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This thread has been linked to the game 'Pilotwings Resort'.
Pilotwings is a real classic. The poster boy for the SNES' Mode 7, this pseudo-3D flight sim is still as enjoyable as it was in '92. For it's time though, the sensation of soaring through a simulated sky was a remarkable experience for all who played it. It is perhaps to be expected then, that after taking off in 2009 on the Wii's Virtual Console, Pilotwings has landed on the new 3DS. The difference of course, is that instead of the floor-tilting effects of Mode 7, these wings are piloted in true 3D. What follows is a game which; although not without it's niggles; makes a thrilling introduction to Nintendo's new high-flying handheld.
Upon starting the game and joining the Sky Club, you are swiftly acquainted to the three aircraft that you'll be piloting during the game. There's the aeroplane, hang glider and old fan favourite; the Rocket Belt. Each aircraft is playable with ease, using the circle pad to control the craft whilst the face buttons brake and accelerate accordingly. It's uncomplicated, and immediately gives a wonderful feeling of the 3D depth on offer. Even in the tutorial you'll be swooping and landing, passing by mountains and over the sea. It all looks polished and suitably show-off; and even if you choose to play without 3D, the quality of textures and graphics are high.
You'll soon find yourself on the game's main menu, and the two main modes become available. The first of these, 'Mission Mode', makes up the mainstay of your time on Wuhu (yes, it's the same place from Wii Sports Resort). Here a collection of around 40 missions are split into sections from Bronze to Platinum. There you can choose from differing missions, each utilizing a different aircraft, and begin working towards the maximum score. Missions are varied and always fresh; from passing rings and landing planes, to dousing fires and shooting targets. Later levels are particularly challenging, with getting any better than a 1-star rating a challenge few will meet with ease. Still, there's an unhurried tone to a number of missions, and things such as gliding through the island at sunset are notably relaxing levels to play.
Try to master each mission though, and even the most unwinding of levels becomes a rampant hunt for scores. Each mission is scored on a number of factors; focused on things such as time and accuracy. Beating the mission may you earn you two stars, but going for all three is no easy task. Even then, mastering a mission takes more than just gaining 3 stars; with only 100% perfect scores lining the stars in a proud, red lining. Attempting this challenge is the true goal of Mission Mode, a task which, in later levels, is reserved for only the most skilled players. The key, of course, is knowing where points are being awarded, and practising daily until you can conquer them. There's more though; as points are also deducted for sloppy flying; so landing badly or losing fuel is not going to get you far. Even so, high-score loving masochists will find plenty here to have 'one more try' at for countless hours.
This is most definitely the game's linchpin, as other than the urge to perfect the missions, the game could be seen as criminally short. Mission Mode can be comfortably beaten in only 2-3 hours, albeit with only 1-star ratings. This is where the other main mode comes in, the perhaps obligatory 'Free Flight' mode. Here you can select any craft in the game, and take to the skies with no obligations. Flights are initially timed at 2 minutes, though collecting balloons around the island can more than double this limit. Other than this, Free Flight mode is self explanatory; the island is yours to fly across and dizzy yourself with height and spins. It is also vital for practising missions; with unlockable craft like the turbo-jet being somewhat hard to control at first. There's also an amount of scattered collectibles; such as 'info points' giving snappy descriptions of the island's many landmarks. Collect enough, and you will unlock small 3D dioramas of the aircraft and locations in the game. That said, the real incentive with Free Flight mode is to simply sit back and catch some thermals, enjoying the simple feeling of flying.
Pilotwings Resort is thus relaxing and exciting, depending on how much you desire to compete with the increasing difficulty of missions. Either way though, the game exerts a feeling of fun which makes it impossible not to like. It may not be bursting with content and length, yet it makes up for it with replay value and approachable, guileless gameplay. For 3DS owners, Pilotwings Resort makes for a solid launch title, showing off the system's hook while remaining smooth and fun to play. It's minimal content may not take off for everyone, but this heritage-rich 3D flight sim is more than worth taking for a flight.
8/10
Upon starting the game and joining the Sky Club, you are swiftly acquainted to the three aircraft that you'll be piloting during the game. There's the aeroplane, hang glider and old fan favourite; the Rocket Belt. Each aircraft is playable with ease, using the circle pad to control the craft whilst the face buttons brake and accelerate accordingly. It's uncomplicated, and immediately gives a wonderful feeling of the 3D depth on offer. Even in the tutorial you'll be swooping and landing, passing by mountains and over the sea. It all looks polished and suitably show-off; and even if you choose to play without 3D, the quality of textures and graphics are high.
You'll soon find yourself on the game's main menu, and the two main modes become available. The first of these, 'Mission Mode', makes up the mainstay of your time on Wuhu (yes, it's the same place from Wii Sports Resort). Here a collection of around 40 missions are split into sections from Bronze to Platinum. There you can choose from differing missions, each utilizing a different aircraft, and begin working towards the maximum score. Missions are varied and always fresh; from passing rings and landing planes, to dousing fires and shooting targets. Later levels are particularly challenging, with getting any better than a 1-star rating a challenge few will meet with ease. Still, there's an unhurried tone to a number of missions, and things such as gliding through the island at sunset are notably relaxing levels to play.
Try to master each mission though, and even the most unwinding of levels becomes a rampant hunt for scores. Each mission is scored on a number of factors; focused on things such as time and accuracy. Beating the mission may you earn you two stars, but going for all three is no easy task. Even then, mastering a mission takes more than just gaining 3 stars; with only 100% perfect scores lining the stars in a proud, red lining. Attempting this challenge is the true goal of Mission Mode, a task which, in later levels, is reserved for only the most skilled players. The key, of course, is knowing where points are being awarded, and practising daily until you can conquer them. There's more though; as points are also deducted for sloppy flying; so landing badly or losing fuel is not going to get you far. Even so, high-score loving masochists will find plenty here to have 'one more try' at for countless hours.
This is most definitely the game's linchpin, as other than the urge to perfect the missions, the game could be seen as criminally short. Mission Mode can be comfortably beaten in only 2-3 hours, albeit with only 1-star ratings. This is where the other main mode comes in, the perhaps obligatory 'Free Flight' mode. Here you can select any craft in the game, and take to the skies with no obligations. Flights are initially timed at 2 minutes, though collecting balloons around the island can more than double this limit. Other than this, Free Flight mode is self explanatory; the island is yours to fly across and dizzy yourself with height and spins. It is also vital for practising missions; with unlockable craft like the turbo-jet being somewhat hard to control at first. There's also an amount of scattered collectibles; such as 'info points' giving snappy descriptions of the island's many landmarks. Collect enough, and you will unlock small 3D dioramas of the aircraft and locations in the game. That said, the real incentive with Free Flight mode is to simply sit back and catch some thermals, enjoying the simple feeling of flying.
Pilotwings Resort is thus relaxing and exciting, depending on how much you desire to compete with the increasing difficulty of missions. Either way though, the game exerts a feeling of fun which makes it impossible not to like. It may not be bursting with content and length, yet it makes up for it with replay value and approachable, guileless gameplay. For 3DS owners, Pilotwings Resort makes for a solid launch title, showing off the system's hook while remaining smooth and fun to play. It's minimal content may not take off for everyone, but this heritage-rich 3D flight sim is more than worth taking for a flight.
8/10
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Pilotwings is a real classic. The poster boy for the SNES' Mode 7, this pseudo-3D flight sim is still as enjoyable as it was in '92. For it's time though, the sensation of soaring through a simulated sky was a remarkable experience for all who played it. It is perhaps to be expected then, that after taking off in 2009 on the Wii's Virtual Console, Pilotwings has landed on the new 3DS. The difference of course, is that instead of the floor-tilting effects of Mode 7, these wings are piloted in true 3D. What follows is a game which; although not without it's niggles; makes a thrilling introduction to Nintendo's new high-flying handheld.
Upon starting the game and joining the Sky Club, you are swiftly acquainted to the three aircraft that you'll be piloting during the game. There's the aeroplane, hang glider and old fan favourite; the Rocket Belt. Each aircraft is playable with ease, using the circle pad to control the craft whilst the face buttons brake and accelerate accordingly. It's uncomplicated, and immediately gives a wonderful feeling of the 3D depth on offer. Even in the tutorial you'll be swooping and landing, passing by mountains and over the sea. It all looks polished and suitably show-off; and even if you choose to play without 3D, the quality of textures and graphics are high.
You'll soon find yourself on the game's main menu, and the two main modes become available. The first of these, 'Mission Mode', makes up the mainstay of your time on Wuhu (yes, it's the same place from Wii Sports Resort). Here a collection of around 40 missions are split into sections from Bronze to Platinum. There you can choose from differing missions, each utilizing a different aircraft, and begin working towards the maximum score. Missions are varied and always fresh; from passing rings and landing planes, to dousing fires and shooting targets. Later levels are particularly challenging, with getting any better than a 1-star rating a challenge few will meet with ease. Still, there's an unhurried tone to a number of missions, and things such as gliding through the island at sunset are notably relaxing levels to play.
Try to master each mission though, and even the most unwinding of levels becomes a rampant hunt for scores. Each mission is scored on a number of factors; focused on things such as time and accuracy. Beating the mission may you earn you two stars, but going for all three is no easy task. Even then, mastering a mission takes more than just gaining 3 stars; with only 100% perfect scores lining the stars in a proud, red lining. Attempting this challenge is the true goal of Mission Mode, a task which, in later levels, is reserved for only the most skilled players. The key, of course, is knowing where points are being awarded, and practising daily until you can conquer them. There's more though; as points are also deducted for sloppy flying; so landing badly or losing fuel is not going to get you far. Even so, high-score loving masochists will find plenty here to have 'one more try' at for countless hours.
This is most definitely the game's linchpin, as other than the urge to perfect the missions, the game could be seen as criminally short. Mission Mode can be comfortably beaten in only 2-3 hours, albeit with only 1-star ratings. This is where the other main mode comes in, the perhaps obligatory 'Free Flight' mode. Here you can select any craft in the game, and take to the skies with no obligations. Flights are initially timed at 2 minutes, though collecting balloons around the island can more than double this limit. Other than this, Free Flight mode is self explanatory; the island is yours to fly across and dizzy yourself with height and spins. It is also vital for practising missions; with unlockable craft like the turbo-jet being somewhat hard to control at first. There's also an amount of scattered collectibles; such as 'info points' giving snappy descriptions of the island's many landmarks. Collect enough, and you will unlock small 3D dioramas of the aircraft and locations in the game. That said, the real incentive with Free Flight mode is to simply sit back and catch some thermals, enjoying the simple feeling of flying.
Pilotwings Resort is thus relaxing and exciting, depending on how much you desire to compete with the increasing difficulty of missions. Either way though, the game exerts a feeling of fun which makes it impossible not to like. It may not be bursting with content and length, yet it makes up for it with replay value and approachable, guileless gameplay. For 3DS owners, Pilotwings Resort makes for a solid launch title, showing off the system's hook while remaining smooth and fun to play. It's minimal content may not take off for everyone, but this heritage-rich 3D flight sim is more than worth taking for a flight.
8/10
Upon starting the game and joining the Sky Club, you are swiftly acquainted to the three aircraft that you'll be piloting during the game. There's the aeroplane, hang glider and old fan favourite; the Rocket Belt. Each aircraft is playable with ease, using the circle pad to control the craft whilst the face buttons brake and accelerate accordingly. It's uncomplicated, and immediately gives a wonderful feeling of the 3D depth on offer. Even in the tutorial you'll be swooping and landing, passing by mountains and over the sea. It all looks polished and suitably show-off; and even if you choose to play without 3D, the quality of textures and graphics are high.
You'll soon find yourself on the game's main menu, and the two main modes become available. The first of these, 'Mission Mode', makes up the mainstay of your time on Wuhu (yes, it's the same place from Wii Sports Resort). Here a collection of around 40 missions are split into sections from Bronze to Platinum. There you can choose from differing missions, each utilizing a different aircraft, and begin working towards the maximum score. Missions are varied and always fresh; from passing rings and landing planes, to dousing fires and shooting targets. Later levels are particularly challenging, with getting any better than a 1-star rating a challenge few will meet with ease. Still, there's an unhurried tone to a number of missions, and things such as gliding through the island at sunset are notably relaxing levels to play.
Try to master each mission though, and even the most unwinding of levels becomes a rampant hunt for scores. Each mission is scored on a number of factors; focused on things such as time and accuracy. Beating the mission may you earn you two stars, but going for all three is no easy task. Even then, mastering a mission takes more than just gaining 3 stars; with only 100% perfect scores lining the stars in a proud, red lining. Attempting this challenge is the true goal of Mission Mode, a task which, in later levels, is reserved for only the most skilled players. The key, of course, is knowing where points are being awarded, and practising daily until you can conquer them. There's more though; as points are also deducted for sloppy flying; so landing badly or losing fuel is not going to get you far. Even so, high-score loving masochists will find plenty here to have 'one more try' at for countless hours.
This is most definitely the game's linchpin, as other than the urge to perfect the missions, the game could be seen as criminally short. Mission Mode can be comfortably beaten in only 2-3 hours, albeit with only 1-star ratings. This is where the other main mode comes in, the perhaps obligatory 'Free Flight' mode. Here you can select any craft in the game, and take to the skies with no obligations. Flights are initially timed at 2 minutes, though collecting balloons around the island can more than double this limit. Other than this, Free Flight mode is self explanatory; the island is yours to fly across and dizzy yourself with height and spins. It is also vital for practising missions; with unlockable craft like the turbo-jet being somewhat hard to control at first. There's also an amount of scattered collectibles; such as 'info points' giving snappy descriptions of the island's many landmarks. Collect enough, and you will unlock small 3D dioramas of the aircraft and locations in the game. That said, the real incentive with Free Flight mode is to simply sit back and catch some thermals, enjoying the simple feeling of flying.
Pilotwings Resort is thus relaxing and exciting, depending on how much you desire to compete with the increasing difficulty of missions. Either way though, the game exerts a feeling of fun which makes it impossible not to like. It may not be bursting with content and length, yet it makes up for it with replay value and approachable, guileless gameplay. For 3DS owners, Pilotwings Resort makes for a solid launch title, showing off the system's hook while remaining smooth and fun to play. It's minimal content may not take off for everyone, but this heritage-rich 3D flight sim is more than worth taking for a flight.
8/10