Feeding Frenzy Review

By Kristan Reed Published 21 March, 2006

Rotten fish.

Version tested: Xbox 360

The only disappointing thing about the 360 Live Arcade at the moment is that Microsoft has done so little with it since it launched five months ago. If the service was utilised properly and continued to give access to new titles every week it could be the company's secret weapon. Giving access to quirky new ideas alongside buffed-up retro classics can be irresistible - it services that need for a quick gaming fix in a way that full-priced titles rarely seem to these days.

Yet since the console launched some five months ago, precious few titles of note have been added to the roster. With only a couple of titles joining the line up every month, Microsoft seems - bizarrely - content to largely rehash the same line-up that comprised its original attempt at Xbox Live Arcade.

And while the Redmond giant sits on its hands and does demonstrably very little to take advantage of the service, there's the very real possibility that its rivals could utterly steal its thunder when the Nintendo Revolution launches, delivering a fair chunk of the company's 8, 16 and 64-bit back catalogue for download from day one, while Sony looks set to do something similar when the PS3 launches in November.

Suspect

'Feeding Frenzy' Screenshot jelly

Watch out for speed sapping Jellyfish and the poison mutant fish.

With all the ballyhoo surrounding the PS3 and the launch of The Outfit and Burnout Revenge on 360, it's hardly a surprise that the re-release of Feeding Frenzy last week on the 360 Live Arcade didn't exactly inspire a fanfare - even at its pick-up-and-play price of 800 points (just under seven quid) - because, frankly, even at that price it offers questionable value for money.

At first, the gameplay is utterly charming in its simplicity, and promises the same kind of instant thrills that many of the other great Live Arcade titles offer. The idea is to guide a wee little fishy around a single screen environment gobbling up all the smaller fish and avoid being eaten until you, yourself, become one of the bigger fish. Once you've grown, you get to work your way up the food chain and snaffle up the fish you've been avoiding. Not only does this give you more choice over what's on the menu, but also the chance to go on the sort of feeding frenzies that allow you to fill up your food bar and finish the level.

Along the way, your abilities improve, such as the ability to suck in everything around you, but in the main you'll rely on bonuses and temporary power-ups as and when they appear. For most of the game, you can try and pluck pearls from the oysters on the sea bed or snatch the floating starfish for points, but more useful ones appear if you're willing to take the risk and sneak between the big fish. Things like bubble protection, score doublers, extra lives, speed boosts help, but it's the little critters that propel you around the screen at great velocity that are most useful, allowing you to automatically clear up everything edible on the screen. But, regardless of your abilities, size or speed, the principle of eat or be eaten continues throughout the game's 40 levels. Essentially you'll just sit and play until you either get bored or manage to grow big enough to make the shark think twice about messing with you - at which point the game ends anyway.

No more goes

'Feeding Frenzy' Screenshot dog

Dog eat dogfish.

Sure, the occasional bonus level appears to break up the pattern, tasking you with hoovering up whatever unfortunate marine life appears within a strict time limit, but other than that, it's largely the same throughout. It's a shame, because at first it seems as quirky as Katamari, dramatically growing in size and engulfing everything in your path. Why Feeding Frenzy doesn�t extend beyond sharks and have you swallowing submarines, ocean liners and terrorising beaches is beyond us. The game stops some way short of offering any kind of longevity; in fact you'll easily be able to clear all 40 levels on your first go if you've got an hour or so to spare. With not even a difficulty setting to tweak, it's highly unlikely you'll want to ever play it again - it just doesn't have that one more go appeal. If anything, you'll be hard pressed to see it through to the end, because the monotony sets in quite early on.

Admittedly, the Time Attack mode is far more challenging and requires a much more determined attitude to get through each level. With a strict time limit ticking down, you find yourself paying far more attention to stringing together the combos you need to work through the layers of growth, with the trick being to keep chomping one after the other so your Feeding Frenzy bar doesn't drop back down. If you fail to complete the level within the time limit, it's Game Over, with no second chances. And as soon as you tire of Time Attack, that's your lot.

Technically it's as simple and cheery as you'd expect from a 360 Live Arcade game, offering charming animation and cute design (and in high def, let's not forget!), but ultimately nothing that test the 360's capabilities in a remotely interesting way. Typically, the same goes for the rather empty audio. It's as if Sprout Games went for as basic a port as possible, although its technical failings are the least of its worries, to be honest.

If you're a hardened Xbox Live Arcade collector and have 800 points to spare, then take our advice and save them for something better. There's a free demo to download which will give you more than enough gameplay - the remainder of the levels really are just more of the same, and aren�t particularly challenging at that. Microsoft's Live Arcade offerings are generally well worth the asking price, but Feeding Frenzy, sadly, isn't one of them.

3 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (21) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Mildew #1 6 years ago

    Totally agree! I've seen better games on the back of cereal boxes!

  • thegamesthething #2 6 years ago

    heres an idea - review Geometry Wars instead of this load of old cobblers - you might just have more fun
    Edited by 1 at 21/03/06 @ 12:17

  • oldfruit #3 6 years ago

    Now that's a great marketing idea - giving redeemable Microsoft Points tokens on the back of Weetabix boxes!

  • kaosridder #4 6 years ago

    Its for kids you narrowminded reviewer, is that so hard to fathom? Agegroup 4-8 years. Get those to review it!
    Arcade is not only for your sake but also the younger audience. I can assure you that the little ones are having an ace time with this one.
    Edited by 1 at 21/03/06 @ 12:24

  • Cyhwuhx #5 6 years ago

    .::: The flOw thesis-webgame does the same but is far better and far more engaging.

    http://inti huatani.usc.edu/cloud/flowing/

    I love Live Arcade to bits, but more and different games would be appreciated. It's becoming a bit stale after the excellent something-for-everyone launch.

  • TwistidChimp #6 6 years ago

    just cause its for kids doesn't mean it can get away with being crap imo. There are plenty of simplistic games on live that are also fun.

  • mcmonkeyplc #7 6 years ago

    I agree! This game wasn't worth the 30 mins it took me to download!

    God knows why it took 30 mins its only 30mb. Perhaps a hint from MS that its not worth it.

    Oh and why is there review for Geometry wars evolved? You did say it was ace in your feature on Xbox live arcade but it wasn't a review.

    Anyway Kalel has reviewed it for the people :)

    edit: missing word hoooooooo

    Edited by 1 at 21/03/06 @ 12:30

  • Xerx3s #8 6 years ago

    Thats most likely your connection, only took me 10 mins. :\

  • TipTop #9 6 years ago

    Is this the Oblivion review? No? Well let it be known I am now only interested in an Oblivion review. Do not clutter my little mind with this tosh.
    Edited by 1 at 21/03/06 @ 12:41

  • Halo.Jones #10 6 years ago

    Jeez, are you guys are really struggling for stuff to review or what?

    Wanted to play this at home, but I'm not prepared to piss about and swap cables so I can play a shitty flash game in PAL 60...

  • kaosridder #11 6 years ago

    TwistidChimp - that 4-8 years old can play? Dont think so

  • Carrybagma #12 6 years ago

    If the service was utilised properly and continued to give access to new titles every week it could be the company's secret weapon.

    Too right. It's the most interesting thing about the 360 for me. They could just release the entire UltimatePTG/RARE back catalogues (obv. minus Nintendo IP) and find a whole bunch of people who'd give them a whirl.

    It would be oh so typical of Microsoft to leave it until the Rev is released, allowing Nintendo to do it properly and steal all the glory.

  • Fairlane #13 6 years ago

    I can only say that my 4 year old boy loves the hell out of it. SO finally I have a game that he can play on my precious

  • gizmo #14 6 years ago

    Downloaded this out of curiosity.

    Maybe kids would enjoy it, but it seems steep to pay £7 ish for a game that could be written in less than a week by a single bloke.

  • Mildew #15 6 years ago

    They should offer free MS points to those who manage to get all acheivements in an arcade title or over a certain amount? Some of them are more than hard enough to obtain...the Grand Pearl Pooh-Bah springs to mind!

  • bloodflowers #16 6 years ago

    "Maybe kids would enjoy it, but it seems steep to pay £7 ish for a game that could be written in less than a week by a single bloke."

    Go on then.

    At the end of the first week, you'll find you're halfway through the graphics. Maybe.

  • oldfruit #17 6 years ago

    "Maybe kids would enjoy it, but it seems steep to pay £7 ish for a game that could be written in less than a week by a single bloke. "

    Back in the eighties, young man, I used to regularly pay £40 for games that WERE written in less than a week by a single bloke.

  • krudster #18 6 years ago

    Did you? I was paying £2.99. You woz robbed!

  • gaijin #19 6 years ago

    aye. in't eighties you could buy t'computer for forty pound.

  • gizmo #20 6 years ago

    "Go on then.

    At the end of the first week, you'll find you're halfway through the graphics. Maybe. "


    But at least all the code would be finished :)

  • Fatnick #21 6 years ago

    Arrgh. When will people learn thee secret to this kinde of service is the pricing? If i can get Joust for 400 points why the hell would anyone want to pay double for this?

  • TheChojin #22 6 years ago

    Tengu is 4 - 8 years old and it's true he loves this little gem!