The Amazing Virtual Sea-Monkeys® (2001,2002)
Developers: Creature Labs, Ltd (PC) & Elo Interactive Media GmbH (Console)
PC Publishers: Xicat Interactive, Inc. (USA) & Just Play (UK)
Console Publisher: Conspiracy Entertainment
Release: November 2001 (PC) & Summer 2002 (Console)
Platforms:
The second Sea-Monkeys® video game to be released when Educational Insights held the license for the brand. This game has the peculiar distinction in that the gameplay differs depending on the platform you play on.
The PC version was developed by Creature Labs and released in November 2001. This version’s gameplay consists of a virtual aquarium in which the goal is to keep your Sea-Monkeys healthy and thriving. Like its real-life counterparts, you have to periodically feed your virtual pets, monitor their health, keep the water clean, etc. From an underwater castle to a companion octopus named Ollie that protects your Sea-Monkeys, the game also offers a wide selection of objects and aquatic animals to customize your underwater habitat.
Released in the summer of 2002 for the Game Boy Advance and PlayStation 1, the gameplay of this console version consists of 70 maze-like levels with different challenges & puzzles that you need to overcome so your Sea-Monkeys arrive safely at their destination. The development of this console version was assigned to the Germany-based Elo Interactive, using many of the assets seen in the PC version that were originally created by Creatures Lab.
As seen in early press releases & material, “Sea-Monkey Marina” was the initial title of this project.
Due to the financial & management struggles it had been facing for a while, Creature Labs ceased operations in March of 2003.
For more information, enthusiasts of Creatures (the video game series Creature Labs was well known for) have a robust and well-maintained wiki site, where one can find additional information about this game, including the game credits & technical data about how the game operates.
https://creatures.fandom.com/wiki/Amazing_Virtual_Sea-Monkeys
POOBLE/Nautila
There’s one peculiar game asset we’ll highlight, and that’s POOBLE or Nautila, which serves a different purpose depending on the game version.
In the PC version, this asset is called POOBLE, and it’s a Water Purifying Droid which you can purchase for 10 pearls, and place in the Sea-Monkey marina to keep it clean.
In the Game Boy Advance and PlayStation, this asset is called Nautila, and it’s the playable one uses to progress through the game. Interestingly enough, the manual for this version provides some background lore for this character; Nautila is a fish pensioner from Planet Albia, where she was a communications manager for gene scientists, and is nearly 358 years old. Planet Albia was the setting of the first two Creatures games.
Game Cover Variations
