It seems that every day developers and publishers mishear Nintendo’s plea for casual and accessible games. They seem to hear Iwata-san crying out for glorified screensavers. Today is no exception. Let’s see what today’s stupid barely-interactive idea is:
Two additions to the Zen Games series were announced today by growing UK games publisher, Mercury Games as part of their partnership with Japanese publisher Ertain BV. The games, “Aquarium by DS†and “Fantasy Aquarium by DS†both for the Nintendo DS are simulation games that allow the player to keep fish in a tank.
Yes. It’s a fishtank simulator. Or two to be precise, because normal fish and “fantasy” fish couldn’t possibly fit on the same cart, and neither do the targeted demographics overlap.
I can imagine someone angrily browsing the racks of Game, throwing carts in all directions shouting, “I wanted FANTASY fish ONLY. Monkfish WILL NOT DO.”
Anyway, the fish need to be fed and the tank cleaned, I guess by rubbing the screen. Fantasy fish don’t even include imaginative made up things like the flangefish, either. It’s just sharks and dolphins and stuff. That’s a pretty shite fantasy. Amazingly you can swap fish (of which there are 30 varieties) over WiFi, and big sharks will eat little fish.
It’s coming out in December for 20 quid and if you buy it you deserve all that you get.