My Sim Aquarium attempts to give gamers control of a salt water aquarium with a mixed result. While what's there is probably enough to garner the attention of youngsters, there just isn't enough to warrant calling the game a simulation. But before we give a final verdict, let's take a look at what this game offers.

You start the game with an empty salt water tank (it'll be populated by fish from the ocean, hence no options for other kinds of fish), which you'll have to build to your liking. You could simply throw in some plants for a light decorum or go crazy and throw together a themed tank using various objects like plants, flowers, rocks, castles, buildings, and other baubles. Once you figure out the look of your tank you can start populating it with salt water fish. Since there's no type of budgeting cap in place you can do whatever you want in terms of decorum and inhabitants, so players can get as wild and creative as they want when putting their tanks together. You can also load pre-generated themes for your tanks if you don't feel all that creative, but there is a little fun to be had in doing the work..

From there players make a visit to the pet store where they can begin choosing the kinds of fish they want to drop in their tank. It is pretty important that you choose the right kinds of fish to put together, because -- just like in the real world -- some breeds don't get along very well together. You'll also want to have a good mix of male and female fish so that you can eventually get to the stage where they breed.

There are around 48 different breeds of fish to choose from including clown fish, seas horses and many other breeds. It's important to figure out what breeds play nice with others so you don't have to worry about them fighting all the time. If you can keep your fish happy, well fed and matched up (male and female pairings) then after a bit of happiness in the tank the fish will breed and create new fish for you to enjoy.

You can tell how your fish are "feeling" by simply clicking on them and following them for a bit. This is fun because you can watch it explore its environment. I'm not sure how accurately this game models real fish behavior but it certainly is calming to watch them exploring the tank and co-habitating with other fish. Players can look at their completed tank in panoramic view, or zoom in to get a closer look at the fish at any time.

Finally the game offers two modes: Expert and Lazy. Obviously Expert mode is a more hands-on approach allowing you to feed, breed and grow your fish and taking control of the daily feeding schedule. Lazy mode lets you watch your tank without having to worry about the caring aspects of this game. In Lazy mode you can also turn your aquarium into a screensaver for your PC.

Ultimately My Sim Aquarium is a good diversion for youngsters that want to casually try their hand at taking care of fish. For adults the game may not be so fascinating. My Sim Aquarium probably should have been named "My Aquarium" because there aren't as many simulation elements as the title of the game would lead you to believe. If you have youngsters that love fish, then this game is probably worth taking a look at, but adults will probably be left wanting. - Dean Martell.