Finding Nemo - and searching for lots more! (Finding Nemo (GBA))

Name: chrisandmark

Hello doyoo user, You have to be logged in to use these functions... Login or register Close window

Send message to member

Product:	Finding Nemo (GBA)
Date:	19/03/05 (304 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Brilliant graphics, Gameplay is simple enough to suit everyone

Disadvantages: The fish don't speak

Finding Nemo for GBA is so cool that if it were a vegetable it would be a cucumber. Supposed to be a Christmas present for my 8 year old, I grabbed both game and console in an effort to reunite our beloved Nemo with his dad. And I did it!

The first thing I've got to mention in a review of this game are the graphics. Finding Nemo is a kids game and the developers have kept this in mind by making all the visual effects in the game as cute and colourful and detailed as possible. They've done a cracking job too. The characters are identical to the fish used in the film and the scenery is more or less spot on too, I defy anyone to spot the difference between GBA Nemo and DVD Nemo. They're brilliant.

Gameplay is a piece of proverbial. The very first level contains an excellent tutorial and you'll soon learn that only the 2 buttons on the front of your GBA are used, the shoulder buttons are not included in gameplay at all which makes everything simple enough for even the youngest players. Forwards, backwards, up and down. These are the only things you need to master in order to control your fishy friend. All the fish respond instantly to the touch of a button, which makes for some exciting scenes when you're trying to escape the clutches of a scuba diver!

When I first saw the game I imagined it to be an action type adventure but I quickly realised that Finding Nemo is more puzzle orientated than a lot of other kids films that have been adapted to console games. You're constantly looking for something, whether it's pearls to close a clam (which lets you advance through the maze of levels) or anemones which will restore your health. These things are easy to find, although it's worth keeping an eye out for the pearls and making a mental note of where they are as you'll often pass a pearl and 5 minutes later get to the clam and have to back-track. While the puzzle aspect of the game is pretty straightforward, your reflexes are tested by the fact that for a lot of the time you're being chased by some nasty sea creature intent on tasting Nemo and at the same time you're trying to avoid mines or jellyfish. In the midst of this action you'll need to keep an eye out for air bubbles which (when you've collected enough) will give you access to Dorys memory puzzle game - this is the only 'hidden' aspect of the game so don't imagine you're going to be able to unlock characters or bonus levels as you go along. Cos you can't.

One thing lets Finding Nemo for GBA down. For some (probably cost cutting) reason none of the fish speak. Who doesn't love the cuter-than-cute voice of Nemo in the film? Any dialogue from the fish is printed on the screen rather than audio, also the soundtrack from the film is used in the game but it's disappointingly short clips of music. This is a shame because the addition of the vocal talents of the actors would make for a more 'realistic' gaming experience. Realistic as talking clown fish go, of course...

I completed Finding Nemo in roughly 15 hours, I've spoken to other gamers who have finished the game in 8-20 hours so it's got a pretty short life span for an adult player. You'll need to make a note of passwords along the way in order to save the game which is quite irritating but necessary unless you're planning to complete it in one sitting, which I suppose is possible if you're a hard-core gamer. The 8 year old this game was intended for has now claimed back her GBA and game and is ploughing her way through the levels, finding some aspects of the game boringly simple and other areas frustratingly difficult. It's not a game she'll get bored of in a hurry, and it's one of those games which you can easily put down for a couple of weeks and then go back to and be able to play as if you've never had a break.

We paid £30 for this just before Christmas but checking on Amazon you can now grab a copy for £12.97 which is an absolute bargain! The game has a recommended minimum age of 3+ which I'd say is about right. A young child would enjoy the first couple of levels which are basically navigating Nemo or Marlin through simple levels, but older children will find it challenging as they progress through the game.

Summary: