What comes to mind when you think of the ocean and its abundance of life? Well for me it’s Jaws and the wonderful fright it filled me with at such a young age that I won’t venture out over waist deep in any body of salt water. Throw me in a boat or a submarine and I would be fine to observe everything that the killer shark left uneaten. Sea Life Safari goes one step further to ensure my safety while I get to view over 50 different species of underwater life that look like they have escaped from the Disney movie “The Little Mermaid.”

Gameplay:

You play a marine photographer who is being coached by a professor who needs you to take pictures of sea life to further his studies. The controls are simple and very easy to pick up on without going through the lengthy (and boring) tutorial. As you float along the sea floor you can rotate the camera 360' degrees to get a panoramic view. The submarine is equipped with a “harmless gadget” thrower that brings out different types of behavior, ranging from an underwater jig to a show of teeth, from each sea animal. The goal is to snap 3 star pictures of each underwater critter and some hidden objects within each of the 5 levels. The key to getting the perfect picture is having the subject in the center of the photo, zooming in to fill the picture with detail, and having the marine life show some type of emotion. After completing each level the professor critiques the photos taken and allows you to save your favorite photos in an album.
The simplicity of the game makes it a great choice for the youngsters being introduced to the joys of gaming. If you have ever played “Pokemon Snap” back in the day, the game is a stripped down, underwater version. Sea Life Safari is a guilty pleasure none the less, but a bit short for the 800 M$ points you have to shell out.

Graphics:

Sea Life Safari provides excellent visuals during your exploration of the underwater terrain. The water is teeming with life of vibrant colors and joyful animations as you snap your way to the next level. The graphics are a bit on the “cartoonie” side, but that doesn’t take away from the crispness of the textures and the lush back drops.

Sound:

Although the developer was clearly looking to make an ambient soundtrack for the game it became quite the opposite after the 3rd level. The ho-hum music had me turning down the volume on the TV so I could load up the Little Mermaid soundtrack on my computer (yeah I have it....so what!!). The sound effects were ok, but nothing to rave about since all you get are the camera snaps, bubbling sounds, and snapping of crab and lobster pincers.

Longevity:

The whopping 5 levels don’t add much to the replay value of the game, especially since each are just a few minutes long. Playing each level over is mandatory if you want to snap all the pictures needed for your professor since some of the sea life only comes out at certain times of the day. The game doesn’t offer any type of online or co-op gameplay, but does have online leader-boards. Some downloadable content could easily be done for this game, but after dishing out 800 M$ points it better be cheap (preferably free). Sea Life Safari won’t offer a longstanding run as a top Xbox Live Arcade title, but it is a relaxing title to pick up and play periodically.

Overall:

Although Sea Life Safari is clearly geared toward the younger crowds it is a family friendly title that all ages can enjoy. The game immerses the player in a beautiful environment while giving the gameplay a fun and simple appeal. What really brings the game down is it’s overall length and audio department. This is a great addition to the games library if you have little ones or are in need of an anti-adrenaline game.