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Feeding Frenzy 2: Shipwreck Showdown - Yo Mama Reviewed This Game
Amy Nelson, Associate Writer
March 17, 2010
The priorities in gaming purchases shift when GirlGamer evolves into GamerMom. To get more bang for your buck, you'll ideally want a super-cool game that is not so inappropriate that you can't pop it in to catch a few quick levels while your angelic children play quietly at your feet. For maximum economy, a game that your children also enjoy playing is a great bonus.What could be more fun than a race to see who can solve it first, with good-natured ribbing at the dinner table if it's you, and a "Mommy let you win" through gritted teeth if it's them. Family time is more important than ever in these trying times, but finding time for gaming is tough when you're a parent. So with the ever-expanding ranks of gaming parents in mind, Yo mama presents Feeding Frenzy 2: Shipwreck Showdown.
Cost is always a key to gaming parents. Even if your name is Rockefeller, after you have kids you're gonna be broke. Trust me. So I present my cost analysis in terms our bank accounts can understand:
- 5 stars= Grandma bought diapers so we don't have to. Super Mega sized. You're rich, baby, rich!
- 3 stars= It's mac n cheese for lunch this week. At least the kids won't complain.
- 1 star= Your kids don't need to go to college; they can learn a trade. Like shoplifting.
At $10 per download, I place Feeding Frenzy 2 solidly at Grandma Bought Diapers or 5 stars. With many new releases running upwards of $50-$60, you can't go wrong purchasing a multiplayer game for your family for a ten-spot. And the fact that it is a download, rather than a disc, is actually a plus for households with children. My oldest actually took a bite out a PS2 game when he was a toddler. Believe me, if you've never seen what a child can do to a very expensive yet inexplicably fragile disc, pray that you never do. Ooohhh, the horrors!
A couple other questions pop into a GamerMom's mind when searching for video games. Is this a game that your children can play? And, more importantly, is Mama gonna want to pop it in the console and play it herself after the kiddies go beddy-bye? A truly great buy is a game that all ages enjoy.
So, can your kids play Feeding Frenzy 2? Boy, can they! The highlight of my evening was my 3-year old daughter jumping up and down, screaming, "I am not delicious!" and giggling while the other fish (her brothers) tried to eat her. The true appeal of this game for families is in its simplicity. You are a fishy, swimming in the sea. You can pick which fishy you want to be in the party or feeding frenzy modes, even a toothy shark if you like, and that is always a popular feature with kids. There are nine different mini-games in the multiplayer mode, and all are simple enough for even young children to grasp. At the same time, the games are also really fun, and quite competitive, which will keep your older children engaged as well. I had 4 kids ranging in age from 3 to 11 playing this together, and all of them had a ball. There is truly nothing objectionable to this game, unless you are morally opposed to fish-on-fish violence. No blood, no naughty words, none of the questionable or flat-out stupid humor that is present in many things marketed to children today--Spongebob--I'm talking to you!
This game is super fun for the kids to play with each other, but it is also a great game for a family to play together. The kids had a blast trying to pwn their dad, and he had a great time showing them how it's done. If you are a Gamermom looking for a great buy for family game night, look no further. This is fun, economical, and won't turn your kids into juvenile delinquents. You have public school for that!
And so we reach the final test: Is Mama gonna wanna play it herself? Well, this is where the train derails a bit, cause I'm gonna have to answer that question with a big, fat no. While the levels are visually very colorful and fun to watch, they just really aren't that interesting, mostly because they all look somewhat the same. Also, the very simplicity that was a plus when playing with children is a minus for adults. Sure, simplicity and repetitiveness can be very zen, but we're talking video games here, not yoga. There is also the matter of length of gameplay. Feeding Frenzy 2 boasts over 60 levels of gameplay, but I powered through the first 30 levels of Story mode in under 2 hours.
Is Mama gonna play Feeding Frenzy 2 during Mommy time? No, but she is sure gonna be playing it during family time. It is increasingly hard to find multiplayer games that are actually appropriate for children, particularly for the PS3. Mama gives this game a 4 out of 5, and 8 out of 10, a 16 out of 20--you get the picture. Feeding Frenzy 2: Shipwreck Showdown truly is a great family game that is entertaining for a variety of ages, and that counts for a lot in this GamerMom's book.
