Pilotwings Resort for the Nintendo 3DS lets you fly airplanes, jetpacks, and hang gliders around an interesting island.

This game is equally good in 3D and in 2D. If you can play in 3D, you get a wonderful sense of depth as you curl lazily around the lighthouse or shoot through the natural arch of stone. If you need to play in 2D for headache or other reasons, the game is still perfectly playable and fun.

Each type of vehicle gives a different type of experience. The plane lets you zoom high in the air and bank sharply around objects. The jetpack gives you precision control like a hummingbird. I adore the hang glider best of all. It is incredibly peaceful to drift across the island, taking in the beauty, and floating with the birds.

There are multiple modes of gameplay here. You can simply take your time exploring the island, looking for all the I markers which tell you about the interesting points. You can also do their challenges where you have to land in a certain spot, follow a certain path, or so on. Each time of gameplay has its own rewards. You also unlock features (time of day, etc.) as you go.

I enjoy this game immensely. I'm not shooting enemies or destroying things. I'm challenged, yes, but it's an internal challenge - can I make that turn? Can I land exactly on the bulls-eye? The ramp-up of their tutorials is great. They help you learn the skills you need while having fun at the same time.

Are there any down sides here? I suppose if you found flying around boring then you'd probably not like this game. There aren't zombies to demolish. No vampires. No swearing.

But for most players, I think this game is a perfect part of your 3DS collection of games. There are times when it's quite fun to sit back, relax, and test out your flying skills. For those times, this game is highly recommended.

I purchased this game with my own funds in order to do this review.

Buy Pilotwings Resort 3DS from Amazon.com