Aqua Aqua- PS2 Underrated Gem Gameplay Sample
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Even though I always wanted
Even though I always wanted to, I never got around to picking up Wetrix for the N64 or Dreamcast which was a unique puzzle game. I did, however, end up picking it's nearly unheard of sequel on the PS2 called Aqua Aqua. Wetrix is mildly known, more so among N64 gamers, but Aqua Aqua is almost completely forgotten about among PS2 gamers. I've owned this game for less than 20 years, but more than ten. I don't remember when I picked it up, but my copy still has a blockbuster sale sticker on it.
Aqua qua is a simple, yet complicated puzzle game that is incredibly short in it's single player mode, yet still incredibly addictive. Players use geometric shapes that fall from the sky to create lakes to hold the water which also falls from the sky. It basically takes the falling block gameplay of tetris, takes it into 3D where those blocks are used to form lakes and pools to house water. If too much water escapes the side of the playing field, and fills the gauge on the right side of the screen, it's game over. Eventually, a fire ball powerup will fall from the sky to be used to evaporate the water and score points, which also reduces the water in the water gauge. The more water you evaporate the more points. As the water level rises players have to stack the landscape pieces higher to keep it from flowing over the side.
Every so often, bombs will also fall from the sky, forcing the user to steer them to a safe part of the map to explode as they blow a hole through the bottom of the map which requires landscape pieces to repair. If you landscape pieces stack up too high it will trigger an earthquake which will decimate the landscape, flattening parts of it, allowing all the water to fall off the side which is very hard to stop the flow of after an earthquake. There are also pieces called downers that fall from the sky that lower the level of the ground, strategic use of lowers the earthquake risk.
After the first round, an ice cube will start falling from the sky and freezing all the water in which ever lake it lands in causing the the subsequent dropped in that lake to freeze as well. The ice can be melted by using a fireball, or waiting for a Rainbow which shows up after a certain amount of water powerups have fallen on the landscape. Every level gained in the game causes the game speed to increase. Players can also play bingo, using the square grid to hit a bingo and unlock powerups for a limited time as well.
The game is definitely complicated to learn at first, and is hard to master. I am still terrible at this game, as I have yet to master the scoring and bonus system, but am always addictively drawn into it's gameplay every time I boot it up. There are three modes of play: Story, quick puzzle, and versus for two player battles against a friend.
The story mode is incredibly short with a whopping four levels to play. You can easily beat this game in one sitting. My only big complaint is the game forces you to play the training mode before story mode or versus modes are unlocked. I hate forced training modes, and I gritted my teeth through the training mode just to play the story mode. Completing the training mode opens up the story mode.
That being said, the gameplay is so addictive, I found myself losing hours upon hours coming back to play the puzzle mode, which the endless trial mode where the game lasts as long as the player can survive. Even if I am terrible at this game, I've lost hours to this mode just in recording the footage for this review. I'm pretty sure I have hours more footage than I will ever use. I would forget I was capturing footage, and just got absorbed into the game. I love relaxing and enjoying a good puzzle game, and the endless replayability of the puzzle mode alone makes up for the brevity of the single player mode. The Puzzle mode alone will keep you coming back for more long after you beat the story mode.
The Bottom Line: Aqua Aqua joins the likes of Bombastic on the list of the most underrated puzzle game sequels on the PS2, and is one of the most addictive, underrated offerings in the PS2's library of mostly overlooked, underrated puzzle game offerings. There is a serious lack of love for PS2 puzzle games,people, and Aqua Aqua is the Wetrix sequel that I would wager a guess most fans of the original never even knew existed. Having not played the original I cannot comment on how it stacks up to Wetrix, but I can say: this is an absurdly addictive game that is both simple, yet complicated. Once you learn the mechanics Aqua Aqua will prompt you to give it hours upon hours of your time. The game is still sitting around the $10 mark WITH shipping as of this video, and for $10, outside of Bombastic which is the unappreciated sequel to Devil Dice, you won't find a better puzzle game on the PS2 at that price. Seriously, buy them both for the best one-two punch of puzzle gaming the PS2 has to offer.
#ps2 #underratedgem #retrogaming
Aqua qua is a simple, yet complicated puzzle game that is incredibly short in it's single player mode, yet still incredibly addictive. Players use geometric shapes that fall from the sky to create lakes to hold the water which also falls from the sky. It basically takes the falling block gameplay of tetris, takes it into 3D where those blocks are used to form lakes and pools to house water. If too much water escapes the side of the playing field, and fills the gauge on the right side of the screen, it's game over. Eventually, a fire ball powerup will fall from the sky to be used to evaporate the water and score points, which also reduces the water in the water gauge. The more water you evaporate the more points. As the water level rises players have to stack the landscape pieces higher to keep it from flowing over the side.
Every so often, bombs will also fall from the sky, forcing the user to steer them to a safe part of the map to explode as they blow a hole through the bottom of the map which requires landscape pieces to repair. If you landscape pieces stack up too high it will trigger an earthquake which will decimate the landscape, flattening parts of it, allowing all the water to fall off the side which is very hard to stop the flow of after an earthquake. There are also pieces called downers that fall from the sky that lower the level of the ground, strategic use of lowers the earthquake risk.
After the first round, an ice cube will start falling from the sky and freezing all the water in which ever lake it lands in causing the the subsequent dropped in that lake to freeze as well. The ice can be melted by using a fireball, or waiting for a Rainbow which shows up after a certain amount of water powerups have fallen on the landscape. Every level gained in the game causes the game speed to increase. Players can also play bingo, using the square grid to hit a bingo and unlock powerups for a limited time as well.
The game is definitely complicated to learn at first, and is hard to master. I am still terrible at this game, as I have yet to master the scoring and bonus system, but am always addictively drawn into it's gameplay every time I boot it up. There are three modes of play: Story, quick puzzle, and versus for two player battles against a friend.
The story mode is incredibly short with a whopping four levels to play. You can easily beat this game in one sitting. My only big complaint is the game forces you to play the training mode before story mode or versus modes are unlocked. I hate forced training modes, and I gritted my teeth through the training mode just to play the story mode. Completing the training mode opens up the story mode.
That being said, the gameplay is so addictive, I found myself losing hours upon hours coming back to play the puzzle mode, which the endless trial mode where the game lasts as long as the player can survive. Even if I am terrible at this game, I've lost hours to this mode just in recording the footage for this review. I'm pretty sure I have hours more footage than I will ever use. I would forget I was capturing footage, and just got absorbed into the game. I love relaxing and enjoying a good puzzle game, and the endless replayability of the puzzle mode alone makes up for the brevity of the single player mode. The Puzzle mode alone will keep you coming back for more long after you beat the story mode.
The Bottom Line: Aqua Aqua joins the likes of Bombastic on the list of the most underrated puzzle game sequels on the PS2, and is one of the most addictive, underrated offerings in the PS2's library of mostly overlooked, underrated puzzle game offerings. There is a serious lack of love for PS2 puzzle games,people, and Aqua Aqua is the Wetrix sequel that I would wager a guess most fans of the original never even knew existed. Having not played the original I cannot comment on how it stacks up to Wetrix, but I can say: this is an absurdly addictive game that is both simple, yet complicated. Once you learn the mechanics Aqua Aqua will prompt you to give it hours upon hours of your time. The game is still sitting around the $10 mark WITH shipping as of this video, and for $10, outside of Bombastic which is the unappreciated sequel to Devil Dice, you won't find a better puzzle game on the PS2 at that price. Seriously, buy them both for the best one-two punch of puzzle gaming the PS2 has to offer.
#ps2 #underratedgem #retrogaming
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