Fantavision (2000)
Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Platform: PlayStation 2
Induction Date: 03/24/2001
What's more fun than chasing after a huge comet?
Well, watching colorful fireworks while doing so, of course!
Fantavision is one of those seemingly simple and shallow puzzle games that will grow on you if you allow yourself to be enveloped by its madness. I was intrigued by it when it accompanied the launch of the PlayStation 2 and it became the 7th game I purchased for the system. The game has a some quirky play mechanics: basically, you use the left analogue stick of the controller to aim and lock on to a bunch of flares launched into the air. You have to manually detonate them but you can only do so if you matched 3 or more of the same color. If you fail to denote them, your Play Meter will continue to deplete and once drained, completely, it's game over. The game is more complex than that - at later stages, the flares shoot from every corner of the screen in less obvious sets of colors. You can also chain different colors by locking on to power-ups and special flares. Those that you can't manually detonate will also automatically explode if they touch the exploded flares of the same color. The game is less technical while you are playing it. You just have to absorb yourself in the moment and the color-matching will become second nature. I really love the retro-futuristic vibe of the game, especially the non-sensical progression of the stages and the live actors interactions that show up every so often. The game still looks amazing when I played it today and the varied soundtrack is very pleasing as well. There's even a two-player versus mode included in the game, though the options for it is rather limited. One of the console's best games.
LIBRARY STATUS: 5 out of 5
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