2000 · Puzzle

Aqua Aqua

PlayStation exclusive

), known in Europe as Aqua Aqua: Wetrix 2, is a puzzle video game for the PlayStation 2 and is the sequel to game Wetrix. It offers fewer features than Wetrix, but it features improved graphics and a new story mode. The aim of the story mode is to travel through four eras and survive attacks from monsters from each one. To survive the attacks simply get enough points to power up the shield.

Released: 2 November 2000
Platforms: PlayStation 2
Genres: Puzzle
Developers: —
Publishers: Imagineer
Modes: Single-player
Themes: Fantasy
Engine: RenderWare
Country: United Kingdom
Age ratings: ESRB E

About

Aqua Aqua (アクアクア, Akuakua) is a puzzle video game developed by Zed Two, the studio of Ste and John Pickford, for the PlayStation 2. It was published in late 2000 by Imagineer in Japan, and by The 3DO Company in North America and SCi Games in Europe. It is the sequel to Wetrix (1998) and has very similar gameplay; the player, on a landscape, uses Uppers to create walls for enclosures that hold flying water bubbles, contending with hazards like rainstorms, bombs, and ice cubes in the process.

Imagineer commissioned a sequel to Wetrix following the predecessor's critical and commercial success. It was released in 2000 in Europe, North America and Japan as the third PlayStation 2 puzzle game after Fantavision and Super Bust-A-Move, selling 70,000+ copies in the West and 15,000+ in Japan. Aqua Aqua was generally well received by professional critics for its addictiveness, graphics and sound. Criticism was targeted at the steep learning curve, the short length of the Story mode, the fixed camera and loose controls causing imprecise piece placements, and how little advantage was taken with the console's hardware.

›Story

You must use the many different shaped blocks and build dams around the playing field to trap the water, so it won't flow off. In this version there is a story mode, where you must complete each level under a certain time limit to advance to the next.

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Development

Aqua Aqua's predecessor, Wetrix, was developed by Zed Two, a small studio owned by Ste and John Pickford. It was conceived out of a water effects demo done for another one of their own games, Vampire Circus, which became Taz Express (2000). Wetrix and Taz Express were published by Ocean Software out of a two-game deal signed a week before the publisher merged with Infogrames. The game's Nintendo 64 release sold 105,000+ copies in the west and 12,000+ in Japan. Additionally, Wetrix was critically acclaimed for its originality in the puzzle game genre, scoring 8/8/8/7 in Famitsu, the magazine's highest for a Western title in years.

The critical and commercial success motivated Japanese company Imagineer, who developed Wetrix's Game Boy Color port, to commission Zed Two to create a sequel for the PlayStation 2. The Pickfords had several ideas. One major plan was to allow the player to expand the width of the land with the falling Uppers, and Imagineer thought of adding a "weird old man". Ultimately, the only major addition was cute-looking characters, done to make the product more appealing to Japanese audiences.

Reception

Reviews of Aqua Aqua were generally positive. Containing gameplay and graphics identical to Wetrix, it received the same praises and critiques. "Aqua Aqua has its problems, but it's still the best puzzle game yet to grace the PlayStation 2," wrote GameSpot's Shane Satterfield. In the mind of David Zdyrko of IGN, Aqua Aqua "takes the basic gameplay elements that made its prequel so well liked and has added a lot of neat new features and play mechanics".

Aqua Aqua was highlighted for its addictive quality. Its difficulty and fast pace was also of frequent note, as well as the steep learning curve that critics suggested could turn off those not very experienced in puzzle games. Much criticism was directed at how needlessly tricky it was to place pieces accurately, caused by loose control and a fixed, nonadjustable camera angle; German magazine Video Games reported having to start over the first level several times.