GENRE
	Variety
	DEVELOPER
	Edge of Reality
	PUBLISHER
	Activision
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1
	CONNECTIVITY
	no
	BUY NOW AT

Activision has been on a role with film-based video games. This year, they seem to be the one publisher who can always bring a quality game based on a blockbuster film. Just before the summer extravaganza began, they brought out Shrek 2, which was easily Shrek’s best video game to date. It wasn’t great, but it was much better than anyone had predicted. Then, they brought Spider-Man 2 onto shelves just before the film opened in theaters. We all know how well that worked out. Now, they’ve dropped the second game based on a Dreamworks Animation film this year in the form of Shark Tale. While it certainly isn’t as great as Spider-Man 2, it seems to provide a more solid and better looking experience than Shrek 2 did earlier.

visuals

Edge of Reality has managed to take a few simple visual tricks and turn Shark Tale into an impressively beautiful video game. It’s certainly more breathtaking than THQ’s lackluster Finding Nemo. In order to animate Oscar, they’ve used a simple guiding utility, otherwise known as his head, and attached the rest of the body from there. The effect looks very cool, especially when venturing through the adventure missions quickly. Other characters, such as the enemies in chase and fighting modes look great and are filled with intricate details. The environments, however, are more impressive than anything else. You’ll see background “noise” throughout Reef City, much in the same vein as Naughty Dog’s Ratchet and Clank series on the PS2. While certainly not as impressive as that amount of atmosphere, they’ve managed to do an excellent job here. Everyone involved in the art department should be commended.

audio

It’s become a sad history for Activision to use the words “sound-alikes” and that depression spans across to Shark Tale. While the voices give an accurate depiction of the characters they are portraying, they don’t exactly fit as much as the voice talent such as Will Smith, Angelina Jolie, and Jack Black do in the film. However, you can’t blame Activision if Martin Scorsese doesn’t want to be associated in a video game whatsoever. For now, we’ll have to wait for confirmation from Activision regarding Jim Carrey’s involvement in the Lemony Snicket video game. Hopefully the trend may be coming to an end, at least for this year’s line-up.

Official voice actors aside, Shark Tale has some very impressive features when it comes to pleasing the ear. The game features a long list of official tracks such as MC Hammer’s U Can’t Touch This and even Outkast’s I Like The Way You Move. Not just in the dance missions, but you’ll hear popular tracks from other artists throughout the rest of the missions as well. When it comes to sound effects, however, the production value drops very quickly. The quality, not to mention the quantity of sound effects leaves something to be desired. When you’re swimming through such a rich environment, you’ll want to hear more than just the music blasting out of your speakers and a few crashes here and there.

gameplay

Shark Tale’s twenty-five missions span across several different types of gaming. They may not be the most solid play mechanics in the world, but that’s usually expected for what seem to be known as “hybrid video games”. Unlike most other video games based on films, the gameplay differs from mission to mission. There’s also no actual “overworld” to work around while you participate in other missions. The gameplay differs from mission to mission. Sometimes you’ll find yourself exploring the dank environments surrounding Reef City, other times you’ll be dancing around like a crazy fool.

The majority of the missions, however, take place in an “adventure”-like setting. The player will swim around as Oscar collecting pearls. The main goal can vary here and there, but most of the time it’s a long journey between point A and point B. There’s not a whole lot of combat involved rather than Oscar’s dashing around like a madman. Or madfish. Let’s try and be PC about it. Swimming around is easier done than said, really. You’d think you’d be able to go anywhere, but it’s more of an Ecco the Dolphin experience. We’re speaking to the Genesis game, of course, rather than the Dreamcast. It plays more like a pseudo-3D adventure. It’s in the third dimension, but you’ll be side-scrolling throughout most any adventure mission.

Other than adventure missions, you’ll find yourself battling a few different characters in a Punch-Out!-like fist-a-cuffs. After all, you won’t be able to earn the name Sharkslayer without slaying a few sharks in the process. When you aren’t fighting, however, you’ll be racing around Reef City or simply running. Running is sort of like a player-controlled Dragon’s Lair experience. The screen will point in the direction you must go in order to avoid not becoming lunch. Also available are the dance missions, which are easily some of the most solid dancing mechanics we’ve seen on the GameCube. You won’t be able to find Dance Dance Revolution, but other than the upcoming Donkey Konga, Shark Tale offers a few dance missions that could keep anyone’s fingers pumping. Unfortunately, the GameCube version doesn’t support dance pads. There are some PS2-GCN controller adapters, so if you have a PS2 dance pad lying around, you can easily hunt one of those suckers down.

With the nifty “fame” play mechanics built in, you can check out how famous you can get by completing certain goals within each mission. You’ll still receive points by completing the main goal, but if you go above and beyond, you’ll be able to complete even more. For instance, in the dancing missions, you’ll receive a ton of fame points if you get 100% of the moves completed. Of course, that’s crazy talk for us sane people, but if you’re a DDR wiz, you’ll be a superstar in no time. Overall, the game plays smoothly and gives a decent challenge, especially in the dance missions. If you have a kid who appreciates a variety of gameplay, you should definitely have them check this game out.

One of the biggest problems with video games based on the film they represent is spoilage. Shark Tale, unlike Shrek 2, manages to keep tight wraps on the film’s overall plot. In fact, the game is more like an extravagant trailer for the film. There really isn’t a whole lot in the game that may spoil the film for anyone looking forward to it. So, if you plan on picking the game up before October 1st, the film’s opening date, feel free to play through it. Trust us, it won’t take that long.

multiplayer

N/A

overall

Shark Tale is a mixed bag, in the most literal sense of the word. There’s a lot of variety here, but none of it is really solid. The game manages to stand on its own throughout the course of the twenty-five missions. The most important point, aside from the fact that Activision has delivered yet another surprisingly good video game based on a film, is that the game is great for kids. It isn’t too difficult, but it doesn’t hold your hand throughout the entire game. Pick this one up for your kids, or if you see yourself as being a fan of the film, you might as well check it out also. For those of you looking for a good pseudo-DDR experience on the GameCube and you don’t feel like banging a couple of bongos, maybe Shark Tale is right for you also. Now excuse me, I’ve got a Starkist Insta-Lunch waiting for me.

7.8/10