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Coral reefs around the world are in danger - evil Doctor Drax has been dropping bombs in these tranquil locations. Diver Dougal on his boat Unsinkable 2 tries to thwart Drax's scheme. The dastardly villain has erected an encryption barrier to stop anyone getting to the bomb, so Dougal must dive and collect the five encryption keys on each level first. As he can only carry one key at a time, multiple trips to unlock the barrier are needed. Once it is unlocked, Dougal can pick up the bomb and take it to the boat to be defused safely. Any time remaining on the bomb's countdown clock is added as a bonus score.

Doctor Drax has left genetically-warped sea creatures including sharks and octopuses [Aren't they octopodes? - Ed] to guard each reef and any contact witht these drains Dougal's health. His air supply is limited, although he can swim close to the surface and use his snorkel instead. Running out of air starts to drain health. Watch out for the mermaids who also drain air from his tanks. Fortunately, medipacks (white crosses) restore health and extra O2 cylinders can be collected to top up his supply.

Columns of bubbles push Dougal upwards when he swims through them. Mysterious alien artefacts (shown as yellow skulls) are also collectable, but they have a random effect that can be good or bad - for example, speeding Dougal up for a short time, or reversing the controls. There are coins scattered around the levels to be collected for extra points. A password is given on completing a reef, allowing play to resume at a later level (But with a lower starting health, so the best strategy for a high score is to play through all the levels in one go). Clear all fifteen bombs and it's time to confront the egregious Drax in his diabolical submarine.

Diver Dougal's leisurely pace put me off at first, but I stuck with it and warmed to the game. There's a mild puzzle element in working out where the safe areas are in order to avoid the aquatic life taking your health. Completing a level brings a sense of satisfaction, and I wouldn't want to start all over again each time Dougal met a deep-dive death, so it's a good job there's a password system but with the nicely balanced proviso of reduced health for using it.

Simple gameplay but enjoyable nonetheless, despite the look - I'm not a fan of mono sprites but they have detail and the screen is busy enough with them. All in all, it's a nice little "diver-sion".

Difficult one to chew over here. I wanted to enjoy Exploding Fish but a number of aspects held me back, including the pace of the game (although that's understandable playing a scuba diver!). The collision detection appears harsh, partly because the game forces you into compliance with the enemy movement patterns, with little room for error or improvisation.

You either pass them at one or two specific points or lose health in the process. At least you can take the keys to the gate in any order. And the password system is fair if you want to jump ahead and cope with less health, although that could be seen as a deliberate challenge.

It's a nice little title, but too frustrating and ponderous for my tastes, sadly.

I had a sinking feeling when I first loaded Exploding Fish because it reminded me of Kokotoni Wilf, and that wasn't even state-of-the-art in 1984. Still, I dived in regardless and, after a bit of play, I found that it still reminded me of Kokotoni Wilf. The pace is almost identical to that crusty classic, although this does have more to it than merely collecting shiny objects.

Initially I felt that having to keep your eye on air and health meters and a time limit was a bit mean, but it works okay in practice.

The levels are well-designed and challenging, and defusing all the bombs will take a bit of doing. Even after you've finished, you can always improve your high score. This Fish is quite a good catch.

Presentation 83%
Superb loading screen, comprehensive pre-game instructions, clever password system.

Graphics 52%
Primitive, but perfectly effective.

Sound 76%
Spooky loading screen tune a bit at odds with jaunty in-game music.

Hookability 70%
Despite appearances, the old-fashioned collecting action is endearing.

Lastability 73%
A stiff challenge, although some may bemoan the game's slow pace.

Overall 70%
Not particularly explosive, but an entertaining collect-'em-up all the same.