Inky and the Alien Aquarium is a push block puzzle game. The basis of the game is to push blocks out of Inky’s path so that the path forward is cleared and progress can be made. As you progress, you are able to rescue fellow sea creatures and even locate items to help you on your journey. One such item is a sword. The sword is used to cut grass which is one of the obstacles Inky must overcome if he expects to make it off of the ship and back to earth.
This mechanic of unlocking items in order to progress gives Inky and the Alien Aquarium a Metroid-like feel to the game, which is unique for a push block puzzle game.
One more aspect of the game I want to bring up is the open map. So as you go from room to room, you will start to fill in a map of the ship, again a nod to games like Metroid. Not only does the open map allow you to easily determine where you have been and where you might need to go, but also adds a unique element to the puzzles.
So because the game features an open map, puzzles can span across multiple rooms. There are multiple instances where there is a set of blocks that span across a set of rooms. The way to get through the area is to push the blocks of course. But this could mean you have to leave the room from one direction and enter it from another, or maybe you have to exit one room and enter the second room next to it in order to push the one specific block or hit the specific switch in order to progress.
Inky and the Alien Aquarium is a game that features some really nice graphics. Inky is rather large but not too big, just right in fact. Each room you enter is very bright and colorful. The bright color palette really works to make the game feel very kid friendly and inviting to play. But this is deceiving because the game is rather challenging, but not overly difficult.
Inky is very well animated and the game does a great job of capturing the movement of an octopus, whatever that might look like when traversing an alien ship. Though we can’t be certain, the animation feels like it fits the scenario. There are animated effects in some of the rooms and with each room being different, it really helps to differentiate them and make each one feel unique.
The performance of Inky and the Alien Aquarium on the Game Boy Advance is about what you would expect. The game is very well optimized for the handheld. There isn’t any slow down, or flickering of the graphics to speak of.
With it being a puzzle game at its core, I expected this to be the case. But given it has a bit of Metroid running through it, I am glad that everything was taken into account and the game runs as flawlessly as it does.
Inky has some awesome tunes in that alien aquarium he found himself in! The music in this game is upbeat and really fun to listen to. It’s easy to just sit in a room at a puzzle, listen to the music, and think about your next move. I half expected the music to be repetitive and tedious sounding, the kind you would expect from a push block puzzle game, but that is definitely far from that when it comes to Inky and the Alien Aquarium.
Sound effects of the items used and the sound that Inky makes when traversing the room are spot on and make the game that much more enjoyable to play.
The music and sound effects found in this game feel like they belong in an action adventure game, not a puzzle game like this. It’s really a refreshing sound that I wish more puzzle games would do.
Inky and the Alien Aquarium is hands down one of the most entertaining and fun push block puzzle games I have ever played. The upbeat music and Metroid-like elements make this a game that every GBA owner should have in their collection!
You can get the game here
Disclaimer: A review unit was provided
In addition to writing articles, Ryan Byers also creates content for his YouTube channel called "Obscure Games and Consoles", collects video games, and dabbles in video game development.