My Aquarium
Encyclopedia
My Aquarium is a virtual pet
video game by Hudson Soft
for WiiWare
and PlayStation Network. It was released in Japan on June 24, 2008, in Europe on August 15, 2008 and in North America on September 1, 2008 for the WiiWare and on September 8, 2010 in Japan for the PlayStation Network.
that sees players caring for fish in up to six aquariums of their own design. The player can choose from 49 species of fish (most of which must be unlocked as only 13 are available at the beginning) to populate an aquarium that can be customized with a choice of decorations, backgrounds, lighting and plant life.
The game also utilizes data from the Forecast Channel, changing lighting and conditions based on the weather. However, there is no emphasis on realism; for example salt water and fresh water fish can be placed together and water temperature is not taken into consideration. While no cheats are available for the game itself, it has been noted that the game runs off of the various aspects of the Wii system and with that in mind, the date from the system settings can be changed repeatedly to unlock new or hidden items.
Players can also send their own aquariums to other players with the game through WiiConnect24
.
Unlockable Objects:
Kappa Object: Small and Large
.
gave it a 6/10, likening it to a screensaver
and calling time spent with it a "boot
and watch" experience, ultimately leaving readers to decide if My Aquarium appeals to them.
Digital pet
A digital pet is a type of artificial human companion. They are usually kept for companionship or enjoyment. People may keep a digital pet in lieu of a real pet....
video game by Hudson Soft
Hudson Soft
, formally known as , is a majority-owned subsidiary of Konami Corporation is a Japanese electronic entertainment publisher headquartered in the Midtown Tower in Tokyo Midtown, Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with an additional office in the Hudson Building in Sapporo. It was founded on May 18, 1973...
for WiiWare
WiiWare
WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...
and PlayStation Network. It was released in Japan on June 24, 2008, in Europe on August 15, 2008 and in North America on September 1, 2008 for the WiiWare and on September 8, 2010 in Japan for the PlayStation Network.
Overview
The game is a virtual aquariumAquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
that sees players caring for fish in up to six aquariums of their own design. The player can choose from 49 species of fish (most of which must be unlocked as only 13 are available at the beginning) to populate an aquarium that can be customized with a choice of decorations, backgrounds, lighting and plant life.
The game also utilizes data from the Forecast Channel, changing lighting and conditions based on the weather. However, there is no emphasis on realism; for example salt water and fresh water fish can be placed together and water temperature is not taken into consideration. While no cheats are available for the game itself, it has been noted that the game runs off of the various aspects of the Wii system and with that in mind, the date from the system settings can be changed repeatedly to unlock new or hidden items.
Players can also send their own aquariums to other players with the game through WiiConnect24
WiiConnect24
WiiConnect24 is a feature of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for the Wii console. It was first announced at E3 2006 by Nintendo. It enables the user to remain connected to the Internet while the console is on standby...
.
Starting species
Players start with thirteen fish:- Achilles Tang
- Asian Arowana
- Emperor Angelfish
- Freshwater Angelfish
- Clown Killifish
- Clown Loach
- Coral Grouper
- Papuan Jellyfish
- Neon Tetra
- Lyretail Hogfish
- Black Molly
- Blue Grass Guppy
- Betta
Unlockable species
Regularly checking on the fish will unlock a new fish every few days in the following order:- Ocellaris Clownfish
- Yellow Piranha
- Golden Gourami
- Pastaza Corydoras
- Blue Discus
- Moon Jellyfish
- Killifish
- Red Asian Arowana
- Tinkery Butterfly
- Flagtail Surgeonfish
- Pakistani Loach
- Wrasse
- Blue Jellyfish
- Checkered Barb
- Jellyfish Choukurage
- Corydoras Narcissus
- Cardinal Tetra
- Spotted Green Puffer
- Red Grass Guppy
- Humpback Grouper
- Dwarf Hawkfish
- Blue Gourami
- Argentine Pearlfish
- Blueface Angelfish
- Red Lionfish
- Seahorse
- Sea Angel
- Lookdown (hidden fish)
- Jaw Characin (hidden fish)
- Rainbow Fish (hidden fish)
- Archerfish (hidden fish)
- Redtail Catfish (hidden fish)
- White Spotted Cichlid (hidden fish)
- Leopard Bushfish (hidden fish)
- Japanese Bullhead Shark (hidden fish)
- Rainbow Rockfish (hidden fish/cannot be unlocked by sending)
Unlockable Objects:
Kappa Object: Small and Large
Sequel
A sequel entitled My Aquarium 2 was released in Japan on August 3, 2010, in North America on August 9, 2010 and in the PAL region on September 10, 2010 for the WiiWareWiiWare
WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...
.
Reception
IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave it a 6/10, likening it to a screensaver
Screensaver
A screensaver is a type of computer program initially designed to prevent phosphor burn-in on CRT and plasma computer monitors by blanking the screen or filling it with moving images or patterns when the computer is not in use...
and calling time spent with it a "boot
Booting
In computing, booting is a process that begins when a user turns on a computer system and prepares the computer to perform its normal operations. On modern computers, this typically involves loading and starting an operating system. The boot sequence is the initial set of operations that the...
and watch" experience, ultimately leaving readers to decide if My Aquarium appeals to them.
External links
- Japanese website
- US website
- My Aquarium at IGN.com