Go Vacation (NSP, XCI) ROM

Go Vacation is a 2011 party video game developed and released by Bandai Namco Games for the Wii and Nintendo Switch. It is the third game in the We Ski series and a spin-off to the prior two main titles. Up to four players can compete against each other in over 50 sport-based minigames that take place in four fictional island resorts. Minigames range from outdoor activities such as kayaking and horseback riding, to activities one might find in a city, like table hockey and minigolf.

Different resorts can be accessed using vehicles such as trolleys and bicycles. Players can customize the outfit of their avatar and decorate their house with furniture. The game’s development began in 2009 and lasted two and a half years. It was first announced at the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo as an entry in the We Ski series; the game was released later that year for the Wii.

The game was ported to the Nintendo Switch in 2018 and included new features such as the ability to take photographs. Surveys were held in America, Europe, and Japan to determine which sports and activities should be included in the minigames. Although the resorts were not directly based on real-life locations, producer Kobayashi said Hawaii was a possible influence for the Marine Resort. Go Vacation had a mixed reception; critics praised its multiplayer aspects and creativity but criticized its soundtrack, environments, controls, and the quality of the minigames. It was the third-best-selling game in Japan the week of its release, selling 47,209 copies.

GAMEPLAY

Go Vacation is a party and sports video game. Players explore four resorts located on the fictional Kawawii Island: Marine, City, Mountain, and Snow. They start the game in the Marine Resort. More than 50 activities, both competitive and cooperative, are available on the island. These include bungee jumping, ice fishing, scuba diving, miniature golf, tennis, off-road racing, and snowman building. Some minigames require or allow for the use of different controllers and accessories, such as the MotionPlus controller or the Balance Board.

Winning some minigames unlocks more challenging modes. The island can be navigated at the player’s leisure by walking or riding on vehicles, the type of which depends on the resort, and each resort also has certain places where players can fast travel. In the Switch version, players can find and take photographs of animals that are scattered across the resorts and find boxes with rewards in them.

The Marine Resort, which contains coves and beaches, is themed around watersports, including beach volleyball, surfing, water gun battles, and Marine bike races. The City Resort, which centers around extreme and leisure sports, is the second and smallest resort. It hosts games such as table hockey, pie-throwing, skating, and minigolf. Players can use skateboards found throughout the resort to ride on skating rails.

The third resort, the Snow Resort, focuses on winter sports like ski jumping, snow tubing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, and snowball fighting. The final resort is the Mountain Resort, where players can partake in outdoor activities. It includes forests and locations for rafting, kayaking, exploring, off-road car racing, and horseback riding. It also contains a lake and a shooting park.

Go Vacation can be played using a Mii or one of 284 avatars divided into eight categories such as “Grandmother”, “Grandfather”, “Boy”, and “Girl”. Treasure chests containing outfits for the players’ avatars are scattered around the resorts. Players can create a virtual dog and a non-player character (NPC) to accompany them as they explore the resorts which, with some exceptions, cannot participate in minigames. Up to four players can play together through local multiplayer. Occasionally, NPCs may ask players to embark upon a small quest, such as getting an item and taking it back to them.

After playing 20 minigames, players gain access to their virtual villas, which can be decorated with furniture or photographs taken during the game. Furniture can be found in the game’s world or unlocked using “silver keys” that are obtained after completing minigame goals. Furniture is gained in sets, of which there are 90. Players can alter the exterior of their villas using “gold keys”, earned by completing challenges.