| Gamebar |
Atlantis Sky Patrol |
| Vitals |
|
Developer: Big Fish Studios Publisher: Big Fish Studios Genre: Puzzle & Casual > General Released: Aug 24, 2006 Players: 2 |
| Related Articles |
Download
Purchase
Set back in what may be an alternative take on the 1930's, Atlantis Sky
Patrol is an interesting puzzle title. The game mirrors the greatness of Zuma,
but casts a light of originality all of its own. Atlantis Sky Patrol uses the
same match-the-color puzzle scheme as most other match-the-color puzzle games.
Except, Atlantis Sky Patrol imbues a genuinely original theme to the puzzle
elements by adding extra components to the overall gameplay. Added to this, the
game is set against an actual story with an amazing soundtrack and engrossing
gameplay.
The story is about devastating weapons that will be unleashed upon the world, and it's up to the Atlantis Sky Patrol to dismantle and disarm these weapons. This feat is done through destroying color-coded panels, while preventing the same color-coded spheres from making it to the end of a contraption in each level. It's interesting, though, as levels won't end until players destroy all the panels first. This element alone determines how long each level will be and how difficult that level is to complete. Since some of the panels require a lot of skill to destroy, it may take several tries on some levels before figuring out how to successfully get rid of all the panels.
The game allows players conveniently to use the mouse to aim and fire spheres around the game board. Some stages will have players on a curvy track, in which aiming becomes a bit difficult, but skill becomes a priority. And unlike Tetris games where the blocks (or in this case, spheres) move upward, the spheres are pushed by a separate metal device. The twisty-and-turny stages are a lot like the ones featured in Zuma, so anyone who's played Zuma will know pretty much how the stages are setup. Completing the first handful of levels is quite easy, but later in the game the levels get quite difficult.
To help players along the way are various power-ups and specials. Some of these specials include freezing the spheres in place, getting a laser beam that decimates a group of spheres, or reversing the spheres' movement. Power-ups are acquired through successfully dispersing a select amount of spheres, and in doing so, the player is awarded a falling gear icon. While power-ups are helpful, they aren't especially easy to get to, given that they fall from where the group of spheres dispersed. So players must move quickly in order to capture falling power-ups.
Between each stage players have the option of upgrading certain stats, which
greatly improve the Sky Patrol's abilities during a level. I enjoyed having the
option of upgrading specific stats that played a huge role in the outcome of
completing certain levels. The category of upgrades includes speed, accuracy,
rewind, magnet and disrupt. Speed and accuracy speak for themselves, but rewind
makes the spheres reverse direction faster, after dispersing a group of spheres.
Magnet allows power-ups to get magnetized to the player, and disrupt incites
longer intervals between waves of spheres. Special coins players earn in bonus
rounds or by completing levels in a short amount of time are used as currency.
As players purchase upgrades each stat becomes more expensive to enhance.
After completing several levels a newspaper will give players a newsflash of their current progress. One thing that is surely worth noting, is that Atlantis Sky Patrol really delves into its thematic atmosphere. From the Big Fish logo at the start of the game, to the little icons indicating the player's progress, everything is set to the tone of a really snazzy theme. The chromatic-bronze color gauze along with the round-edged wing icons, gives the game a retro movie look. The newspaper postings only help enhance the overall presentation of the game, and as an added bonus the game features a cooperative two-player mode. The only problem is that two mouses are required to participate in the multiplayer modes featured in the game.
Still, I have to say that Atlantis Sky Patrol is one of the most fully-featured
puzzle games to hit the market. Sky Patrol's truly addictive gameplay and
easy-to-use controls only makes the experience that much better while playing.
While many puzzle games have fallen into a repetitive slump, Big Fish Games has
really found a way to rekindle the entertainment values of the puzzle genre.
Graphics:
Atlantis Sky Patrol has a very distinct look to it. It's definitely a retro-futuristic version of Zuma. Yet Sky Patrol manages to add extra flair into the visual side of the gameplay with much more subtle color tones and thematic shades. The visual effects in this game are really marked with great quality, as they help convey the presentation of the Sky Patrol triumphantly.
Sound:
The audio quality is nothing short of audacious in this game. The clarity in the music is simply inspiring, and the melodies are finely tuned to the general atmosphere of the gameplay and the resonating level environments. Not only that, but the sound effects are entirely on cue with the fast-paced action and break-neck strategy.
Gameplay:
While Zuma was a great game, I sincerely think Atlantis Sky Patrol takes that general idea and adds all the necessary enhancements to give gamers a much better gameplay experience. The difficulty increases at a paced interval, and the entire presentation makes it very easy to enjoy each and every level.
Concept:
This is a great puzzle game. However, concept-wise it's not breaking a lot of new ground in the general puzzle-genre. Still, Atlantis Sky Patrol adds elements to this existing puzzle genre, which extends the gameplay and heightens the overall experience with the multiplayer modes and visual themes.
Value:
This is one the few puzzle games that actually offer more than what you'd
expect. From the single-player experience to the cooperative mode, there's
plenty there to keep players busy. Even better is the upgrades and the vast
amount of levels to complete. This game is definitely worth its price.
Recommendation:
There's nothing wrong enough with this game to keep anyone from purchasing it. Atlantis Sky Patrol embraces addictive, arcade-style strategy in the shell of a puzzle game. Anyone who was remotely enticed with Zuma will find that this game takes it a step further, making it a recommended choice for buying.
The story is about devastating weapons that will be unleashed upon the world, and it's up to the Atlantis Sky Patrol to dismantle and disarm these weapons. This feat is done through destroying color-coded panels, while preventing the same color-coded spheres from making it to the end of a contraption in each level. It's interesting, though, as levels won't end until players destroy all the panels first. This element alone determines how long each level will be and how difficult that level is to complete. Since some of the panels require a lot of skill to destroy, it may take several tries on some levels before figuring out how to successfully get rid of all the panels.
The game allows players conveniently to use the mouse to aim and fire spheres around the game board. Some stages will have players on a curvy track, in which aiming becomes a bit difficult, but skill becomes a priority. And unlike Tetris games where the blocks (or in this case, spheres) move upward, the spheres are pushed by a separate metal device. The twisty-and-turny stages are a lot like the ones featured in Zuma, so anyone who's played Zuma will know pretty much how the stages are setup. Completing the first handful of levels is quite easy, but later in the game the levels get quite difficult.
To help players along the way are various power-ups and specials. Some of these specials include freezing the spheres in place, getting a laser beam that decimates a group of spheres, or reversing the spheres' movement. Power-ups are acquired through successfully dispersing a select amount of spheres, and in doing so, the player is awarded a falling gear icon. While power-ups are helpful, they aren't especially easy to get to, given that they fall from where the group of spheres dispersed. So players must move quickly in order to capture falling power-ups.
Between each stage players have the option of upgrading certain stats, which
greatly improve the Sky Patrol's abilities during a level. I enjoyed having the
option of upgrading specific stats that played a huge role in the outcome of
completing certain levels. The category of upgrades includes speed, accuracy,
rewind, magnet and disrupt. Speed and accuracy speak for themselves, but rewind
makes the spheres reverse direction faster, after dispersing a group of spheres.
Magnet allows power-ups to get magnetized to the player, and disrupt incites
longer intervals between waves of spheres. Special coins players earn in bonus
rounds or by completing levels in a short amount of time are used as currency.
As players purchase upgrades each stat becomes more expensive to enhance. After completing several levels a newspaper will give players a newsflash of their current progress. One thing that is surely worth noting, is that Atlantis Sky Patrol really delves into its thematic atmosphere. From the Big Fish logo at the start of the game, to the little icons indicating the player's progress, everything is set to the tone of a really snazzy theme. The chromatic-bronze color gauze along with the round-edged wing icons, gives the game a retro movie look. The newspaper postings only help enhance the overall presentation of the game, and as an added bonus the game features a cooperative two-player mode. The only problem is that two mouses are required to participate in the multiplayer modes featured in the game.
Still, I have to say that Atlantis Sky Patrol is one of the most fully-featured
puzzle games to hit the market. Sky Patrol's truly addictive gameplay and
easy-to-use controls only makes the experience that much better while playing.
While many puzzle games have fallen into a repetitive slump, Big Fish Games has
really found a way to rekindle the entertainment values of the puzzle genre. Graphics:
Atlantis Sky Patrol has a very distinct look to it. It's definitely a retro-futuristic version of Zuma. Yet Sky Patrol manages to add extra flair into the visual side of the gameplay with much more subtle color tones and thematic shades. The visual effects in this game are really marked with great quality, as they help convey the presentation of the Sky Patrol triumphantly.
Sound:
The audio quality is nothing short of audacious in this game. The clarity in the music is simply inspiring, and the melodies are finely tuned to the general atmosphere of the gameplay and the resonating level environments. Not only that, but the sound effects are entirely on cue with the fast-paced action and break-neck strategy.
Gameplay: While Zuma was a great game, I sincerely think Atlantis Sky Patrol takes that general idea and adds all the necessary enhancements to give gamers a much better gameplay experience. The difficulty increases at a paced interval, and the entire presentation makes it very easy to enjoy each and every level.
Concept:
This is a great puzzle game. However, concept-wise it's not breaking a lot of new ground in the general puzzle-genre. Still, Atlantis Sky Patrol adds elements to this existing puzzle genre, which extends the gameplay and heightens the overall experience with the multiplayer modes and visual themes.
Value:
This is one the few puzzle games that actually offer more than what you'd
expect. From the single-player experience to the cooperative mode, there's
plenty there to keep players busy. Even better is the upgrades and the vast
amount of levels to complete. This game is definitely worth its price.Recommendation:
There's nothing wrong enough with this game to keep anyone from purchasing it. Atlantis Sky Patrol embraces addictive, arcade-style strategy in the shell of a puzzle game. Anyone who was remotely enticed with Zuma will find that this game takes it a step further, making it a recommended choice for buying.
By: William Usher
Posted: Thursday October 05, 2006
Posted: Thursday October 05, 2006
Action
Adventure
Arkanoid
Fighting
Platform
Puzzle & Casual
Hidden Object
RPG
Shooter
Simulation
Sports
Strategy
Download Games
