Nature abhors a vacuum, and apparently so do fish. The ever-pleasing cascade effect is present, as one row drops down to fill another. Their area of effect is generally set to a limited radius, but the lightning powerup actually destroys all objects of a certain type on the screen. From wimpy fireworks to destructive warheads, these start appearing after you've formed a combo of at least five objects. A time limit and increasingly complex stage layouts add to the difficulty, but puzzles are generally solved by a combination of luck and perseverance, as mindlessly swiping with no real plan often pays off well enough.Ī few match-three gameplay standards are thrown in for good measure as well, such as certain objects being locked into place until you clear a line using them, and explosives cropping up occasionally to help clear some space. You'll earn points for longer combos, and can use a selection of powerups to help clear grids of the golden objective blocks in order to move on to the next level. The basic idea is incredibly familiar, and tasks you with matching up a variety of aquatic objects to form lines of three or more. Fishdom wears an intriguing aquarium mechanic as a badge of distinction, but is it enough to tread water?

Developers are entering into an eShop saturated by shiny things just waiting to be lined up, so there needs to be some kind of hook to get players interested.

Let's face it you can't simply release a match-three puzzle game on Nintendo's range of handhelds today and expect to come across as unique.

Fishdom - nintendo ds