The only original game on display at Nintendo's Media Summit in San Francisco, Zenses: Ocean, aims to put a day spa in your pocket. Given the frantic, on-the-go play style of most handheld games, it's a little puzzling how it manages to bring the spa-like experience to your portable - literally in this case because this is a collection of puzzle game too. Zenses: Ocean packs in a slate of six mini-games in total, and Pocket Gamer played three of these; Pearl Diver, Turtle Turn, and Hotspot.
It's also definitely worth mentioning that this is the weaker of the two Zenses titles by a mile. Rainforest has better puzzles and a stronger style. But both strike a definite atmosphere – whether that atmosphere is right for you or not is another question. This is an experience so subdued, it's almost a lullaby. But if you're into that vibe and want something legitimately fresh, see how your senses react to Zenses: Rainforest. And if you like that, take a dip in the Ocean.
Gaming Nexus writes: "The graphics and music in Ocean follow a soothing coral reef theme. Crashing waves, bubbles and rushing sand make up most of the sound effects. The visuals make it look like every game is played near or under a placid shoreline, and Shinen's expert skill at harnessing the DS's graphical horsepower is evident even in this casual puzzle game.
Ocean has six puzzles to choose from, all available from the start. The first is Zen-stones, a simple stone matching game. Find two stones adjacent to each other, and tap them both to eliminate them. When no matching adjacent stones are left the game is over."
IGN: "Right off the bat we need to be specific in stating that Zenses (both Ocean and Rainforest) aren't hardcore games, so this review is geared more towards the casual user. If you've got a mom, sister, or younger family member or friend that's into DS, but might even consider games like Super Princess Peach or even Brain Age as a bit too complex, Zenses is the way to go, as it's very straightforward, score takes a backseat to just relaxing and playing a few rounds of one of the games, and the achievements that can be unlocked are purely optional, as everything in the package is unlocked from the get-go."
