''My Aquarium'' (''Blue Oasis'' in Japan) is a

virtual pet A virtual pet (also known as a digital pet, artificial pet, or pet-raising simulation) 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. Digital ...

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

by Hudson Soft for

WiiWare WiiWare was a service that allowed Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications could only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii ...

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 aquarium 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 Cheating generally describes various actions designed to subvert rules in order to obtain unfair advantages. This includes acts of bribery, cronyism and nepotism in any situation where individuals are given preference using inappropriate crit ...

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.

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

Reception

IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...

gave it a 6/10, likening it to a

screensaver A screensaver (or screen saver) is a computer program that blanks the display screen or fills it with moving images or patterns when the computer has been idle for a designated time. The original purpose of screensavers was to prevent phosphor ...

and calling time spent with it a " boot and watch" experience, ultimately leaving readers to decide if ''My Aquarium'' appeals to them.My Aquarium WiiWare Review
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References

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External links

US website
at

2008 video games WiiWare games PlayStation 3 games PlayStation Network games Video games developed in Japan Virtual pet video games Wii games Video games set underwater