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Shark Tale (video game)

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Shark Tale
European PS2 cover art featuring Oscar (front) and Don Lino (background)
Developer(s)Edge of Reality (console)
KnowWonder (PC)
Vicarious Visions (GBA)
Publisher(s)Activision
EngineUnreal Engine 2 (PC)[3]
Platform(s)Game Boy Advance
GameCube
Microsoft Windows
PlayStation 2
Xbox
Release
  • AU: September 21, 2004[2]
  • NA: September 29, 2004[1]
  • EU: October 1, 2004
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Shark Tale is a 2004 video game based on the film of the same name that was released on Game Boy Advance, GameCube, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Developed by Edge of Reality for consoles, Vicarious Visions for Game Boy Advance, and KnowWonder for Windows, the game was published by Activision. The Game Boy Advance version was also released on a Twin Pack cartridge bundled with Shrek 2 in 2005.[4] The game received mixed reviews from critics.

Gameplay

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The game is an action-adventure game played from a 2.5D view (2D in the Game Boy Advance version and fully 3D in the Windows version) where the player controls Oscar. He can swim in any direction, and dash towards enemies and destructible objects to defeat or destroy them. He can also collect clams that can be cashed in to purchase unlockable bonus content, and can earn them by destroying objects like crates, defeating enemies with his dash attack, and swimming rings around large pearls. There are 25 different missions set in movie-based locations. The game also features several gameplay styles, including exploration sequences where Oscar swims to his location while facing obstacles, fighting sequences similar to Punch-Out!!, where he fights sharks and other sea creatures, chase sequences where he is pursued by one of the sharks and must avoid its attacks, racing sequences where he has to race to a specific destination in a short time, and dancing sequences similar to Dance Dance Revolution, where the player has to correctly tap buttons in rhythm to the music.

Plot

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Oscar, a bluestreak cleaner wrasse intent of having incredible fortune, has a nightmare where a hungry shark is chasing him. He is then woken up by Mrs. Sanchez, a short-tempered pufferfish and is kicked out of her apartment by repofish as he did not pay his rent. Oscar saves all of his belongings from being destroyed. He then removes graffiti that had messages making fun of him, only to find out that a group of fish called The Shorties were just making up that message for another Oscar who lives by the canals. Oscar then tells The Shorties to remove the graffiti before the police arrive. Oscar later stages a dance party to the news reporter, Katie Current to prove that he can defeat sharks. After he is done dancing, Sykes, a pufferfish and Oscar's boss, arrives and tells him to be in the Whale Wash on time before he does, leading to a taxi fish chase all over the city. Arriving at the Whale Wash, he sees that Sykes has snuck in first and Oscar must avoid detection by the Whale Wash guards to get to work on time before he can get fired.

Oscar later learns that a race tip for a seahorse named Lucky Day is stashed aboard a sunken luxury cruise ship infested with sharks, swordfish and piranhas. He successfully infiltrates the ship and steals the tip, but is confronted by an eel. He defeats the eel, and races to the race track. Later, he is then tortured by Sykes' jellyfish cronies Ernie and Bernie, before Frankie, a shark who is the son of mob boss Don Lino, chases after him. Frankie is then crushed to death by an anchor in the ensuing chase, and with no other witnesses, Oscar takes credit for his death, calling himself "the Sharkslayer" and seeing it as a way into a great fortune. He buys a pearl necklace for his angelfish girlfriend Angie, but learns that it has been stolen and broken into multiple pieces. He collects the pieces and returns to the jeweller to have the necklace reassembled.

Oscar then investigates a possible shark sighting, and confronts a hammerhead shark. Following a fight where Oscar defeats the shark, Oscar agrees to hide Lenny, the brother of Frankie and Lino's son, at the Whale Wash. However, Oscar learns that photographers of The Reef City Reporter have captured photographic evidence of Oscar's lie, so with the help of Lenny, he goes around the city destroying the newspapers before the city learns of Oscar's lie. He then stages a fake fight with Lenny to prove he is still the "Sharkslayer".

Oscar then collects parts for a disguise for Lenny while avoiding paparazzi fish. However, he learns that Angie has been kidnapped. He, along with the disguised Lenny, go to the sharks' hideout where she is held captive. However, Lino recognises Lenny, and angrily chases him through the reef. He then catches up to Oscar with the full intent of eating him, but Oscar escapes and traps Lino in the Whale Wash's machinery. Oscar negotiates a reconciliation between Lino and Lenny, ending the game.

Reception

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Shark Tale received "mixed or average reviews" on all platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[5][6][7][8][9] In Japan, where the PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, and GameCube versions were released by Taito in March 2005, Famitsu gave it a score of one seven, one eight, and one seven for the PlayStation 2 version;[11] and two sixes, one seven, and one six for the Game Boy Advance version.[12]

References

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  1. ^ "Shark Tale Now Available - Press Release". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on 2023-03-06. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  2. ^ van Leuveren, Luke (August 30, 2004). "Updated Australian Release List - 30/08/04". PALGN. PAL Gaming Network. Archived from the original on September 10, 2006. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  3. ^ "Spiele mit Unreal Engine - Von 1998 bis heute". www.gamestar.de (in German).
  4. ^ "2 in 1: DreamWorks' Shark Tale + Shrek 2 for Game Boy Advance (2005) - MobyGames". MobyGames. Archived from the original on 2016-03-28. Retrieved 2016-07-04.
  5. ^ a b "Shark Tale for GameCube Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on September 5, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  6. ^ a b "Shark Tale for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on September 5, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  7. ^ a b "Shark Tale for Xbox Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on September 5, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  8. ^ a b "Shark Tale for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on September 5, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  9. ^ a b "Shark Tale for Game Boy Advance Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on September 5, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  10. ^ Garratt, Patrick (October 19, 2004). "Shark Tale (PS2)". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  11. ^ a b "Famitsu reviews (Mar 11 issue)". NeoGAF. March 9, 2005. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  12. ^ a b "Dreamworks Shark Tale (ドリームーウクス シャーク テール; GBA)". Famitsu. Vol. 851. April 8, 2005.
  13. ^ Mason, Lisa (December 2004). "Shark Tale (GC, PS2, Xbox)". Game Informer. No. 140. p. 168.
  14. ^ Provo, Frank (October 12, 2004). "Shark Tale Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on February 10, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  15. ^ Hollingshead, Anise (October 7, 2004). "Shark Tale - GC - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on January 25, 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  16. ^ Hollingshead, Anise (October 17, 2004). "Shark Tale - PC - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on January 25, 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  17. ^ Bedigian, Louis (October 6, 2004). "Shark Tale - PS2 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on January 25, 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  18. ^ Hopper, Steven (October 7, 2004). "Shark Tale - XB - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on May 24, 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  19. ^ Bedigian, Louis (October 1, 2004). "Shark Tale - GBA - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on January 25, 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  20. ^ Castro, Juan (October 6, 2004). "Dreamworks' Shark Tale". IGN. Archived from the original on August 21, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  21. ^ Castro, Juan; McNamara, Tom (October 8, 2004). "Shark Tale Review (PC)". IGN. Archived from the original on August 21, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  22. ^ "Shark Tale (GC)". Nintendo Power. Vol. 185. November 2004. p. 130.
  23. ^ "Shark Tale (GBA)". Nintendo Power. Vol. 185. November 2004. p. 132.
  24. ^ "Shark Tale". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. January 2005. p. 106.
  25. ^ "Shark Tale". Official Xbox Magazine. December 2004. p. 80.
  26. ^ "Shark Tale". PC Gamer: 93. December 2004.
  27. ^ Hill, Jason (October 7, 2004). "Kids' zone". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on October 1, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  28. ^ Wapshott, Tim (October 30, 2004). "Shark Tale". The Times. Archived from the original on January 9, 2006. Retrieved August 21, 2014.(subscription required)
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