Review: Fishie Fishie

There’s an old adage that says, "Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he eats for a lifetime." That's fine and dandy, but personally, I'd rather have Fishie Fishie given to me, DK Games' (and Farbs', the guy who made an "I quit" message that was fully playable) most recent WiiWare endeavor. 

What makes Fishie Fishie more valuable to me than a fish is the fact that it is easily one of WiiWare's most unique offerings. Using only one button (A or Z) is all it takes to dive right in. Unfortunately, your little fishie is stuck swimming in circles - in order to control direction, you simply press the A button. The speed in which you keep hitting it will dictate the speed of swimming and the direction; simply put, think about paddling a canoe. Instead of avoiding rocks and getting to a destination, you are tasked with eating all of the other "fishies" mulling about.

It's no easy task, I assure you. Coordination is key, and even a temporary lapse in judgment will spell your demise.  That's not to say Fishie Fishie is the most challenging game you'll find on WiiWare - its progression is more than fair, ramping up the difficulty steadily, but with some degree of predictability. With three difficulty levels, Fishie Fishie is accessible to everyone. This is proven by its plethora of modes: Capture the Star, Soccer, Story, Survival, Skill Run, and Championship.

Both Story Mode and Skill Run stand out from the rest. Keep chowing down on other fishies in Story Mode and progress through the 20 levels. If you're fortunate enough to make it through the gauntlet in one sitting, you'll be rewarded with a score (which, if submitted outside the game, will later be featured online).  However, my personal favorite is the Skill Run. Rather than eating all the fish, you are tasked with eating a set number of fish within a time limit. It's relatively fun on its own, but adding more players into the mix is where it shines. Things get chaotic awfully quickly, which just adds to the appeal.

Christophe Kohler also continued to beef up the game by adding in the other modes. Soccer is just as it sounds - a game all about hitting a ball into the net. Your ability to control Fishie becomes a minor part of the battle, as items are thrown into the mix (sort of in the vein of Mario Strikers). Having played through it with a friend, I found this mode to be a favorite between the two of us. Capture the Star was quite a bit of fun, but just didn't resonate as well. As my friend put it, "The sense of mayhem just wasn't as prevalent." Interestingly, the zones in which your "flag" or "goal-posts" are located aren't as linear as one may come to expect - they're off at angles, and often time have obstacles in between. 

Admittedly, I didn't see the thrill in running through a Championship. To me, it seems like extra weight added in to make Fishie Fishie a more robust offering, but really brings nothing new to the table. Survival is an interesting way to get more people into the mix, with skill being a necessity to progress.; don't eat enough fish and you die, leaving the remaining combatants to take home the gold. These modes don't add any value to Fishie Fishie, but they certainly don't detract, even if they do feel somewhat tacked on.

Despite this, the bulk of the game is playable both alone and with friends. Assuming you have people to play with locally, Fishie Fishie can be a blast. While the sound is none too memorable, it suffices at keeping the game relatively lighthearted - it's upbeat. Graphically, Fishie Fishie is on a thin line. On one hand, Fishie Fishie is vibrant, and easy on the eyes. Color is splashed about and, considering this is a budget title, you feel like it was done quite well. On the other hand, in the midst of all the action, the fish just aren’t distinguished enough to avoid confusion. Your eyes will inevitably strain, a feature that wasn’t so welcome. Thankfully, the text is nice and easy to read, and adds to the charm of it all. 

Fishie Fishie is not going to be for everyone. Those of you after a single player game may consider looking elsewhere, as it truly shines as a multiplayer experience. That's not saying the single player modes are bad, they're quite good, but multiplayer is really what WiiWare Fishie is all about. Of all the features and modes tacked on, it seems like a bit of a shame you can't take soccer online or face an online leaderboard. Obviously, this is the result of being an indie title, but it does make Fishie Fishie less appealing, albeit, only slightly. 

Despite this, Fishie Fishie stands out from the crowd of 500 point ($5) freeware ports. Rather than just adapting the game and charging for it, DK Games actually expanded the original release making it a more robust package. In it are 6 admirable modes that should keep you coming back for more in bite sized morsels. The graphics aren't the best and controls can be frustrating at times. Nonetheless, Fishie Fishie is a one button game that isn't afraid of stepping up the challenge for those that can take it, whilst unequivocally being accessible to everyone. Purchase this, or you'll be off to Davy Jones' Locker.