'Fishy' games are making an App Store splash
— -- Whether you're a pet goldfish who discovers freedom in a wild creek or trying to navigate trap-laden tanks inside of Freshwater High School, two new fish-themed games are swimming up the Top 10 list at Apple's App Store.
Both for iOS devices — namely, iPhone, iPad or iPod touch — dreamfab's Chasing Yello and Disney's Fish Hooks are not only fun digital diversions, but free for the time being.
Chasing Yello is an arcade-like action game that tests your reflexes and dexterity, while Fish Hooks, based on a Disney Channel show, is a challenging physics-based puzzler.
Here's a closer look at each fishy offering.
Chasing Yello ( dreamfab.com; age- rated 9+; 3.5 stars out of 4)
Escape is the name of the game. You play as a hapless goldfish on the run (er, swim) away from your abusive 7-year-old keeper, Mathilda.
By avoiding Mathilda's net and steering clear of the dangerous obstacles in the wild creek — including logs, piranhas, rocks and banks — you must swim for as long as you can.
To control Yello, simply tilt the device left or right to avoid hazards. Swiping up on the screen makes the goldfish jump over objects; swiping down dives below them. You'll collect many stars along the way that can be used as currency in an in-game store to purchase better power-ups. These include a shield for temporary invulnerability, a magnet to suck in nearby stars, a rocket to quickly propel you forward and more.
You'll also tackle various goals in this game, such as "Avoid hitting the banks for 250 meters in one game," "Upgrade a power-up in the shop" or "Don't collect stars for 150 meters." There are always three goals to achieve at any one time.
A clever combination of iOS hits like Temple Run and Jetpack Joyride, this game also includes support for Game Center leaderboards — so you can show off your prowess to other players — as well as the option to post your score to Facebook or Twitter.
Be sure to snag the entertaining Chasing Yello while you can, as the developer says it won't be free indefinitely.
Fish Hooks ( disney.go.com; age-rated 4+; 3.0 stars out of 4)
If you prefer slower-paced puzzles, Disney's Fish Hooks is an underwater physics-based adventure starring Milo the fish (a self-proclaimed "party guy") and his funny friends from Freshwater High.
It seems the sarcastic Randy Pincherson, a menacing fiddler crab, has created a number of malevolent mazes to trap his schoolmates. You play as Milo — and later on, other characters — who attempt to navigate through these treacherous waters to escape unharmed.
Gameplay involves studying the level, figuring out what to avoid and bouncing, floating and diving to the tube that sucks you to the next level. For example, you'll tap to place (or pop) bubbles to push objects in a given direction, such as altering the direction of a log so you can slide down it. You'll also bounce off turtle shells and avoid rough coral that means instant death if touched.
While advancing through the 50 levels of "marine madness," you'll also be able to collect up to three apples per level. This adds some replayability as you might go back to a previously completed level to see if you can score three apples instead of only one or two.
At the end of each of the five worlds (fish tanks) is a kind of minigame, be it a basketball challenge or trying to get an anvil to fall on the bully Jocktopus.
As seen in the various story sequences, the game is voiced by the same actors as the television series. While repetitive, the music is fun and upbeat.
While you can unlock your friends to use instead of Milo — such as Oscar, Koi and Clamantha — it's too bad the gameplay seems to be the exact same; the game could have been a little more interesting and challenging had each character offer its own unique abilities.
Overall, however, Disney's Fish Hooks is a fun, free and fresh puzzler worth fishing out of the App Store.
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Contact Saltzman at techcomments@usatoday.com.
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