on August 8, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  16. ↑ Melick, Todd (February 2008). "Review: Endless Ocean". GamePro . p. 84. Archived from the original on February 16, 2008. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  17. ↑ Thomas, Aaron (January 29, 2008). "Endless Ocean Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on September 15, 2015. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Endless Ocean Review". GameTrailers. February 5, 2008. Archived from the original on February 10, 2008. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  19. ↑ Nicksarlian, Greg (February 11, 2008). "Endless Ocean - WII - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on February 21, 2009. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  20. ↑ Kolan, Patrick (January 15, 2008). "Endless Ocean AU Review". IGN. Archived from the original on May 21, 2014. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  21. ↑ Casamassina, Matt (January 22, 2008). "Endless Ocean Review". IGN. Archived from the original on August 20, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  22. ↑ "Endless Ocean". Nintendo Power . Vol. 225. February 2008. p. 87.
  23. ↑ Dahlen, Chris (January 27, 2008). "Endless Ocean". The A.V. Club . Archived from the original on January 31, 2008. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  24. ↑ Jackson, Mike (July 26, 2007). "Forever Blue a Wii sleeper hit?". Computer and Video Games . Archived from the original on December 2, 2014. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  25. ↑ "Media Create Sales: 09/22 - 09/28 (Software)". Chart Get!. October 1, 2008. Archived from the original on February 11, 2009. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  26. ↑ ""Forever Blue" recall!". Feet Over Head. May 10, 2008. Archived from the original on May 10, 2008. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
  27. ↑ Robinson, Andy (February 21, 2024). "Endless Ocean is coming to Nintendo Switch with support for 30-players". Video Games Chronicle . Retrieved February 21, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.