Review scoopings 4/5 · Oct 27, 2021
Fun Once You Push Past the Frustration
So, I forgot my personal laptop at work yesterday, and had to use my old broken laptop to entertain myself. I decided to go through some games I normally wouldn't, so here we are!
Look: 9/10 Good graphics for its time, I can't deny I love the colors and actual objects (so to speak). I honestly found the look, the …
So, I forgot my personal laptop at work yesterday, and had to use my old broken laptop to entertain myself. I decided to go through some games I normally wouldn't, so here we are!
Look: 9/10 Good graphics for its time, I can't deny I love the colors and actual objects (so to speak). I honestly found the look, the colors, the background, the vibes, the "decor" etc. striking. This might deserve an 8 more so, but I enjoyed the enemy graphics and the general coloring, even of the edges/unpassable areas.
Sound: 8/10 The theme song as you wait to start and the sound effects weren't irritating. I honestly really liked the repeating song that plays in between playthroughs, maybe if I replay this in the future it'll become a striking song, but for now, it's just enjoyable/nice/ahead of its time.
Play: 8/10 Hot tip: the manual helps a tonnnn. Frustrating at first, like identifying the specific spot you need to hit each fish, but the games grows on you enough to be a fun game for a night or 2... or, I imagine, to play with someone else to see who can get a higher score, etc. It's pretty straightforward, except hey, you can't even move until you're over halfway down the screen.
Feel: 8/10 Honestly the toughest part is the start of game... petty getting snatched up before you can even move. But, it's innovative in many ways. It's also truly fun with the oxygen timer and that the treasure (too easy to collect imo) is on the 2nd screen. A bit of a rough learning curve, especially without initially having the manual, but this game really comes through and I could see myself replaying this when I return to retro games after this mission of chronologically playing through games.
Attachment: 7/10 I didn't replay this right away to, ya know, challenge my score or try some other challenge, mostly due to that initial drop being unmovable/frustrating. Still, a fun game and this really maybe should earn an 8 since I am quite sure whenever I finally return to pre-1980 games or Atari games, I will include this one.