Super Rub'a'Dub Review

By Richard Leadbetter Published 13 April, 2007

Rub a duck.

Version tested: PlayStation 3

It has been five months since the PlayStation 3 was first released, and it's curious to note that support for the Sixaxis controller is still somewhat thin on the ground. Sure, we've had the odd spot of lacklustre optional support (MotorStorm, Virtua Tennis 3, Need for Speed and Q*Bert spring to mind) but there's been nothing to test the Sixaxis motion sensor as a precision controller; no showcase game to suggest that wobbling your joypad about offers anything better than using the bog standard analogue controls. SCEA's flOw boasted full motion-sensitive support of course, but its ketamine-fuelled pace was barely a test of the controller's mettle.

Enter Super Rub'a'Dub; a Sixaxis-based title that charges you with the task of guiding a plastic mother duck around a series of bath-time derived aquatic mazes, popping bubbles to free trapped ducklings and then guiding them through to the exit. Rather than control the maternally-driven fowl directly with the analogue stick, you move about by tilting the entire gameplay arena using the PS3 controller. Everything on-screen not encased in a bubble is affected by your movements, a state of affairs most dramatically demonstrated by shaking the joypad sharply - an action that sends everything flying into the air, useful for levels that require you to jump from area to area.

Clockwork sharks infest the majority of the game's 60 levels and wildly shaking the Sixaxis reaps rewards here too, as all but the largest predators can be tossed onto their backs and then flushed away from the gameplay arena with a skilled twist of the controller. However, the biggest challenges facing you are the ebbs and flows of the on-screen waterways. Here's where absolute control of the Sixaxis is required in order to battle the tides and stay on-course. As you progress into the game's trickiest levels, the power of the tides becomes far more pronounced, accentuating the challenge and pushing the control method beyond its limits and into the realms of gaming annoyance.

'Super Rub'a'Dub' Screenshot 1

The core of the problem is that you never feel quite sure of the accuracy or the limits of the Sixaxis. Just as a current begins to sweep you away, you instinctively adjust the controller to counteract the effect, but you never quite know whether you have enough tilt at your command to successfully battle against the tide. This makes key sections of the game's later stages little more than trial and error, and immensely frustrating. There's also the small matter of the game's water physics being far more precise and potentially impactful than the control method you have to compensate - hit a certain point of a wave at speed and you're sent flying, and there's nothing the Sixaxis can do to stop you and your duckling charges hurtling off the edge of the level. As the controls are not precise enough to let you control how you hit the water in the first place, it all becomes rather frustrating - a test of luck over actual skill.

Control niggles aside, Super Rub'a'Dub has a lot of positives that make it a compelling purchase at its initial GBP 3.49 price point. While the concept is staggeringly simple, it's fun and extremely easy to get into. The Sixaxis control method might feel slightly unwieldy to joypad veterans, but it's different and rewarding enough to feel fresh, and has a mainstream appeal that doesn't alienate core gamers. Graphically, Super Rub'a'Dub keeps things simple, but it's still a good looking game - the water effects are very attractive and the physics make everything look and feel just right. It's also another native 1080p title, with no perceivable performance shortcomings compared to running it in 720p - another technical feather in the cap for UK developers Sumo Digital.

'Super Rub'a'Dub' Screenshot 2

Internet gameplay and simultaneous two-player options are absent, but the online leaderboards do actually increase replay value for a change, as opposed to making you feel like a club-fisted gaming simpleton. It's possible to download and view the best players at work on each level, and this spurs you on to try again and improve your performance, giving you new ideas on how to tackle a particularly bothersome stage. While Super Rub'a'Dub is by necessity a content-lite game, it does feel as though some degree of thought has been put into what it does offer, and you can't help but appreciate that.

We're still waiting for a title to validate Sony's pre-release claims for the Sixaxis concept. All the evidence in Super Rub'a'Dub suggests that for non-demanding gameplay, it makes the grade but the motion sensor just isn't crisp enough for precision control. This does lead to the unfortunate (if predictable) conclusion that Sixaxis is a novelty, with very definite limitations. While the lack of absolute control has the unfortunate effect of making Super Rub'a'Dub a repetitious annoyance when you reach its hardest levels, there's more than enough fun overall to warrant the game's GBP 3.49 introductory price tag. I'm not sure it's worth much more than that though, so you're best off downloading the trial levels pronto and giving them a whirl before the price is hiked on 23rd May.

6 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Richard.

About Richard Leadbetter

Rich has been a games journalist since the days of 16-bit and specialises in technical analysis. Commonly known around Eurogamer as the Blacksmith of the Future.

Read more articles from Richard by visiting the Richard Leadbetter archive page.

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Comments (62) Latest comment 3 years ago

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

  • Tejstar #1 5 years ago

    Thought it should have got higher - great fun at for £3.49 you can't complain!

  • McBradders #2 5 years ago

    The review is fair, I think, a fun little distraction between meatier endeavours. Certainly more than worth the money all things considered.

  • lennon #3 5 years ago

    Really didnt like it. Found the controls rather clunky.

  • JediMasterMalik #4 5 years ago

    Was expecting lower tbh, didn't really like it and thought it was too unresponsive.

  • peterfll #5 5 years ago

    I'm in the astionishing position of agreeing with exactly what JMM has just said.

  • T4RG4 #6 5 years ago

    I think sixaxis is a waste of time, seriously... Its a case of some games 'trying' to use the device rather than 'wanting' to.

  • JediMasterMalik #7 5 years ago

    To be fair though, flOw uses the sixaxis perfectly imo.

    /balance restored :D

  • Cider-X #8 5 years ago

    599 us $

  • lennon #9 5 years ago

    The thing is with this game is that it would have been a waste of time had it been traditionally controlled. The idea ia reasonable one just either the games execution was off or the sixaxis really isnt very good.

  • skillian #10 5 years ago

    ketamine-fuelled pace

    Hah! Perfect description of fl0w. :D

  • Dezm0nd #11 5 years ago

    I don't own a PS3, but 6 out of 10 for a game which costs less than a weekday lunch in london isn't bad going.

  • alpha-0ne #12 5 years ago

    Wow for the last few reviews i have been bang on with my ratings and what eurogamer have given i bought the game ... lost interest after a few hours though but for £3.50 i dont really care

    6/10 sounds right to me

  • brokenkey #13 5 years ago

    Are those screen shots from the Wii version?

  • Dezm0nd #14 5 years ago

    I'm sure the Wii couldn't handle those water effects ;)

    I love my wii, wheres my super paper mario!!

  • TheJanitor #15 5 years ago

    the motion sensing allied with first person view in MotorStorm is awesome, if you give it 10 minutes to get used to it. a lot of people are missing out in this great experience.

  • Beano #16 5 years ago

    Not as good as Boom Boom Rocket then?

    EG writers are on drugs...

  • gaijin #17 5 years ago

    from what I've heard from one particular dev involved in a PS3 launch title, the first they heard of the 6-axis was when Sony made their public annoucement, which would explain why some of the implementations seemed bolted on rather than fully integrated...

  • Arwin #18 5 years ago

    I agree with TheJanitor. Motorstorm controls great with the sixaxis, and each time I go into a store that has the demo-pod, I tell people about this feature, help them change the settings, and away they go, taking to it immediately. Same thing with non-gamers. It's delightfully precise.

    Same thing goes for this game. I got a 6th position here and there on the leaderboards, and it's definitely very precise. You're just forgetting that your muscles still have to learn about these kinds of controls. After some practice, you can even control the size of your jumps to some degree.

    But it does take a while before you master it, and before your brain separates out the different factors at play (the water effects versus the tilt controls, timing of jumps, etc.) - which is rather different for the shark in the bonus levels for instance, for which you need to influence the direction of its snapping jaws.

    For this price, the game deserves a much better score.

  • woodnotes #19 5 years ago

    This game is so sh*t it is beyond words. Seriously, I liked Flow, Gripshift is fun, Lemmings is good, Tekken DR is amazing value, Blast Factor is a bit crap compared to MS:R and GW on XBLA, but, RUB A DUB IS TERRIBLE.

    Absolutely awful. The most pointless middle-of-the-road crap ever. Even my girfriend thought it was awful.

    2/10 from me. And the 2 is for the nice water effects.

  • Moz #20 5 years ago

    This seems to be reviewing Sixaxis more then the game.

    The game is everything i'd expect for £3.50

    As for Sixaxis, For games like this and Super Monkey ball it's great, other applications not so go.

    From playing this with Sixaxis, and Monkey ball and Sonic and the secret rings on the Wii.

    I'd say that Sixaxis' motion sensers are as good if not a little better then the ones found in the Wiimote. Though the difference probably comes from being able to grip sixaxis with 2 hands better then you can the wiimote.

  • woodnotes #21 5 years ago

    Arwin: "I got a 6th position here and there"

    That's because you're one of only 6 muppets to buy this piece of rubbish.

  • woodnotes #22 5 years ago

    "The game is everything i'd expect for £3.50"

    No, both PSN and XBLA have MUCH better ways of spending £3.50. And so does even McDonalds.

  • pervertron #23 5 years ago

    I have to agree about the sixaxis being under exploited. I've got a friend who has never played a computer game in her life - and especially not a racing game. I gave her a go on motorstorm with the normal controls and she couldn't fathom how to use the thumbsticks at all - she kept on turning the controller.... so I thought "aha!" and switched it over to motion sensing and away she went.

    I quite like the way that the sixaxis is used in Resistance as well - it totally breaks the fourth wall when you have to do something physical - and works really well as a shock moment (when one of the zombie like guys or the big dog things bite you - you shake them off).

  • zuljin #24 5 years ago

    @woodnotes
    We get it, you hate this game, so stop slagging off other people just because they like it.

    I agree with T4RG4 tho, I think it does seem a bit tacked on at the moment for certain games, tho Motorstorm and Flow are examples of good usage. Warhawk does look fun with the SIXAXIS... I'll definately be downloading that one...

  • el_pollo_diablo #25 5 years ago

    Well, I like this game lots, and considering that £3.50 is only a fraction over what I used top pay for often terrible Commodore 64 games way back in the day, I think I like it even more.

    But anyway.

    "It's possible to download and view the best players at work on each level" - how do you do this? I must have missed it.

    "...before the price is hiked on 23rd May." - anyone know how much they'll be after this date? What about Tekken?

  • steoc4 #26 5 years ago

    "
    From playing this with Sixaxis, and Monkey ball and Sonic and the secret rings on the Wii.

    I'd say that Sixaxis' motion sensers are as good if not a little better then the ones found in the Wiimote. Though the difference probably comes from being able to grip sixaxis with 2 hands better then you can the wiimote."

    It's an interesting comparison. I'm pretty sure I read a technical comparison somewhere looking at the two, and essentially the actual accelerometer hardware inside the two controllers is exactly the same.

    And I don't think there's been any games to disprove that. They're both equally inaccurate compared to thumbsticks. The Wiimote however has it's pointer which makes a difference in some games, but of course the PS3 pad has its second thumbstick and tons of extra buttons which give it an advantage in others.

    But yea, I say it's just a matter of time until the PS3 has something similar to Wii Sports on it, remember that game doesn't use the pointer anywhere except the menu. By measuring large gestures it gets away with not being all that accurate, it creates the illusion well. I'm sure we'll see similar uses of the sixaxis.

  • DrDamn #27 5 years ago

    I'd say it's a bad title to use to make judgements on the sixaxis. The flow of the water is difficult to take into account when making the call. It's why people feel it's unresponsive, you tip the controller, which tips the tub, which makes the water start to move, which moves the duck. It's meant to be unresponsive, that's part of the gameplay! Whether that is a good design basis for a game is another matter. This isn't meant to be Super Duck Ball.
    Edited by 1 at 13/04/07 @ 15:35

  • Moz #28 5 years ago

    The only trouble with trying to do a game like wii sports with sixaxis is how you would the controller. There would be more cases of people throughing controller through TV/s then with wiimotes that are easy to grip with one hand.

    Though they could bring out a Sixaxis stick or handle. Could even have tenis racket grip on it. Give that the nunchuk is only £15, making a handle with a d-pad, start and select buttons bluetooth and motion sensors wouldn't cost that much, and be usb'e for more games then a micro phone or guitar.

  • urban #29 5 years ago

    people need to realise that if you tilt a world, you're not controlling an object, i think the sixaxis is completely accurate enough for it's implementation

  • cymro #30 5 years ago

    I'm sure the Wii couldn't handle those water effects ;)

    never seen Wetrix on the N64 ?
    Edited by 1 at 13/04/07 @ 16:01

  • pjmaybe #31 5 years ago

    Not quite "The real next generation" after all then? A[link url=http://www.]http://www.[/link] Shame.

    Peej

  • Nova5lag #32 5 years ago

    wow wetrix! that game was coooool!

  • woodnotes #33 5 years ago

    "@woodnotes
    We get it, you hate this game, so stop slagging off other people just because they like it. "

    Whatever.

    This game still sucks, so stop slagging me off just because I slag other people off just because they like it.

  • zuljin #34 5 years ago

    @Woodnotes
    If you actually read anything I wrote I wasn't slagging you off. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, including you.

  • McBradders #35 5 years ago

    The only thing woodnotes is entitled to is the ignore feature. Goodbye, cretin!

  • belziah #36 5 years ago

    should have been given away - gratis

  • S0L #37 5 years ago

    Interesting mix of comments here then :p

    First, much as we love the Wii, it wouldn't be able to handle the game without it being cut down in some way. I suspect those comments are mere fanboy talk at best :)

    Handling wise, once you realise you're controlling the flow of the water, and not the actual duck/shark, it does begin to click. The flow has inertia, so new players tend to overcompensate at first. Looking through some of the replays posted, I can see that a lot of players have mastered the controls and are pulling of some incredible times - and much quicker than we expected!

    Dub was designed to be an accessible game to all, for casual players they can plug away at the levels at their own pace, or just slosh the water around. For the more dedicated there are the Worldwide online boards to compete for times.

    It might not be everyones cup of tea of course, but then you never can please everyone :p

    ---
    S0L
    ---

  • woodnotes #38 5 years ago

    @ Zuljin

    "@Woodnotes
    If you actually read anything I wrote I wasn't slagging you off. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, including you. "

    Yeah I know I'm entitled to my opinion, I don't need to ask your permission, thanks anyway. And I wasn't actually being serious, which I thought was quite obvious. Perhaps you are oblivious to the more subtle humour of something like Curb your Enthusiasm and prefer the humour of Dick and Dom in Da Bungalow.

    @ McBradders

    Suit yourself, just listen to what you want to hear. I personally save the 'ignore' feature for.. wha the hell you can't see this anyway.
    Edited by 1 at 13/04/07 @ 17:30

  • PearOfAnguish #39 5 years ago

    This is living?

    Good to see Sony justifying that price tag with games about ducks.

  • zuljin #40 5 years ago

    @Woodnotes
    Never said you needed my permission. Dude, take a chill pill.

  • Agent_Llama #41 5 years ago

    Wasn't impressed with the demo of this - the physics feel completely wrong. The ducks slide too easily - it doesn't feel like the water is quite weighty enough.

    Formula One uses Sixaxis superbly, I've been really REALLY impressed by it - and it's a much better game for it, as the analogue sticks were too skitty.

  • drumbaby #42 5 years ago

    My oldest son (aged 7) blasted through the full game in a morning, and had zero probs with the gimmicky sixaxis controls. Bloody Nintendo fanboy :)

  • Les #43 5 years ago

    DrDamn +1

    "Good to see Sony justifying that price tag with games about ducks."

    Shame to see pointless remarks like this one...

  • JediMasterMalik #44 5 years ago

    Have to say though, a monkey ball game for download WOULD be fantastic.

  • Overlush #45 5 years ago

    @woodnotes

    "Arwin: "I got a 6th position here and there"

    That's because you're one of only 6 muppets to buy this piece of rubbish."

    He was talking about Motorstorm. See past your rage, my child.


    Wiimote first impressions: lots of potential but a bit jittery at times. A feeling of being a bit disconnected.

    Sixxaxis first impressions: less scope but a very tight and accurate experience.

    In short: Infra Red 0, Gyroscopes 1
    Edited by 1 at 13/04/07 @ 19:14

  • ratso #46 5 years ago

    must agree with earlier posters,

    motorstorm works extremely well with tilt controls. Imho, its far better than the similar implementation found in excite truck.

    rub a dub is a crap game however, the water physics and tilt are perfect but there is absolutely no fun to be found here.

    Steering toy ships around in bath tub battles would have been a better idea.

    wasted opportunity :(

  • numptyboymatt #47 5 years ago

    Ive downloaded this and I think its great - hardly a rip-off at that price either considering the amount of time I have spent playing it.

  • Arwin #48 5 years ago

    Actually I was talking about Super Rub-a-Dub when I mentioned I got a few sixth positions. My online name is Niwra. Originally one of them was 2nd. And, this being in the paid section, it was out of 532. So there were at least some other people playing this. ;)

    Now I'm assuming it's a lot more though. I'll have a look later, when my gf has left the TV. ;)

  • septimus #49 5 years ago

    For 3.50, I like it. It's a distraction, and the controls require some sensitivity. Flailing the controller side to side in a panic won't work. Most people complaining probably just suck at it.

    Anyway, better than Boom Boom Rocket which is utter s**t.... quickest I have ever deleted an XBLA game. Even Pac-Man stayed longer. EG review tilts are hard to grasp sometimes. Maybe you should do the same as EDGE and aggregate an average score from all your reviewers (not that I believe they do still, but it's more balanced).

  • smelly #50 5 years ago

    Its only a number.. people get too hett up over a number at the end of the review.

    The review itself says all the good/bad points.. enough to make a judgement.. So who cares about the number?

  • smelly #51 5 years ago

    BTW: Whats the price going to be AFTER 23rd may?

  • MossyMos #52 5 years ago

    One thing the review got very wrong (IMO of course) is questioning the validity of the Sixaxis controller. It works perfectly fine with loads of control and no lag to speak of. The game is however pushing things a bit with the very narrow range of tilting required, but as long as you keep that in mind you do feel in control.

    So a 7/10 for me although I should knock it down to 4/10 because my high scores will no longer register. I got second place on Tricky - Tub 1 for christ sake, but no MossyMos !! Guess I got banned for being too good ; )

  • Arwin #53 5 years ago

    Your high-scores take a little while to register in the db. You do get your preliminary ranking, but then it takes up to 20 minutes before they appear, much like in GT:HD. At least, that's my experience. You may just have experienced some kind of connection error and got logged out in the background of course ...

    I looked at Tub 03 in Tough, which is where I got a sixth place earlier and looks like I still have it. There are 2347 people in the high-score list, so that makes for at least 2347 people who bought this game so far ... wonder if / when the highscore table maxes out. But they need something to help you scroll through it faster though ... :D

  • woodnotes #54 5 years ago

    "@Woodnotes
    Never said you needed my permission. Dude, take a chill pill. "

    Don't tell me what to consume via my mouth.






    If you think I'm being serious again, then may someone help you smile.

  • Overlush #55 5 years ago

    Poor review. It's been set up as judge and jury on the ability of the sixaxis and draws predicatable conclusions. The simple fact that the reviewer dismisses it's use in Motorstorm is a bullet, nay cannonball, through his proverbial foot. Approach with scepticism.

  • FladgeMangle #56 5 years ago

    I wouldn't worry too much about the casual dismissal of the sixaxis in this review.

    Almost all the Eurogamer writers came out as either xbox fanboys or retro-lite cardigans during the launch of their myspace clone ego site.

    Shame on them for being so partisan and pity us for expecting anything impartial in the future. This site has become the Daily Mail of videogames.

  • fiery_jackass #57 5 years ago

    aye, but as a long-time reader on this site, I feel I've noted a real lowering in review quality on EG over recent times. Part of this is what I perceive to be a tendency to go overboard on the anti-ps3 bandwagon (incidentally I haven't got one; no intention of buying one either). Maybe they're still over-compensating for that hiding that they took over the E3 coverage of Killzone etc.

    or maybe they're just a bit bored writing games reviews - that would explain the outbreak of 4th wall-breaking

  • nburcomb #58 5 years ago

    Can't read anymore of this so called 'Games Journlaism', they've all clearly lost touch with the buying public. This is without a doubt an 8/10 family focused game. It's great fun - even my 2 year old loves playing it. For £3.49 you can't ask for more fun. Don't listen to any of these reviewers that only think of games as a "gamers" activity. Clearly they need some more mature writers would actually have families.

  • numptyboymatt #59 5 years ago

    For £3.50 I really dont see why everyone is up in arms about this game - Anyone can play it - young kids and older people can all get something out of it.

    When you think that if this was on the Wii, you would be paying near to £30 it puts it all into perspective in my opinion (not that I have anything against the Wii as such, just think it needs more "proper" games).

  • johnderby #60 5 years ago

    Where are you all downloading this from for the bargain price? I checked the PLaystation 3 Shop regularly over the last few days and can never see anything listed relating to RubADuck.

    Thanks

  • MossyMos #61 5 years ago

    Thanks Arwin, but that is not the case with me. My scores stopped registering. I bought the game almost as soon as it was released. At that time there were a lot of "NQA_********" users on the high score list (Nordic Quality Assurance ?) Perhaps I got removed together with them.

    But the plot thickens. Now I suddenly have the opportunity to buy the game again in the PSN store. I thought items you bought were removed from the store?

    JohnDerby: You should be able to find it by going to the PSN store, pressing the Game tab and selecting Full Games.

  • Arwin #62 3 years ago

    This game was updated to version 3.0 a few days ago.