Aqua Lungers (NS)

This action filled 2D competitive platformer that is 'Aqua Lungers" has up to four players minding both the treasure looting of various island locations, and the creatures that inhabit said island's waters and land. Armed with a spear, a deep dive suit, and some power-ups you must brave the waters, and their depths in order to score a set amount of loot before you, your friends or the island monster does. It's all about looting, dropping said loot off at deposit stations, and finishing the aquatic foes that lie between you and your fortune.

Gameplay in the singleplayer section of Aqua Lungers is a fairly simple undertaking. You are given immediate access to various themed islands in a given order with their own set of numbered stages, weapon gimmicks, and a big boss baddies. In entering a match, or stage your main goal is to loot treasure from capsized, and sunken ships that will run out of loot with return looting. Ultimately carrying the loot back to a safe or deposit box that keeps a tally of how much gold you've amassed. As you do your back and forth in the watery depths, and land masses you must mind the lesser creatures that will attack you, cause you to drop loot, and slow you down as the boss creature targets you for a potential one hit kill. You have three lives with which to collect, and deposit 3,000 gold per stage. You die three times, and you'll have to fork over 200 gold to respawn. So long as you have it. All the while you'll be dealing with the exotic, and aquatic lifeforms while the boss creature itself collects gold against you in an attempt to best you at your looting mission.

To aid in the stage by stage mission is your trusty spear which can kill lesser, and greater creatures alike as well as offer added means at navigating each stages' layout, and gimmick based obstacles more efficiently. Added attacks like the spear charge, which allows for charged attacks that also clear rock and dash in multiple directions, will help you make a safer venture in the back and forth route. As you progress you'll stack the added abilities as the island locales become more complex, and treacherous. With the spear you'll also be able to poke a land based skeleton rock face that drops three power-ups that can help you, and also hinder your progress. You'll find things like a bubble shield, and a shield that sucks treasure to your person as well as more weapon based power-ups like TNT, and throwing spears. Utilizing your main spear, and these limited use power-ups will help you best the beast.

Upon clearing all lettered stages you'll have to face off against the current island's boss creature within a limited space as you use power-ups, and your spear to deal damage to it. Eventually ending it's life or losing your own stock of lives to it. Each death, whether in the looting stages or boss battle stages will allow up to three respawns free of charge. After that it's 200 gold to respawn or you'll lose your progress, and have to start over. This is the gameplay setup for the singplayer portion of  'Aqua Lungers".

In the competitive four person portion of the game each player will take control of a different colored Aqua Lunger with a matching deposit box. The end goal, and base gameplay loop remains the basically same, but the onscreen action will be split into four smaller screens with an added time limit to boot. It's more of a PvP race against time where the first player to reach the 3,000 limit wins. In hindsight the singleplayer "PvE Survival" focus has an end tally that is one of feats. It keeps track of your creature kills, and damage as well as loot amassed, and things like self-kills which can happen with certain power-up weapons.

As an Aqua Lunger your abilities are somewhat simple at base level. The 'X' button deposits loot into the designated deposit box while 'Y' is the spear attack/ability. The 'A' button will use the currently selected power-up while 'B' will allow you to swim faster in the water the more you press it as well as jump on land. Lastly, cycling through power-ups is done by pressing the right shoulder button. The best option for character movement is the left thumbstick, but the Dpad can be used if you prefer.

The Verdict ...

Aqua Lungers feels like a coin-op arcade cabinet type of game. It features both singleplayer, and multiplayer elements that feel short lived, but more challenging and complex the deeper you get into the game's stages. It is a colorful game with what I like to call 2.5D animations where the creatures really pop out onto the screen. It has a sort of children's animated movie look to it, but at the same time features bloody deaths. Adult or child I think this is a good action platformer that offers enough challenge, and replay value for the asking price. It gets the Inferno's blazing seal of approval!!!