Feeding Frenzy
Posted April 10, 2006
Developed by Sprout Games, Feeding Frenzy has been available for download one the web for some time now, and the high definition game of eat or be eaten has made it's way onto the Xbox Live Arcade. It's a very simple premise, you're a small fish in a big sea of scary predators and you must eat your way to the top of the food chain.
By taking on the form of multiple fish types (and one whale) you start out as a small angel fish that is dwarfed by larger barracuda in early stages, and then you ultimately take control of an Orca who takes on the largest danger of the deep, the Shark King.
Gameplay:
This game is the definition of easy to pick up and play, for any gamer. Simply control your fish of the moment using the analog stick and position the mouth near a smaller fish to eat it. No fancy button combination is required; no swirl of the controller just a simple law of nature: the big guy eats the small guy. As mentioned, as the game advances you take on different fish forms, but each controls exactly the same with some slight speed and agility differences, but nothing drastic that can't be adapted to within seconds of starting the level.
Also, most fish you use have a special ability that allows you to suck in fish near you. This helps collect the guys that just about get away, but also can cause you some pain as you may suck in one of the few obstacles that are on the screen.
Jellyfish can stun you, mines can blow you up, and poisoned fish reverse your controls for a limited time. Those are the only real troubles that you'll encounter on your journey through the game, and even then it's not a difficult thing to work around these items.
Bonus bubbles float up from the bottom of the sea and appear inside oysters on the floor which can aid you in your quest for calm in the pecking order. Some will stun all fish on the screen and blow up mines, while others give you a speed burst to allow you to snap up that pearl from the oyster before it slams shut and traps you inside.
The 200 achievement points can be obtained fairly easily if you are willing to spend some time. One goal is to play the game for ten hours; and within these ten hours you should be more than able to finish the other achievements such as completing the time attack mode as well as the regular mode, eating 1000 sharks and 1000 starfish bubbles. I was able to collect over half of the achievement points on my first play through the title if that is any indication of difficulty.
Graphics:
Very crisp and vibrant colors greet you here, whether you run in high-definition or standard. The game is very pretty to look at. Each fish type is nicely detailed and pops off the screen with great animation.
The only flaw I noticed was the screen would shift when the mines explode, which caused a strange black box to form around parts of the screen that weren't being drawn with the rest of the sea. It would correct itself, but I would see this happen quite often when I hovered near the bottom of the screen and watched the other fish swim into the mines. It's only slightly distracting, but still bad enough to mention.
Audio:
Very simple sound effects and music are used in Feeding Frenzy. Nothing is distracting or aids in removing the player from the game. Thankfully though, you won't hear Sebastian the Crab singing Under the Sea here, even if it would fit in with the theme quite nicely.
Conclusion:
At 800 points to own, I have a tough time recommending Feeding Frenzy based on the overly simple and unvaried gameplay. I initially played the demo using only the angelfish and really, I was more satisfied there as I ended up being after getting the full game. Sure the additional fish types are interesting to look at, but the gameplay is very generic and extremely repetitive as you move forward. I suggest downloading the demo and trying that out before spending your hard earned points.
By taking on the form of multiple fish types (and one whale) you start out as a small angel fish that is dwarfed by larger barracuda in early stages, and then you ultimately take control of an Orca who takes on the largest danger of the deep, the Shark King.
Gameplay:
This game is the definition of easy to pick up and play, for any gamer. Simply control your fish of the moment using the analog stick and position the mouth near a smaller fish to eat it. No fancy button combination is required; no swirl of the controller just a simple law of nature: the big guy eats the small guy. As mentioned, as the game advances you take on different fish forms, but each controls exactly the same with some slight speed and agility differences, but nothing drastic that can't be adapted to within seconds of starting the level.
Also, most fish you use have a special ability that allows you to suck in fish near you. This helps collect the guys that just about get away, but also can cause you some pain as you may suck in one of the few obstacles that are on the screen.
Jellyfish can stun you, mines can blow you up, and poisoned fish reverse your controls for a limited time. Those are the only real troubles that you'll encounter on your journey through the game, and even then it's not a difficult thing to work around these items.
Bonus bubbles float up from the bottom of the sea and appear inside oysters on the floor which can aid you in your quest for calm in the pecking order. Some will stun all fish on the screen and blow up mines, while others give you a speed burst to allow you to snap up that pearl from the oyster before it slams shut and traps you inside.
The 200 achievement points can be obtained fairly easily if you are willing to spend some time. One goal is to play the game for ten hours; and within these ten hours you should be more than able to finish the other achievements such as completing the time attack mode as well as the regular mode, eating 1000 sharks and 1000 starfish bubbles. I was able to collect over half of the achievement points on my first play through the title if that is any indication of difficulty.
Graphics:
Very crisp and vibrant colors greet you here, whether you run in high-definition or standard. The game is very pretty to look at. Each fish type is nicely detailed and pops off the screen with great animation.
The only flaw I noticed was the screen would shift when the mines explode, which caused a strange black box to form around parts of the screen that weren't being drawn with the rest of the sea. It would correct itself, but I would see this happen quite often when I hovered near the bottom of the screen and watched the other fish swim into the mines. It's only slightly distracting, but still bad enough to mention.
Audio:
Very simple sound effects and music are used in Feeding Frenzy. Nothing is distracting or aids in removing the player from the game. Thankfully though, you won't hear Sebastian the Crab singing Under the Sea here, even if it would fit in with the theme quite nicely.
Conclusion:
At 800 points to own, I have a tough time recommending Feeding Frenzy based on the overly simple and unvaried gameplay. I initially played the demo using only the angelfish and really, I was more satisfied there as I ended up being after getting the full game. Sure the additional fish types are interesting to look at, but the gameplay is very generic and extremely repetitive as you move forward. I suggest downloading the demo and trying that out before spending your hard earned points.