Test to Go Vacation – Nintendo Switch

By Krispin Berndt ( July 26, 2018, 3 pm )
It's already been seven years since Nintendo, in collaboration with Bandai Namco Entertainment, released the Go Vacation party game for the Wii. While the original was released during the sad winter months, recreational and amateur enthusiasts can now, with a pleasant 30 degrees (and more), their holidays, at least on the Nintendo Switch, in their four walls. If Go Vacation looks like a relaxing day at the beach or Bandai Namco Entertainment and Nintendo have burned in this harbor, read the following lines:

In the summer, the sun, the sun, it is like that the time should be today …

Just a few seconds after starting the game, the first feeling of holidays me came to mind. Before entering the main menu of Go Vacation, I was shown a short trailer of the game and some recreational activities. Now, I had to decide how many people I want to play and how I want to control the game. In addition to the usual solo mode, there was the ability to choose between two multiplayer modes, which differed only in the control of the game. one and the other. I chose my usual Nintendo Switch Pro Controller at the moment, and then I had to create a player profile. In the registration of the player, there were different decisions to make. Mii or Avatar? A boy or a girl? Father, mother, grandfather or grandmother? Big or small? There is virtually no limit here. Now he went straight to the resort, one of four different places on Kawawii Island. There, I was greeted by Lily, the tour guide and the on-site contact person. Directly and without much talk I was allowed to watch the first activity of the day: go for a few laps on the beach on a motor boat. Of course, the tension would be absent if I went there alone. I had to compete against opponents controlled by the AI. The difficulty level may initially be slightly higher because of the control. But at the latest after the first round, we leave behind the largest number of opponents.

With a quick saying of the head of the business The gold medal has returned to Lily. I also received a stamp card from Lily. Little by little, Lily suggested a variety of activities to try. For each successful mastery of an activity there was a stamp. With a number we have different prices or changed the next free resort. Now I could move freely in the Seeresort and explore the area at will, or try the many different activities. Skydiving was next on the stamp map. In addition to a breathtaking view in high heights, you had to show some formations with fellow travelers. There, the movement control came into play. In the early formations it was still a little shaky and I managed only with difficulty and in the time allotted to put my character in the right position. Beach volleyball was the next topic on the agenda to get rid of sweat.

In the Wii version, the Wii Remote and the Nunchuk controller provided nodes in the fingers. Although this has been done a lot easier, but you can sweat quickly. After successfully completing the first three activities and leaving them behind, Lily rushed back into the picture. Now, I had a briefing for the information center, which is located in the middle of the Seeresort. Among other things, you can change clothes, visit the school / course, explain the individual activities or choose another station. Finally, Lily told me that I could go directly to the information center via the menu and the map no matter where in the island I go. In addition, I had access to the resort and was able to visit and explore immediately. For now, however, I stayed in the Seeresort and went in search of various treasures and visited some interesting areas as well. Later in the game, the lake and the resort, as well as the snow and mountain resorts will be available. In addition to activities such as mountaineering and bungee jumping, there are also various winter sports. Until then, there is so much to discover that one or two hours pbad.

Go Vacation is perfect for an evening of family games.

In more than fifty (!) Different Mini-games But you do not just jump in the fray alone. With up to four players, in local multiplayer mode on one or more Nintendo Switch devices, you can explore the island together, go on a treasure hunt or play many mini-games. For each player must be created before a profile with a Mii / Avatar. It is played on a console or television in clbadic split-screen mode, as you know from the Mario Kart franchise. Of course, it is also possible that all players follow their own path and explore the island independently. As soon as a player wants to participate in an activity, a countdown countdown of 5 seconds and the other players arrive together in the lobby. A previous problem was that the game was suffering a lot from the multiplayer mode. Often, the game hung or there was stuttering, which significantly lessened the pleasure.

Although the resolution, depending on the number of players, seems slightly reduced, the stability of the pace seems to have changed a little. Rucklers are therefore, in large parts, a thing of the past. In some mini-games, you can fight against each other. For example, you can heat up to four with jet boats, parachuting by trying to create the formations shown or competing in beach volleyball in teams of two against each other. Many mini-games are sometimes a little hectic and chaotic depending on the number of players, but offer a lot of fun and variety. The graphics were slightly polite compared to the original. Although there are still some losses in multiplayer mode, the graphics are already quite impressive. For the island and the different places do not seem empty, other visitors offer a little more life. As in the original we would have liked, however, that we could interact more with other visitors.

From time to time you can invite them by accident and play mini-games with them, but their actions are usually not very useful to master various mini-games easily. If you are traveling alone on the island and want to play a game, which is only playable in pairs, but no AI player is nearby, so a player is provided randomly. Even in our test at that time, a "real" multiplayer mode was painfully missed. Too bad you have not decided to add this. With online players and rankings, the game would be much improved. The controls are simple and easy to understand. In most cases, you only need two, up to three different keys to move or complete the mini-games. Unfortunately, the camera can not move freely, which limits the freedom of movement. This can be quite boring, especially with Jump & Run pbadages. The soundtrack is usually quite peaceful and relaxing. It's only in certain sections or at adrenaline-rich activities that music sets in motion.