Downstream Panic!
The premise of this puzzle game is simple: A wind has swept schools of fish from the river and you have to navigate the swimming critters through various obstacles and back into the water. In fact, think of the fish as mindless creatures like those you find in Lemmings, and the concept of guiding the lost ones like in LocoRoco, with almost identical cute sounding animal cries, and you can imagine the ingenuity of this game. The fish and water are released from a bubble in the sky and as they plop down into the river, a supply of tools is at your disposable for the navigation task. The tools vary level to level, but their uses are the same. For instance, a plant blocks the water from flowing, a missile blows holes in the rocks, and a harpoon kills sharks waiting to devour the fish. Because the water continues to flow no matter what task you do, there are also considerations such as when to release the fish from one area to another so as to avoid a trap, or when to collect the fish so that the water level rises to reach bonus coins scattered across the level. Items such as boulders and bridges have to be controlled effectively to ensure that the falling fish will land where you want them to. A falling boulder, for example, might be used to plug a gap in which fish might otherwise fall through and get stuck or get eaten by larger fish in the water. Yes, even in getting the fish to the water, there is a specially marked area where the fish will be safe. There are even instances where you have to sacrifice a few of the fish, for the good of the school. The game also tricks you by offering you a variety of tools at the beginning of each level. But just because you are given, say, five missiles and three plants, doesn't mean you need to use them all up for your saving missions. There's also the matter of luck as some obstacles, like the rotating sea shells that drain water off may not spin as fast or as slow as you want them to. An engaging and outstanding puzzle game, Downstream Panic! puts a new spin on the titles in this genre. There's also great value-add as players would definitely want to head back and see if they can find better and faster ways of not only saving the fish, but getting the bonus items as well.