By: Caden Kipfmueller

The Nintendo Wii is widely regarded as one of the best video game consoles of all time. Released in November of 2006, the console has been home to a number of iconic games, notably ‘Wii Sports Resort’. ‘Wii Sports Resort’ is known for its family friendly games, stunning graphics for the time, and its fun, chipper music. Additionally, ‘Wii Sports Resort’ is known for having an expansive repertoire of games. The best of these games is surprisingly Island Flyover, the lone game on ‘Wii Sports Resort’ that cannot be played by more than one person at a time.

The premise of Island Flyover is simple. The player controls a small biplane and flies around the island that ‘Wii Sports Resort’ takes place on, maneuvering around the island’s many obstacles and attempting to locate the 80 key points of interest, marked by green and white “i points”.

While the main objective is straightforward, the game itself manages to remain challenging. Many of the i points are located in difficult to reach areas, and some are hidden as well. Additionally, each game has a time limit of 5 minutes, which makes the last few seconds of each flying session a stressful occasion.

Island Flyover thrives in its customizability and the way that it empowers its players to explore. As the game progresses and more i points are collected, the player unlocks more and more features. In time, they are allowed to control the time of day, pop balloons that are littered around the resort, and more.

Additionally, the island is a blast to explore, and since there is no map each new thing that the player discovers feels truly special and secret. As the player grows more comfortable flying the plane, intense aerial maneuvers, in order to get to the hidden parts of the island, become a possibility. The game encourages players to try these maneuvers, as the penalty for crashing is very minimal.

‘Wii Sports Resort’ has a variety of exciting and engaging games, but Island Flyover is undoubtedly the best. It provides the player with a unique experience, blending challenge, exploration, and customizability in order to create engaging gameplay and turn the game into a timeless classic that still holds up today.