Feeding Frenzy Review

Feeding Frenzy Review

Review by Brandon

Feeding Frenzy is an exciting arcade game that puts you in control of a very hungry fish always on the lookout for a meal. You want to eat other fish and grow as large as possible, but you'll need to be quick and crafty to avoid becoming a meal yourself. Simple gameplay and two different modes open this game up to a wide range of players. A great presentation and addictive elements add to the fun and make this a good choice for anyone who enjoys arcade games.

Basic Gameplay

You begin each level of Feeding Frenzy in control of a small fish. Your goal is to devour other fish, grow larger, and become the biggest fish. At first, you can only eat other small fish. Once you eat enough of the smaller fish, you'll grow in size and be able to eat larger fish. This pattern continues until you're able to eat every fish and the level ends. It sounds simple enough, but there are a lot of dangers that stand in your way. You can eat other fish, but bigger fish can also eat you. You'll have to carefully dodge them until you've grown enough to turn the tables.

You'll also need to watch out for barracudas, sharks, and killer whales that randomly swim through the level, because they can eat you no matter how large you grow. On top of all that, you'll need to avoid exploding mines and paralyzing jellyfish. Along the way, you'll come across various powerups that might increase your speed or freeze enemies to help you out.

Lots of Levels

There are 40 levels to play throughout the game. As you progress, the type of fish you control changes and becomes larger. Near the end of the game, you control a Killer Whale. Unfortunately, there is little change from level to level or fish to fish. While the background art may be different, or there might be more fish in one level than another, each level is essentially the same. Similarly, even though you control a variety of fish, they really differ only in looks. This can be repetitive and becoming boring after a while.

Game Modes

Feeding Frenzy offers two modes of play. Normal Mode is the easier of the two, and takes you through the game's levels as long as you have lives left. You start with a set number of lives, but can earn many more as you play. Once you've run out of lives, the game ends. However, you do have the option in Normal Mode to begin the game on any level you've played before, which makes it fairly easy for anyone to complete the game.

In Time Attack Mode, you play through the levels as in Normal Mode, but you have a timer for each level instead of lives. You must beat the level before the timer runs out or the game ends (and unlike Normal Mode, you must start over at level one). While these modes aren't exactly the same, there is little difference between them.

No Difficulty Settings

There are no difficulty settings available in Feeding Frenzy, but the two modes can offer different levels of challenges. Normal Mode is easy enough that anyone would eventually be able to complete all of the levels, while Time Attack Mode provides a more difficult experience for players who may have found Normal Mode too easy. Still, difficulty options would have been a nice addition for both modes.

Easy Controls

The controls are not very difficult to learn or to use regardless of skill level or experience. The game does a good job of introducing and explaining controls before you play. You move your fish with the mouse, dash with the Left Mouse button, and can suck up a group of fish with the Right Mouse button. That's all you need to know to begin your quest to become the biggest fish.

Strong Presentation

The great presentation is one of the better parts of Feeding Frenzy. The graphics are simple, but on the same level of many other arcade games. Additionally, the visuals are very colorful. You'll come across a variety of fish with different and vibrant colors. The sound effects also add nice touch, like the chomping sound you hear as you devour another fish. There's even a decent soundtrack to accompany the game as you play. It all comes together to add some positives and make the game better.

Conclusion - A Catchy Game for the Right Player

Overall, Feeding Frenzy is a solid choice for anyone looking for a fun and entertaining arcade game. It might not last long with the repetitive gameplay and the very similar modes of play, but there's something strangely satisfying about devouring as many fish as possible. Simple gameplay and a colorful presentation make this a game anyone can play and enjoy. There's no reason not to give Feeding Frenzy a try.