Only in my dreams do I get to hang out on a yacht and scuba dive with a never ending oxygen supply while I photograph the sea creatures of the South Pacific. Such is life in Endless Ocean. I couldn't wait to get my hands on the latest Wii title, hoping that it would satisfy my childhood urge to be a Marine Biologist. It lived up to my expectations, but also gave me something I didn't expect.

Endless Ocean has many positives. It's beautiful — the detailing of the fish and coral reefs are very lifelike. It's educational — the more you pet, feed and interact with the fish, the more you learn about them. . .And there's a ton of species to find. It's free roaming — go anywhere you want, anytime. There are also no rules in this game.

Something I did not expect about this game is that it's oddly relaxing. Granted the soundtrack is a bit cheese with Enya-like tunes, but coming home, chilling out, checking out the sights of life under the ocean and completing a mission to hunt down hidden treasure turned out to be a stress reliever! After I put down the Wii remote, I had forgotten all about the daily grind. But unfortunately, all of that warm and fuzzy goodness couldn't hide the fact that it's bound to get a little boring. Once you discover all there is to see in the game, its replay value is low, and that's to say you even get that far. To see what I liked about it read more

The good news is that if you have children, this is one title that's sure to be a must have in your Wii library. Endless Ocean creates a fun learning environment that you can share with the kiddies on game night. All in all, it's a great stress diffuser for you, and an awesome learning tool for the kids that just might be worth the $30 price tag for that alone.
Endless Ocean is available now. Order online or in stores.