by Matt Maerowitz

Created on: July 23, 2008   Last Updated: July 24, 2008

The army has employed battle dolphins to excavate dangerous underwater areas including minefields. Now you can be part of the experience by playing as the dolphin that does it all, the Laser Dolphin that must explore those brutal underwater regions.

In Laser Dolphin, your quick-moving dolphin is equipped with a laser device that can blast mines and marine enemies. You swim around as you encounter several aquatic critters that can give your dolphin far more than a bad headache. As turtles strapped with dynamite come charging after you, as fish with amazing firepower shoot rockets at you, and as seagulls from above drop bombs that explode on impact, you must avoid everything the marine environment throws at you. There is definitely a good amount of strategy entailed in Laser Dolphin as avoiding harmful objects can be quite challenging. The dolphin's laser can also charge up to deal more damage, which is quite useful against the tougher enemy creatures.

This game really works as a fun and addicting downloadable video game. There are so many different modes of game play that it is hard to ever get bored. These game play modes include: action, race, stunt, and custom. All of these modes are entirely different and fun in their own unique way. Whether you enjoy battling critters or doing underwater tricks as your own Tony Hawk Pro Dolphin, you will easily be entertained (yes, there are several different tricks and combos in the stunt mode very similar to what you would find in Tony Hawk skater games).

Did I mention the level editor? Laser Dolphin has its own unique level editor where you can design your own level with its own unique critters and traps. These customized levels can then be played in the Custom Mode of the game.

The techno music of Laser Dolphin makes a lot of sense with the game. Techno seems to be a good fit with a technologically enhanced aquatic environment.

While the game is not going to win any awards for graphics, the simpler two-dimensional graphics function quite well with the game. The simple graphics are appealing, and anything more complex risks sacrificing game play. For example, navigating your dolphin would be quite difficult with three-dimensional graphics.

To say the game is creative is an understatement. Laser Dolphin takes innovation to a whole new level. There are hardly any dolphin games in the market that can be geared to both guys and girls, let alone a game involving a "battle dolphin." Overall, Laser Dolphin easily gets my stamp of approval, which is why I give the game a 5/5.

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