It's definitely a one-trick pony. But Prolific Publishing's Marine Aquarium 2.0 serves a stunningly realistic aquarium on a PC. The amazingly lifelike aquarium is not only fun to watch, but soothing, and you'll never have to care for real fish or clean out a tank.

Marine Aquarium 2.0 showcases lifelike 3-D fish in a virtual aquarium and works as a screensaver. You can select up to seven different fish to swim across the screen from 26 exotic species that include triggerfish, clownfish, tangs, and several varieties of butterfly fish and angelfish. These fish are 3-D models that swim randomly, not flat images dragged across the screen, and they move and turn just as real fish do. The program also displays variable lighting, bubbles, and sound effects that add to the experience.

software - Marine Aquarium 2.0 - review

This newest version - Marine Aquarium 2.0 - offers five new fish (emperor angelfish, blue ring angelfish, redfin butterflyfish, rock beauty angelfish, and squarespot anthias) and information about scientific habitat and dietary information about each fish.

We found that Marine Aquarium 2.0 did everything that it claimed to and delivered an amazingly realistic virtual aquarium that was quite convincing. The program may not be worth the $20 to lots of users, but we were strangely drawn to it. And it quickly became our screensaver of choice.

5/8/03 www.daytrum.com Editorial Staff