Insaniquarium

Insaniquarium
Developer(s)	Flying Bear Entertainment
Publisher(s)	PopCap Games
Designer(s)	George Fan[1]
Engine	PopCap Games Framework
Platform(s)	Java, Palm OS, Windows Mobile,[2] Windows
Release date(s)	September 1, 2004[3]
Genre(s)	Puzzle, virtual pets
Mode(s)	Single player
Distribution	Download, CD

Insaniquarium is a computer game created by Flying Bear Entertainment and PopCap Games. The title is a portmanteau of the words insanity and aquarium.

Insaniquarium Deluxe features pets, various modes of gameplay, and a type of currency called "shells". Shells are collected as the game progresses, and they can be used to create a custom Insaniquarium screen saver, to buy bonus pets or to increase the number of pets allowed in each tank.

Development

The first version of the game, developed by Flying Bear Entertainment, is Java-based and available as a free online game.^[4] During development a member of the team purchased a goldfish and examined its movements and behaviour.^[5] Shortly after, a PDA version was released. The latest version, Insaniquarium Deluxe, was released in September 2004 for PC.

Gameplay

Player uses the mouse to feed fish and fight aliens

Players must manage a tank of guppies and other aquatic creatures, each stage begins with two guppies in the tank or one breeder which creates guppies.^[6] Guppies and other fish drop money, which can be collected by the player and used to purchase fish food and upgrades, such as more aquatic creatures, more filling food, and powerful lasers to repel attackers.^[7] Each creature must be kept alive by feeding, whether through fish food bought by the player or other species of fish in the tank. In addition to feeding fish, the player must protect the fish from aliens that periodically enter the tank and attempt to eat the fish. The aliens must be clicked on repeatedly with the mouse pointer in order to defeat them.^[8] The deluxe version of Insaniquarium contains eight different aliens, but in the original Java version there are four.

Insaniquarium can be played in Adventure, Time Trial, Challenge Mode, or Virtual Tank. A secret sandbox mode can be accessed when the player wins a silver or a golden trophy, by entering the Konami Code at the main menu screen - it allows full access to unlimited amounts of fish, pets and aliens.

In adventure mode, a player advances through five tanks. Tanks 1-4 have five levels but Tank 5 has only one level in which a player must beat Cyrax, the final boss in order to complete the game. Each level the player must earn enough money to buy 3 egg pieces to advance to the next level. For the first time playing the game, at the end of each level of a tank, the player receives a new pet from the egg. Initially, up to 3 pets could be brought to the tank to help the player, though the player could buy the privilege to bring more pets each level later on with more shells.

Time Trial mode restricts the player to completing the first tank in five minutes and in ten minutes for the three subsequent tanks. Egg pieces no longer count towards finishing a level, but instead add a random pet into the tank (always starting with three pets). Each piece cost doubles the previous one, with the first shell starting at $100. The goal of the Time Trial mode is to make as much money as possible; a 5% of the total money earned will be transformed into shells.

Challenge mode is similar to Adventure mode, but the cost of each item on the board rises by 1% for every five seconds of game time. Buying an egg piece resets the cost of all of the items except for the other egg pieces (the current price will freeze), and several seconds afterwards the costs will start to rise again. The difficulty and number of aliens allowed in the tank also rise as time progresses. Unlike in the adventure mode, after five minutes all purchase options are open so that there is no need to purchase specific upgrades or special fish to be able to buy other items or egg pieces.

The virtual tank mode is where a player can use shells earned during the Adventure/Time Trial/Challenge modes to buy virtual fish in the tank. These fish also get hungry but they never die, and instead, they have mood levels in which they get depressed when neglected. All fish in virtual tanks lay shells instead of coins.

Aliens

• Sylvester: The weakest alien. An eyeless dark blue alien with the least health and a tail. He eats fish but only eats one every couple of seconds. Debuts in Tank 1-2.
• Balrog: A cross between a lion and merman with a yellow-orange color and dreadlocks. Behaves the same as Sylvester but he has a little more health than him. Debuts in Tank 1-4.
• Gus: A fat alien that is humanoid with a fish tail, is immune to blasters (until the final level and Sandbox when there is another alien) and must be fed pellets until he blows up. He can eat multiple fish at once. Debuts in Tank 2-3.
• Destructor: A ground assault robot that doesn't eat fish, but fires missiles at its targets to kill fish. Missiles can be destroyed by the player's weapons. Debuts in Tank 2-4 in tanks 3 and 4 usually accompanied by ulysses the alien
• Psychosquid: Despite the name "Psychosquid" he is a six armed octopus equipped with a fork, a meat cleaver and a flyswatter. He can eat multiple fish at once. He has a dormant mode where he turns sky blue and if shot, can regain health instead of losing it. Debuts in Tank 3-3.
• Ulysses: A rock made cyclops or golem that fires energy balls and does ground assaults like Destructor. Energy balls can't be destroyed, but can be deflected back at Ulysses, damaging him. The energy balls are more dangerous when deflected because they could kill any fish in their way. Debuts in Tank 3-4 in the tank 4 is usually accompanied by destructor
• Bilaterus: A two-headed skeleton snake that must have both his skulls destroyed. He can eat multiple fish at once with either heads, and need to be destroyed by destroying one head first and then moving on to the other
• Dr. Cyrax: The commander of all aliens. He is the final boss which takes over a hundred clicks to destroy. He can't hurt anybody directly but he sends out mini-Sylvesters and other aliens which can.
• Mini-Sylvester(s): Aliens that Cyrax throws out that go for the pets in the final boss tank.

Types of Fish

• Guppy: Just a regular fish that the player has to feed, so it can grow and lay coins. If there are no more fish left in the tank, it's game over. Debut in Tank 1.
• Breeder: A special type of guppy that, instead of laying coins, gives birth to baby guppies. They are only seen in Tank 4 when the player is unable to buy guppies.
• Star Guppy: When an adult guppy is fed a Star Potion, the guppy will now lay stars worth $40. Only seen in Tank 2. Debut in Tank 2-1.
• Carnivore: A type of fish that eats baby guppies but lays diamonds worth $200. Seen in Tanks 1 and 4. Debut in Tank 1-3 if not used gumbo will continue
• Starcatcher: A creature that needs to catch stars laid by the star guppy, and it returns diamonds. Only seen in Tank 2 Debut in Tank 2-1.
• Guppycruncher: A crab Just like the carnivore, it eats baby guppies. It only stays on the ground level, but can jump. It releases beetles worth $150. Only seen in Tank 3 if not used gumbo will continue
• Beetlemuncher: They eat the beetles produced by the guppycrunchers, and lay pearls worth $500. Only seen in Tank 3 if not used gumbo will continue
• Ultravore: They eat carnivores, and lay treasure chests worth $2000. Only seen in Tank 4 if not used gumbo will continue
• Crowned Guppy: When a guppy is kept for approximately ten minutes without dying, it becomes a blue crowned guppy and lays diamonds.

Pets

• Stinky: Stinky is a snail who roams around the bottom of the tank, collecting coins in the tank. If Nimbus repeatedly prevents him from collecting coins, he will turn red.
• Niko: Niko is a cyan oyster which every once in a while opens mouth and the player can collect the pearl in the mouth for $200.
• Itchy: Itchy is a turquoise swordfish which helps the player fight aliens, though does small amounts of damage.
• Prego: Prego is a breeder/momma fish who gives birth to guppies once in a while.
• Zorf: Zorf is a seahorse which helps feed the player's fish.
• Clyde: Clyde is a blue jellyfish who helps the player collect coins but is not confined to the bottom like Stinky.
• Vert: Vert is a fish skeleton who lays gold coins like an adult guppy but does not require to be fed.
• Rufus: Rufus is a fiddler crab who helps do heavy damage against aliens, but is confined to the bottom of the tank.
• Meryl: Meryl is a mermaid who sings once in a while to cause all guppies to lay three coins each in rapid succession.
• Wadsworth: Wadsworth is a blue whale whom if an alien arrives, he swallows the small and medium-sized guppies (though not large guppies) to protect them from aliens. Once the alien threat is eliminated, Wadsworth will let the guppies back out into the fish tank.
• Seymour: Seymour is a turtle who makes coins fall slower when he is present.
• Shrapnel: Shrapnel is a robot fish who drops a bomb once in a while. If clicked upon with the mouse, the bomb will award the player with $250. It is suggested to click on the bomb quickly, since the bomb will kill any fish on contact.
• Gumbo: Gumbo is an angler fish who helps lure all guppies away from aliens during an alien attack, though the fish are still vulnerable to being eaten or killed. Breeders will continue. Carnivores, guppycruncher, ultravores, and beetlemuncher will not follow.
• Blip: Blip is a white porpoise who opens up all the purchase options in the beginning of the game. He would also indicate that fish are hungry before they turn green, and he could locate the entry point and the hit points of aliens.
• Rhubarb: Rhubarb is a hermit crab who prevents guppies from staying in the bottom of the tank.
• Nimbus: Nimbus is a manta ray who throws food pellets and coins up the tank to give the player more chances to collect coins and for fish to get to the food pellets.
• Amp: Amp is a black electric eel who takes a while to charge up. When Amp charges up, the player can click on him and he would electrocute the tank and kill all but one guppy and turns them into diamonds.
• Gash: Gash is an orange shark who helps the player do heavy damage to aliens. However, he will eat one of the player’s guppies once in a while, regardless of guppy size.
• Angie: Angie is an angelfish who can help revive fish who have died from hunger or alien missiles, but not fish eaten by aliens.
• Presto: Presto is a tadpole who can change into any other pet, but after changing, it takes time for him to recharge and be able to change into something else.
• Brinkley: Brinkley is a scuba diving elephant whom if you feed him enough times, he will spit out stars and other things which can be used for money.
• Nostradamus: Nostradamus is a nose who sneezes when an alien approaches to postpone alien attacks. He occasionally gives snot droplets that gives $1 or if a guppy eats, it will turn into a nose, but if all guppies are turned into a nose the level is failed.
• Stanley: Stanley is a sea serpent(with flippers) who helps defeat aliens by throwing balls during alien attacks.
• Walter: Walter is a penguin who, if he punches a fish or a pet, makes them do their ability (e.g., laying coins).

References

External links

• Insaniquarium Homepage
• Flying Bear Entertainment
• Guide, FAQ, Forum and Resource Center, officially supported by Flying Bear