Fantavision

Fantavision goes where no game has gone before. Blowing up stuff sure is cool!

Fantavision is the only title from Sony available at launch for the PS2, and it's probably the most unique title to ship on any system in a long time. You're in command of a fireworks show in this game that has you select the rockets as they shoot upward, and time the explosions for the best effects. You rack up points for linking together more fireworks and filling the skies with the prettiest show you can conjure up.

Family Fun
Fantavision is being positioned as the PS2 "family" game for non-gamers. The opening intro is a movie that has a little girl and her family gathered 'round the PS2 enjoying the pretty effects in the game. However, Fantavision is a very fast-paced game that will test an action gamer's reflexes to the limit, especially on the harder difficulty levels.

The game plays something like a more complex version of Missile Command. The game shoots rockets into the sky, and you have to make them explode before they disappear. To make any of the rockets (the game calls them flares) explode, you first need to select three or more of the same color with the cursor. There are multicolored rockets as well, functioning as kind of a wildcard. For instance, you can select red, red, multicolor, and blue rockets in that sequence and detonate them for a nice score. The more fireworks you select for advanced combos and chains, the more you score. A good, but very dull, tutorial explains the gameplay in detail.

Pretty Things Go Boom!
The graphics and sound are quite good, with nice lighting effects, explosion sounds, and a light music score. The camera slowly tracks along a predetermined route, giving you a tour of the cityscape in the background, but the fireworks are the main attraction. Eight different kinds of flares give the game a nice visual variety, but even more would've been better. As a bonus, you can watch the show again with a cool replay mode from multiple camera angles.

At its heart Fantavision is pretty basic, and you can get by with mashing buttons a bit, but to really advance in the game requires some chops. If you're a fan of action puzzle games, then Fantavision is a good bet.

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