Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that fish die and need to be removed from the tanks. The game teaches kids about genetics and running a fish-breeding business. Kids learn about market forces as they discover that rare fish can command high prices. And they learn to use resources efficiently because they can only raise 20 fish per tank. Kids also learn about pet responsibility.
Families may want to talk about the best ways to create new fish breeds. While kids can just fool around breeding random fish, the game encourages kids to come up with a system of exploring how to create new breeds. Parents might want to help kids figure out how to do this by making charts or keeping notes. This simulation can be a good way to discuss genetics. Parents might want to introduce the concepts of dominant and recessive genes.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Jinny Gudmundsen
With FISH TYCOON, families can have all the fun and none of the mess while maintaining three tropical fish aquariums. The game teaches kids about genetics, running a fish-breeding business, and pet responsibility.
The game challenges players to interbreed different species of tropical fish in hopes of genetically recreating the seven Magical Fish of the Island of Isola, a place where the rarest and most exotic fish used to live.
Players start with one tank containing a few "teenage" fish and some unknown fish eggs. As fish mature, players pick one of them up and move it to a small observation tank. There, they discover the genetic background of the fish and learn how much the fish is worth. If players put another fish into the observation tank, the first fish will become pregnant.
Unless players turn the "Time" feature off, this simulation runs in real time, even when the program is closed or the computer is turned off. However, fish pregnancies within this program only take a few hours for gestation and birth. Players can create over 400 species of fish by combining different species.
As in the real world, fish breeding requires money and attention. Players need money for medicines, new fish eggs, fish supplies, and technological advances. They earn money by selling grown fish in the pet store. Players experiment with price and can influence the traffic flow to the store by advertising.
Just watching the fish swim across the computer screen is fun. But the game becomes more compelling as players breed new, unique fish. Testers found that they were drawn to observe their tank every few hours to see what weird new fish had been born and whether they had managed to create a Magical Fish.
Kids learn about market forces as they discover that rare fish can command high prices. They learn to use resources efficiently because they can only raise 20 fish per tank.
Parents might not want to play this simulation with very young kids because fish do die and will need to be thrown away. But for kids old enough to handle fish mortality, Fish Tycoon is a fascinating way to tinker with genetics and learn about pet responsibility.
Families can try Fish Tycoon for free for one hour by downloading it at the Web site Last Day of Work.
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Educational ValueKids learn about market forces as they discover that rare fish can command high prices. And they learn to use resources efficiently because they can only raise 20 fish per tank. |
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