I'm about 500% certain my daughter would love this game... I don't know a whole lot about it and IGN/Gamespot don't have updated "this is how the game plays".  I know it has two modes -- one is just exploring but apparently there are other missions and such.  Anyone on here from Japan that has played it?  How would you compare it to, say, Animal Crossing?

I was thinking of renting it but only because the soundtrack is by Hayley Westenra.

Don't follow those games, and kn you got your Wii back yet?

 Oh yeah, I got it.  Maybe my post wasn't so clear earlier.  The DVD drive started getting really noisy -- grinding would be the best way to describe it...  I called Nintendo and did the advanced exchange thing where you give them a credit card and they send you a new unit in advance.  I used the same box to return it and it had packing, tape, and a label.  So... I was never "without" my Wii... The advance exchange program Rocks.  M$ needs to follow suit on that one because I hated waiting 2-3 weeks on my new console to arrive.

As for endless ocean, I'm wondering more about the missions and such and less about overall exploration.  Was it a full priced game in Japan?