Then we have Pilotwings Resort: the third iteration in a series last seen on the launch of the Nintendo 64. Like its predecessors it clearly seems like a game meant to show what's possible with the console's new features. The previous games were much more than mere showcases of new tech. In their time they both offered unique gameplay made viable by the technology in their respective consoles. This time, though, it's not Mode 7-style rendering or a new analogue stick that's the main event; it's instead glasses-free stereoscopic 3D. On a handheld console, no less. Unlike the hardware advancements presented on the SNES or on the Nintendo 64, the 3D effect provided by the 3DS has a much more subtle impact on the actual gameplay. Some people will even argue that it has none at all. There is nevertheless a definite impact, however small (apparently it simply is not perceptible by all). When playing the game, the 3D effect gives a better understanding of the character's position in relation to their surroundings. It will be easier to see just how close the hang-glider is to the mountainside, and sometimes that added effect can actually affect the score achieved in a mission. If and when it does so, the resulting feeling is immensely satisfying. It is too bad that people's mileage will vary.
As for the game itself: it's Pilotwings. Take control of a range of different aircraft while completing missions or simply exploring Wuhu Island. The aircraft people will spend most of their time with are the plane, hang-glider and a rocket belt. Controlling them seems deceptively easy at first, as they are usually steered with just a couple of buttons and the circle pad. Yet they all behave very differently. Getting intimately acquainted with each of them to anticipate how they will respond in any given situation is the main challenge of the game. As the later missions require extreme precision, you will be making minuscule adjustments to the path of your aircraft while hoping it does what you want it to do.
Like its older brother on the Nintendo 64, the game's structure is very basic. There's only two modes: Mission and Free Flight. The missions are divided up into 5 classes, where you start with only the easiest and have to unlock the later ones. Usual objectives are to fly through rings, land on pads mid-air or take photos of the local lighthouse. Every fourth mission or so lets you control a different vehicle to spice things up, but all too soon you are back to flying through hoops in your usual three aircraft. The missions give you one, two or three stars depending on how well you performed. To get the highest possible score you need to complete the mission as fast as you can, hit bonus targets spread around the course, use as little fuel as possible, avoid everything not shiny and land as gently as possible. A lot to focus on when the timer in the corner of the screen raises your stress level with every passing second.
Free Flight mode is thankfully a little more complex than it might sound. Rather than flying aimlessly around the island until your battery dies, you have specific objects to collect, and a limited amount of time to do so. Scattered around the island are balloons and information capsules for you to find. Certain balloons can only be collected by a certain vehicle. So while jumping around in your rocket belt, you might come across an opaque balloon you have to return to with your hang-glider. There are also stunt rings which you have to fly through to collect. Collecting enough of the different objects will grant you dioramas to look at, or more time to explore the next time you enter the mode. And that time is greatly needed, as you start out with a measly two minutes to fly about.
That's the modes in a nutshell. It's too bad there's little more to them outside of said shell. Ploughing through the missions can take as little as a couple of hours. Add an hour if you want to perfect the scores. Completing the entirety of Free Flight mode can be done in even less time. Doing the latter is much less appealing, however. Before soon, all that is left is a handful of white balloons on the entire island, without a hint as to their whereabouts. So to find them, be prepared to roam around in the most exploration-suited vehicle available (the plane) until the timer runs out. Repeat until one is found, upon which there will be a 66 percent chance that the whole ordeal must be restarted with a different vehicle to actually collect the balloon.
The game's strengths lie outside of its overall structure. Like its ageing uncle on the Nintendo 64, controlling the vehicles presents a thrill that few games have been able to provide. The handling is both accessible yet hard to master. A near perfect blend of arcade and realism. Add to that a luscious environment for you to explore. While being featured in two previous games already, Wuhu Island is still a wonderful location full of charm and secrets to be uncovered. Seeing it all in 3D makes it all feel a little more special, for the first hour or two, at least.
Comparing it to its distant cousin on the Nintendo 64 will eventually put it in a bad light. That game came with four unique islands – all with a different theme and setting – as opposed to the single island provided in Pilotwings Resort. The mission mode is almost indistinguishable. Both games asks you to complete small, simple tasks. The older game actually had more raw content. Add in the fact that one of the games is almost fifteen years old, Pilotwings Resort starts to look a little stale, not to mention impoverished.
Flying a glider in Pilotwings Resort for the first time is a ton of fun and, with the 3D effect turned on, it feels like a truly fresh gaming experience. It's once the initial excitement wears off and one starts to look beneath the surface, that disappointment seeps in. Playing it can almost be a melancholic experience, when it becomes clear how easily it could have been something truly special. As it stands, it is a fundamentally good game – if a bit short on new ideas – wrapped in a basic package offering only the minimum amount of content people expect today. It still might be one of the better launch games of the console, but that sadly says a lot more about the competition, than the quality of Pilotwings Resort.
Pros:
-Solid fundamental gameplay
-Very nice 3D effect
Cons:
-Little variety
-Small amount of content
-No evolution from previous PilotWings
Score: 6/10