Waterworld (video game)

The game is focused around the Mariner's (the main character) trimaran, which the player moves around a 3-D world, shooting enemies on personal water crafts called Smokers. It is a form of 3D shoot 'em up, similar to that of the All-Range Mode in Star Fox 64.

The objective is to keep the Smokers from grabbing Atollers (inhabitants of Atoll) placed around the playing field. To keep them from being captured, the player must shoot the Smokers using the L and R buttons on the Virtual Boy's controller while moving around with either of the two directional pads.

Like all other Virtual Boy games, Waterworld uses a red-and-black color scheme and uses parallax, an optical trick that is used to simulate a 3D effect.{{cite web |title=Backwards Compatible: The Virtual Boy |url=http://www.abc.net.au/tv/goodgame/stories/s2585841.htm |work=Good Game |date=2009-06-01 |access-date=2015-04-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712045522/http://www.abc.net.au/tv/goodgame/stories/s2585841.htm |archive-date=July 12, 2015}} Multiplayer functionality was originally advertised for this version of Waterworld,{{cite magazine|title=Waterworld|magazine=GamePro |issue=88 |publisher=IDG|date=January 1996|page=56}} but the Virtual Boy's link cable was never released, and multiplayer was not implemented in the final release.{{cite web|url=http://www.vr32.de/modules/interviews/?3 |title=Steve Woita « Interviews « Planet Virtual Boy |publisher=Vr32.de |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109190056/http://www.vr32.de/modules/interviews/?3|archive-date=November 9, 2007 |date=November 23, 1993 |accessdate=October 17, 2013}}

Waterworld for Super NES was released in 1995 in Europe by Ocean Software. It was only released in PAL territories,{{cite web|url=http://snescentral.com/article.php?id=1214|title=Waterworld|website=SNES Central|access-date=May 22, 2021}} but an NTSC version had been scheduled for release in December 1995, and given a lengthy preview in that month's issue of Nintendo Power.{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/NintendoPower1988-2004/Nintendo%20Power%20Issue%20079%20%28December%201995%29#page/n45/mode/2up|title=Waterworld|publisher=Nintendo Power|year=1995|pages=46–52|issue=79}}

The game is played from an overhead/isometric perspective with the player controlling the Mariner's boat on the ocean. The point of the game was to destroy the Smokers' boats and dive for sunken artifacts, at which point the game switches to a side on perspective so that the player can directly control the Mariner underwater.

The Game Boy version is a side-scrolling platform game, released in PAL regions in 1995. As with the SNES version, this too was planned to be released in North America in December, receiving a short preview in Nintendo Power.{{cite magazine|title=Pak Watch|magazine=Nintendo Power|page=110|date=December 1995|issue=79|url=https://archive.org/details/Nintendo_Power_Issue001-Issue127/Nintendo%20Power%20Issue%20079%20December%201995/page/n115/mode/2up}}

The player controls the Mariner, where levels take place both underwater and on land. The Mariner can run, crawl, jump, and swing across stage elements, as well as use a gun to defeat enemies. Additionally, there are isometric sections where he must sail on his trimaran, avoiding mines and shooting at Smokers.

A Sega Genesis port of the Super NES version was also produced by Ocean. Planned for release in Europe in fall 1995, it was never distributed. A complete version of the game was eventually leaked on the internet.

The cancelled Sega Saturn version of the game was to feature a 3D virtual ocean with a dynamic surface. It began development in late 1994.{{cite magazine |title=Sega Gamers' Day|magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly|issue=87 |publisher=Ziff Davis|date=October 1996|page=115|quote=After spending almost two years in development, Waterworld for the Saturn is nearing completion.}}

The cancelled Atari Jaguar version was announced in early 1995 and planned to be released in the same year.{{cite web|url=http://host.fptoday.com/melek/Jaguar/jag-95.htm|title=OCEAN OF AMERICA DIPS INTO 'WATERWORLD(TM)' AT E3|website=Nine Lives|date=April 25, 1995|accessdate=2018-09-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041214015334/http://host.fptoday.com/melek/Jaguar/jag-95.htm|archive-date=December 14, 2004|url-status=dead}}{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/stream/HiTechMagazine/HiTech%2004#page/n80/mode/1up|title=Juegos de cine – Waterworld – Primeras imágenes del juego|magazine=Hobby Hi-Tech|issue=4|publisher=Axel Springer SE|date=June 1995|page=81|lang=es}}{{cite magazine|url=https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3AGamePro_US_075.pdf&page=169|title=Short ProShots – Waterworld|magazine=GamePro|issue=75|publisher=IDG|date=October 1995|page=165|access-date=2018-09-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180930033715/https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File%3AGamePro_US_075.pdf&page=169|archive-date=2018-09-30|url-status=live}}

The 3DO version was announced in 1995 and planned to be published by Interplay.{{cite magazine|url=http://download.abandonware.org/magazines/Joystick/joystick_numero063/Joystick%20063%20-%20Page%20156%20%28septembre%201995%29.jpg|title=Reportage – Interplay surfe sur la vague Hollywoodiene – Waterworld, le jeu d'arcade|magazine=Joystick|issue=63|publisher=Anuman Interactive|date=September 1995|page=156|lang=fr}}

In April 1995, Interplay Entertainment announced that they had garnered the rights to make a Waterworld game.{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-04-14-fi-54786-story.html|title=Irvine Firm Picks Up Rights for 'Waterworld' Games|first=HOPE|last=HAMASHIGE|date=14 April 1995|via=LA Times|access-date=2015-07-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307044113/http://articles.latimes.com/1995-04-14/business/fi-54786_1_game-titles|archive-date=2016-03-07|url-status=live}} The game was developed by Intelligent Games and published by Interplay. It was released for MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows personal computers in 1997. It is a real-time strategy video game. The game contains 25 missions. In the game, players play as a War Chief and lead a taskforce of 2 to 14 men depending upon the mission. The main objective of the game is to amass enough hydro (fresh water), food, weapons, and critical information to successfully evade the "Smokers" and revert the inundated world to its former glory.{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/waterworld-review/1900-2531843/|title=Waterworld Review|first=Marc|last=Dultz|date=2 December 1997|access-date=2018-09-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180914061308/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/waterworld-review/1900-2531843/|archive-date=2018-09-14|url-status=live}}

Waterworld received predominantly negative reviews. GameSpot gave the PC version a review score of 4.5/10. The SNES version was also poorly received, but has been praised for its soundtrack.{{cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/games/25-underrated-video-game-soundtracks/|title=25 Underrated Video Game Soundtracks|website=Den of Geek|date=August 8, 2018|access-date=May 22, 2021|last=Byrd|first=Matthew}} French magazine Consoles + considered the Game Boy version to be the best, scoring it an 83% and praising its graphics and gameplay while criticizing its music.{{cite magazine|title=Waterworld|magazine=Consoles +|date=November 1995|url=http://download.abandonware.org/magazines/Consoles%20Plus/consoleplus_numero048/Consoles%20%2B%20048%20-%20Page%20172%20(novembre%201995).jpg|language=French}}

The Virtual Boy version gathered particularly negative reviews for its poor gameplay and graphics. Sir Garnabus of GamePro panned it for having slow controls, bad collision detection, and the same enemies and victims in every level. He also criticized the lack of any backgrounds apart from the sunset, saying this mutes the 3D effect.{{cite magazine|title=ProReview Portable Systems: Waterworld |magazine=GamePro |issue=92 |publisher=IDG|date=May 1996|page=70}} Dave Frear of Nintendo Life claimed that the game was "crap", adding "with severely flawed visuals it can’t even gain points for impressing technically".{{cite web|last1=Frear|first1=Dave|title=Waterworld Review – VB|url=http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2009/06/waterworld_retro|website=Nintendo Life|date=22 June 2009 |accessdate=3 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204170143/http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2009/06/waterworld_retro|archive-date=2017-02-04|url-status=live}} The author of The Ultimate History of Video Games, Steven L. Kent, considers Waterworld to be the worst video game of all time.{{cite web| url = https://www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/history/best-n-worst.html| title = History of Gaming: The Best and Worst Video Games of All Time| publisher = PBS| accessdate = 2006-06-30| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111103220450/http://www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/history/best-n-worst.html| archive-date = 2011-11-03| url-status = live}} Seanbaby called Waterworld "the most horrible thing to ever be put inside a Virtual Boy".

• List of video games notable for negative reception

{{reflist}}

• {{IMDb title|0455840}}
• [http://www.mobygames.com/game-group/waterworld-licensees Waterworld MobyGames group]
• [http://www.vr32.de/modules/games/?r022 Entry at Planet Virtual Boy]
• [http://www.vr32.de/modules/interviews/?3 Interview with Waterworld (Virtual Boy) designer, Steve Woita] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109190056/http://www.vr32.de/modules/interviews/?3 |date=2007-11-09 }}

{{Virtual Boy}}

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Category:1995 video games

Category:Cancelled 3DO Interactive Multiplayer games

Category:Cancelled Atari Jaguar games

Category:Cancelled PlayStation (console) games

Category:Cancelled Sega Genesis games

Category:Cancelled Sega Saturn games

Category:Game Boy games

Category:Naval video games

Category:Ocean Software games

Category:Interplay Entertainment games

Category:Super Nintendo Entertainment System games

Category:Video games based on films

Category:Video games developed in France

Category:Virtual Boy games

Category:Video games developed in the United States

Category:Video games developed in the United Kingdom

Category:Intelligent Games games