by Colleen Ely

Created on: October 31, 2008   Last Updated: November 03, 2008

Have you ever stared mindlessly into an aquarium and wondered, "What could be more boring?" Good news! Fugazo, Inc. has answered this by bringing Fishco directly to a PC near you.

The premise is very rudimentary. Buy an egg; nurture it; sell a fish for profit. Relaxed mode will put you to sleep. Try the speed rounds, and well, you will be awake, but for what? The graphics are unimaginative, and the layout of the game is cumbersome. There is strategy involved but it is simple to figure out. Once you do, the thinking part of the game is over. Just repetitive movements and simple math are left. Even though speed play is included, it still cannot make up for the annoying graphics, lack of creativity, and redundancy of steps it takes to sell a fish, or school of fish, if you so wish.

The game provides in-play guidance by your imaginary partner. She will walk you through, step-by-step, to insure your success. She is quick to pat you on the back, and offer advice where needed. Then she will stand back and let you work on your own. Lucky for you, it is difficult to screw it up too badly, with or without her. It is just like a partner to expect you to do all of the work.

To be fair; however, there is one upside to this game. It would be a fair tool to use with children learning math, or to help them understand balancing what can be spent against what will be earned. And if your kids don't have a pet of their own, it will give them the opportunity to practice care, feeding and cleaning... sort of. Just what child would not find that to be a fish tank full of fun?

Even fish aficionados will be disappointed with this game. Children who can be pulled in hook, line and sinker will eventually grow tired of the games simplicity. Probably sooner than later. Do yourself a favor. Skip this game. There are a lot of fish in the PC game world, and this little guy needs to be thrown back.

Fishco earns 1 out of 5 flushed fish.

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