makes sense that this game would be an interactive movie, right? That’s the
path the developers chose for this title, enveloping kids with a number of
colorful scenes to watch and react to.
Game worlds are surprisingly
long and maze-like. Kids will be scratching their heads at first, while the
big kids (teens and adults) will wonder why there isn’t more to do within the
massive water stages.
Stages are divided among
four game types: Adventure, Race, Fight and Dance. Dance is featured the
least, but it includes a great, Dance Dance Revolution-style mini-game. The
Dual-Shock 2’s face or directional buttons can be used to hit the Up, Down,
Left and Right arrows as they make their way across the screen. For some real
fun, hook up PlayStation 2 dance pad and the game becomes Shark Dance
Revolution!
It’s not nearly as
complex or challenging as DDR, and the song list is far more limited. I do,
however, recommend that you test out this mini-game if you or someone you know
already plans on buying the game. It’s too costly to buy just for one game
type, but read on because there might be other reasons for you to dive into
your wallet.
The Adventure levels are
the most involved levels in the game. Most of the levels have multiple
objectives, but the other modes make it easy to complete them without even
trying. It’s not as simple in the Adventure levels. The main objective might
be to stop a group of rotten fish from stinkin’ up the place (ex: stop them
from spray painting messages on private property). Chase down the pond scum
and show ’em who’s boss. Or just chase ’em down and let the game take over
for you, which is what happens here.
The secondary objective
might ask you to collect several hundred pearls before finishing the mission.
Not too difficult, but still more challenging than the other mini-games.
Pearls are hidden in boxes, clamshells, etc. Crabs tend to guard pearls, so
you might have to find a way to wrestle one away from them. Touch the crab
and lose some health. Careful swimming is needed to accomplish this task.
Race is a short,
pick-up-and-play mini-game that could have stood on its own (if it had more
depth and course variety). Oscar can latch onto a taxi fish (clever, isn’t
it?) and swim through the depths of Reef City. Directions aren’t needed since
the gameplay is straightforward and should come as no surprise to anyone who’s
played a racing game before. Boost currents give you a turbo boost, but the
key to winning is through shortcuts. Most racers force you to find ’em on
your own, but in Shark Tale the game tells you exactly where they are. Hit
the R1 or L1 button to take the shortcut before you’ve passed it.
Next to the brief "guide
the fish in the direction of the arrows" introduction stage, the Fight battles
offer the least gameplay. You get to take on Oscar’s enemies, battle huge
sharks and those who support them (fish are friends, NOT food!). Three attack
buttons have been activated, giving Oscar a decent chance at defeating these
oversized beasts. The preview for the film "Open Water" doubled my fear of
sharks, but if you feel inclined to taunt them, you can with the X button.
(This is a kid’s game, so it’s not like you have to worry about them eating
you. Actually you do, but Oscar is made of polygons and he doesn’t bleed.)
Hoping to take a bite out
of Oscar, sharks will lunge toward him and clank their chompers. Oscar can
easily dodge this by following the on-screen arrows, which include the same
directions as the dancing mini-game (Up, Down, Left and Right) but should not
be used with the dance pad.
The Game Boy Advance
version had mini-games like this, but they didn’t include much more depth
beyond pressing the directional pad at key moments. The PS2 version is far
superior. Players will have to guide Oscar away from the sharks and make
quick decisions as to how fast you should react to the arrow commands. I
could push left on the analog stick just as the arrow appears and still get
bitten. How? Because the shark’s teeth still manage to touch Oscar.
It’s up to you to figure
out that the solution is not to take the arrows at face value, but to change
your movements as the shark changes his. By swimming left and moving a little
downward, the shark’s attack becomes trivial. He’ll miss and you’ll swim away
scratch-free. Keep changing your strategy and don’t get cocky. Your health
meter is big (too big if you ask me), but it will deplete quickly if you’re
not careful.
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Gameplay: 7.1
Shark Tale is not
a full-fledged game; it is a collection of mini-games. It’s not as rewarding
as Shrek 2 or as memorable as Toy Story and Monsters, Inc.’s video game
adaptations. I recommend it to kids who love the movie and enjoy mini-games
like the ones described in the review. Everyone else should pass.
Graphics: 8
Shark Tale’s best
feature is instantly visible. Gamers got a grand visual treat from Shrek 2
earlier this year, and Shark Tale’s movie-to-game conversion is almost as
impressive.
Sound: 5
One classic Will
Smith track is all you’ll get out of Shark Tale. They didn’t even bother to
use his voice for the in-game cinematics. The Shrek impersonator was
acceptable, but the Oscar impersonator sounds like a gangsta rapper, not Will
Smith.
Difficulty: Easy
Have your kids
beaten any of the Sonic, Zelda or Mario games? If they can beat those,
they’ll zip through Shark Tale.
Concept: 6.5
Four mini-games
we’ve experienced before. 2.5D camera angles that were invented in 1995.
Overall: 7.1
Wanna extend the
fun of Shark Tale beyond the comedic film? Shark Tale isn’t the colossal
adventure it could have been, but it’s got what it takes to please the
kiddies. Think of it as a graduation from Mario Party. If that series has
become too easy for your child, this game is the next step up.
