Graphic by Destiny Mizell
Story by Grace Howland
Many enjoy playing “Wii Sports Resort” and others enjoy games in the exploration genre. Now the two can come together and play “Go Vacation,” a sports and party game developed by Namco Bandai Games for the “Nintendo Wii” and the “Nintendo Switch.”
The game was released back in 2011 for the Wii, and it is the third game in the “We Ski” series. “Go Vacation” was later released for the Switch in 2018.
This is the only one in the series that I have played, but it was one of my favorite Wii games growing up. This game feels like an extension of the first two games, “We Ski” and “We Ski & Snowboard,” as you get to participate in more sports and explore more locations.
Gameplay
The gameplay of the Wii and Switch versions are fairly similar. The Wii version relies more on motion controls than the Switch version, but motion controls are included in the Switch version as well. The Switch version also added missions, more dogs and more furniture to put in your villa. Because of my love for the game, I ended up getting both versions of it and they are both a wonderful time.
You can either pick one of the game’s avatars or your Mii, which is an avatar you can create for various Nintendo consoles. You can even create a dog and other party members and bring them with you. You can either play the game in single player or multiplayer mode.
In the story mode, you travel to an island called Kawawii Island. As you progress through the game, you get to visit five resorts in this order: the Marine Resort, the City Resort, the Snow Resort, the Mountain Resort and the Villa Grounds.
The Marine Resort is a beachy resort where the ocean is shaped like “Pac-Man.” You can partake in mini games such as marine bike racing and skydiving.
The City Resort revolves around recreational activities, such as table tennis and skateboarding.
The Snow Resort takes place on a giant mountain and is actually the setting of the “We Ski” games. While there are skiing mini games, there are other winter-related games such as snowman building and snowball fights.
The Mountain Resort is based off the countryside. The game allows you to partake in mini games such as kayaking and horseback riding.
The resorts have daytime, dusk and nighttime modes depending on which resort you are in. To unlock each resort, you have to play a variety of mini games that are similar in fashion to “Wii Sports Resort.”
Both games have sporty mini games, but they differ from each other. “Go Vacation” bases the mini games off of what resort you are in, while “Wii Sports Resort” takes place on Wuhu Island, which is a summery island. “Go Vacation’s” mini games can also be played outside the story mode.
When you are not playing mini games, you can explore each resort at your leisure. You can interact with many people, ride on boats, trains and airplanes, find treasure chests, take photos at photo spots and more.
As I had mentioned, the Switch version added a few things that the Wii version does not have. A few of these include taking photos of random animals for an animal photo book and completing daily objectives.
My Thoughts
This game spawned my love for exploration and adventure games. It holds a special place in my heart since I grew up playing it. Even after completing the story mode, I love to come back to the game and run around each resort. My sister and I used to spend more time wandering the resorts as opposed to playing mini games.
The mini games are unique and fun to play, but after I finished the story mode, I spent a lot of the time exploring every nook and cranny of each resort. It was always super fun to find places and treasure chests that I had not discovered before.
The game also has plenty of references to other Namco games such as “Pac-Man.”
If you are looking for a game with both an energetic and cozy feeling, I would highly recommend checking out “Go Vacation.” This game makes me wish that Kawawii Island was a real vacation spot.
To contact Lifestyles Editor Destiny Mizell, email lifestyles@mtsusidelines.com. For more news, visit www.mtsusidelines.com, or follow us on Facebook at MTSU Sidelines or on Twitter at @Sidelines_News.
