“I’m getting that DS feeling”

At the beginning of the summer, I took my first (and last) trip to an all-inclusive resort. Something I have learned about myself is that resort life is not really for me (unless we’re talking Wii Sports Resort). If we are talking vacation, I am much more of a beach vacation in November kind of guy but that is besides the point.

Before going on vacation this summer, I did not have any kind of game I was playing and that has been pretty constant throughout the year. In 2025, I have not had many games call out to me or give me a reason to keep up (Expedition 33 being the outlier). But I feel like for folks who play a lot of video games, having a game or a handheld to keep you company while travelling is essential.

With me in need of a game before going on a trip to a resort, I decided to just throw my 3DS in my bag without giving it any thought because let’s be honest: I’m going to enjoy having a 3DS with me no matter what mood I’m in.

Me and my partner after our flight got delayed

We flew out to the resort around the 3rd week of June and that meant trying to make our flight would be absolute hell… and it was. We did make it on time, luckily enough. However, my partner did end up dropping her Cinnabon on the floor on the way to our gate so of course, that was just the cherry on top of being overwhelmed in a crowded airport. 

As we sat at our gate, waiting for our flight (which had been delayed as soon as we got there), I pulled out my 3DS.

I already made a video on the 3DS but I just think as time goes on it only becomes more apparent how perfect the 3DS and the whole DS family really is- ESPECCIALLY for travel. Being able to shut my game of Mario Kart 7 and throw it in my bag in the middle of the line for TSA is not something that can be done with a Steam Deck or even a Switch.

Before boarding our flight, I was happy enough to load up some Mario Kart 7 again and that is always a fun time. But I’m not here to talk about Mario Kart 7- I’m here to talk about the game that would go on to set the tone for the entire trip and that is Flower, Sun, and Rain.

Flower, Sun, and Rain is a game I had tried playing before on multiple occasions but it was just the wrong place, wrong time for it. That is why I have kind of let go of keeping track of a backlog of games to complete next. I just keep track of my backlog so I have an idea of what games I’ve shelved in the past, hoping to turn to them when the time and mood is right. FSR was the game that was calling out to me as we flew 4 hours to the resort because in case you did not know, this game also takes place at a resort.

Flower, Sun, and Rain is the kind of game a lot of people might pick up and immediately hate because of how off-kilter and slow it is in its opening act. The game follows Sumio Mondo, a “Searcher” on his trip to LosPass Island. Once he arrives to the Flower, Sun, and Rain Hotel, Mondo is forced to repeat the same day over and over again until he fulfills his mission of defusing a bomb from the plane flying above the island.

This game takes place after Suda51’s The Silver Case, another game I enjoyed and experienced back in 2023. But I fully believe FSR is enjoyable without needing to play Silver Case or The 25th Ward. And if you were looking for an analysis on Suda51’s Kill the Past series, then you will not find it here. 

Anyway, I started a new file for Flower, Sun, and Rain on the flight to the resort and ended up finishing it the day after I came back home. It’s an experience that has sat with me in the back of my mind as if it was a fever dream I had years ago. Throughout the trip, I would go out, do the resort stuff, sit by the beach, sit by the pool, walk around, have dinner, etc. But as soon as I got back to our room, I was no longer on vacation, I was on LosPass Island running around Flower, Sun, and Rain. 

FSR is one of those games that demand the player to get on a certain wavelength in order to beat it. It involves math problems and using a calculator and flipping through a brochure for clues on how to progress. The player is required to pay attention to the language of not just the dialogue but also of the game design in order to figure out how to move forward.

The first time I played it was in 2023 after playing The Silver Case, and I was not ready to click with the game in the way it wanted me to. But somehow being on a plane to a resort for summer vacation shifted my brain chemistry in a way that made me ready for what Suda51 had in store.

My happiest moment of the year

I played this game on vacation and didn’t have access to WiFi while I was playing and that is honestly the way to go. This is also one of those rare games where I don’t recommend looking up a walkthrough because if you find yourself needing a walkthrough, then you are most likely missing out on a puzzle that will help shape your thought process for the puzzles that come afterwards. So I only recommend that path if playing the entire game with a walkthrough sounds fun for you.

I think what I loved about FSR is how unapologetic it is for being the type of game that it is. Doing math puzzles, having wonky-ass hard-to-follow dialogue, and lots of time spent running around a resort with nothing to do in between. There are moments where it becomes the DS’s closest thing to a walking simulator and then there are moments where you got to whip out your phone calculator to figure out a puzzle through trial and error. 

Now why would I play a game like this on vacation? As I said, I came to terms with the fact that resort life and even the traditional vacation life is not something I really care about. And with the mood that I was in, Flower, Sun, and Rain was exactly what I needed in many ways. Just like Sumio Mondo, I too, wanted to get out of this hotel and off this resort. That parallel alone was enough to immerse me into the island of LosPass Island.

With fall right around the corner, I just needed to get that off my chest because the feelings and the experience that Flower, Sun, and Rain left me with is something I want to remember- yet it’s not necessarily something I would want to relive. Anyway, if you end up visiting LosPass Island, say hi to Sumio Mondo for me.