Insaniquarium

• by PopCap
• 
• • Read all reviews (3)»
  • [+]Add your own review

« Back to Overview

Being an aquarium owner isn't easy these days. Not only do you have to ensure that your fish are well fed, but you also have to fight off mean aliens!

Fortunately you have a whole gang of crazy pets to help you. For instance, Zorf the Sea-Horse helps you with feeding duties, and Itchy the Swordfish helps you fight off those pesky aliens.

Even better, your fish are no ordinary fish! These cute little fellows drop valuable coins! And you'll need every penny you can get, since the price of fish-food isn't going down!

• Completely original gameplay!
• Cute and colorful graphics!
• Low and high resolution versions for color devices!
• Enhanced sampled sounds for Sony and Palm OS 5 devices!
• Three different game modes!
• Three wacky types of fish to care for! Coin-dropping guppies, voracious carnivores, and bizarre star catchers!
• Two attractive aquariums, each with unique features and strategies.
• Four scary alien invaders!
• Play ten Quest levels to hatch ten pets!
• Can you find the hidden pet, Brinkley the Scuba-diving Elephant?
• Collect cascades of money to get a high-score in Time Trial mode!
• Are you tough enough to collect all the egg pieces in the terrifying Challenge mode?

"If you enjoy games that are filled with action but not focused on violence, I think you'll enjoy Insaniqarium. I recommend it highly." Susan Gustafson, Pocket Press

"A very big Thumbs Up for the folks at Astraware and PopCap Games for what will undoubtedly be one of the best games of the year" David Eaton, PDANews 24

• [+]Add your own review

Latest Reviews

Fishies!

by Lianne   from Providence RI
on Dec 21, 2004

This game is a blast...I've been playing it online for years. I've beat it like 10 times, and it still hasn't gotten boring! It's better on the PPC than online, because you can always continue where you left off (no need to worry about deleted internet temp files!) It's worth every cent!

Insaniquarium offers an odd blend of strategy and rapid action.

by BargainPDA Expert Reviewers   from www.BargainPDA.com
on Aug 8, 2003

This is getting a little old. It seems every time Astraware publishes a game, it lives up to the quality and addictiveness we're used to. Insaniquarium is no different, offering an odd blend of strategy and rapid action.

In principle, this game is centered around feeding your fish to keep the aquarium alive and growing. That might be fun enough for some, but Insane adds a level of complexity by tossing in aliens to kill your work. That's ok, though. You can upgrade your laser to fight them off, or employ Itchy the swordfish or Rufus the crab to help you out. If you're lucky enough, you might just unlock Brinkley, the scuba diving elephant.

If this all sounds strange and silly to you, well, it is. Your goal is to assemble an egg by buying three pieces as you save up money. And right...you get the money from your fish. They poop the coins, diamonds and stars you need to upgrade your food, buy more fish or upgrade your weapon. The larger the fish, the larger the value of their coins. So try to grow them quickly, while protecting them from four aggressive aliens whose aim is to kill them all.

Astraware is known for making games with virtually unlimited replay value. Nothing's different this time around. Insane offers three game play options:

• Quest Mode - This is the best place to start. There are 10 boards that release a new aquarium friend with each win. You can use these pets to help ward off aliens or collect coins that fall to the aquarium floor. Each of the 10 boards has a unique function.
• Time Trial - The goal is to simply create as much wealth as possible in a limited amount of time. You're competing against the high scores on your machine, but you can also upload your scores to the Astraware Web site to see how you stack up.
• Challenge - The toughest of the three game styles, the goal is to rack up your score, but every time an alien attacks, things get more expensive and the appetite of your fish increases. This is very difficult and promises to keep you interested for a long time.

Overall, the graphics are very crisp and the sound is good, but a bit repetitive if you end up playing for long periods of time. The instructions are remarkable - 18 pages of full details with images to make everything clear. Definitely take the time to read them. I killed five star catchers before I figured out the system.

I asked Astraware about plans to add more aquariums, aliens, pets and such. They did not commit officially to anything, but it seems add-ons are definitely being considered.

Pros:

• Highly addictive
• Great replay value
• Potential for expansion

Cons:

• No mono version

Written by: Brian

Very Addictive!

by a reviewer   from Clermont, FL
on Jun 25, 2003

Another great game by Astraware. This game is very addictive and it looks great on my Compaq. It may seem easy at first, but wait until you get a few levels into it! It is hard on the eye muscles, though. Make sure you take plenty of breaks while playing.