Downstream Panic! (PSP)

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When things get too hectic, you'll find the cursor moves too slowly and lament the levels' vertical nature, which forces you to scroll up or down frequently because so little of an area is shown on the screen. There's also no way to zoom out. The game's questionable physics mean water will sometimes flow in unexpected ways and rocks won't always move where you want them to move. Sometimes the rocks don't move at all because their path is blocked by a few miscellaneous pixels of ground that didn't get blown up when a bomb was detonated. The random behavior of objects practically ensures that you'll encounter some levels that feel like they can't be beat because you'll have done everything properly, but some quirk prevented your success.

When you do invariably find yourself stuck, you're left with limited options. There are tips available in the pause menu, but these "tips" are general advice on how to use tools--they aren't hints and aren't level-specific. There are two other play modes available, but they involve replaying levels you've already beaten, so they're of limited appeal. Multiplayer is nonexistent, and there's no way to create or share levels, which is a rather significant oversight. The manual encourages you to visit the game's official Web site for new downloadable levels, but as of this writing, there's nothing available.

Downstream Panic's presentation bears more than a passing resemblance to Loco Roco. The 2D visuals are simple and attractive, giving the game a lighthearted feel. The little fish are cute and the levels are full of all the colors of the rainbow. Even the sun and clouds have faces, as well as a bit of personality. All this cuteness belies the fact that a serious fate awaits your fish when you fail to get them to the goal. It's actually kind of depressing to see your fish get chomped to a bloody pulp or flop around on the ground if they get stuck on dry land.

In case it wasn't obvious that you don't want to lead your little fish into the chomping jaws of the giant fish, buoys mark the safe area.

The game's audio sounds as if it was scooped up off of Loco Roco's cutting-room floor. Your fish sing a happy-sounding tune that loops endlessly, and each individual fish cries out when it becomes dinner. This is all cute for a while, but it quickly becomes repetitive--especially when you've been stuck on the same level for an hour.

All in all, there's a lot to like about Downstream Panic!: The gameplay is addictive, the visuals are attractive, and it's well suited to play on the go. It's a shame that the difficulty isn't more consistent and that there aren't more play modes. But even with these issues, Downstream Panic! is a good game that should not only please Lemmings and Loco Roco fans, but anyone looking for a challenging puzzle game.

See more CNET content tagged:: fish,; water,; Atari Inc.,; gameplay

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