Fishz

Fishz is a game of the virtual pet variety. It is essentially a European version of My Sim Aquarium with extra fish.

The player starts with a blank aquarium which can be highly customised by changing the background and selecting from a wide range of add-ons. These are grouped in easy to access menus and include:* Architectural features such as bridges and great buildings from around the world. There are around thirty in total.

• Accessories such as the assorted statues including the Statue of Liberty, a pirate ship, a camel, a treasure chests. There are around thirty items overall.
• Plants: There are around seventy different kinds to choose from
• Rocks : There are over thirty kinds of rock formation that can be used to make the aquarium more interesting
• Corals: Nearly fifty varieties in different sizes, shapes and colours
• Sea Flowers: Many kinds of sea anemone to choose from
• Wood: There are ten pieces to choose from.

While it is not possible to build structures, say to place one rock on top of another, the components can be rotated and superimposed on each other to create a more individualistic effect and the right environment for the fish. The aquarium can be viewed from all sides and from an elevated viewpoint by moving the mouse pointer to the sides and top of the screen. The player can also zoom in/out via the PgUp and PGDown keys.

Fish are bought in the pet shop as frys, that is the game's term for baby fish, and all fish have names. The shop has a limited supply so once the supply has been bought there are no replacements. However if the fish are cared for they will grow, up to three times their initial size. As they grow and mature they may breed and some of the babies can be sold back to the pet shop to restock it.
After a player has successfully bred a variety of fish one of six varieties of mermaid will appear in their aquarium. She will stay as long as the tank is clean and the fish are cared for and helps keep the fish healthy.

The fish are cared for via a fish shaped mini menu in the lower part of the screen. This shows the current water quality and gives the player access to the feeding options. In addition to the normal food are some special foods. Neon makes any fish that eats it glow in bright colours. Large, Small, and Ball foods have predictable effects on the fish. There's also a Mad food that makes them aggressive and Pizza which is the favoured food of the mermaid though the fish will eat it too.
The menu also has a 'Follow' function so that an individual fish can be tracked as it swims around the aquarium.

The game also has a fish encyclopaedia with brief details of one hundred fish, a screen saver, and a selection of relaxing classical tracks to listen to.