[The Game]
	PC Version [download]
	Browser- Based Java Version [play]
	(Ported to java by the awesome PawelMaji)
[The Text]
	vector_black's Ja Rule Fish Gun Review
	Xdrag00nX's Ja Rule Fish Gun FAQ

[Review: Ja Rule Fish Gun]
by vector_black

I approached this game with mixed expectations. A new contender in an already-crowded and intensely competitive field, wedge has never, to my knowledge, put out a piece of gaming software. On the other hand, it is by wedge55, founder of the DORK army, rogue Pascal programmer, and the Internet's original dataterrorist. His broad spectrum of works, from the pseudo-occult paranoia/thriller that was "Turkish Revolution" to his incisive commentary on modern RPG design, left me with absolutely no idea what to expect from Ja Rule Fish Gun. To my great relief (and that of several dozen Web denizens), Ja Rule Fish Gun delivers in a big way.

This new interpretation of popular hip-hop star Ja Rule is bound together by tight thematic consistency. From the loading screen straight through to the main playing field, the focus on shades of blue and tight closeups of the lead character lends a distinct sense of purpose to the game. Unlike other works whose sheer scope obliterates any elements of consistent theme or focus (Final Fantasy Tactics, anyone?), Ja Rule Fish Gun instead concentrates on a unique style, compelling storyline, and tight gameplay mechanics to carry it. Wedge55, to his credit, pulls it off brilliantly.

On a good day, game soundtracks are marginally tolerable. Relic Studio's Homeworld comes to mind as one of the few games which manages to successfully integrate the soundtrack into the experience of the game. Using an expansive New Age styling to convey the vastness of space, even mundane tasks such as watching harvesters gather material from asteroids takes on a dreamlike quality found in few other games. Most software, however, comes nowhere near this level of excellence. From the vaguely annoying retro-funk from No One Lives Forever to the absolutely distracting electronic thrashings of Red Faction, the vast majority of games fail to use their musical resources to elevate themselves to a higher level. Ja Rule Fish Gun, thankfully, proves to be one of the rare exceptions to this rule. The powerful, nonstop lyrical flow of Ja Rule and Irv Gotti complements and heightens the game's already frenetic tempo. Wedge also demonstrates a particular talent for timing the music to specific in-game events such as the beginning of a level or looping at the end of the song.

Even a game with as much going for it as Ja Rule Fish Gun, however, can be broken by a poor control scheme. For instance, observe Dragon Rider: Chronicles of Pern. Ubisoft offers an intriguing chance for players to explore the intense and richly-detailed world of Anne McCaffrey's Pern. While the chance to ride her fierce dragons of the Weyr and fight the Threadfall has great potential, the monstrously unresponsive control scheme turns the act of finding and talking to people, a task which should be simplicity itself, into an unplayably tedious undertaking. Conversely, with its highly intuitive and extremely tight control setup, Ja Rule Fish Gun is lightyears beyond the likes of Ubisoft's offering. Though it is non-customizable, wedge's control setup is simple enough to learn quickly, yet flexible enough to perform a variety of complex actions.

Everything, however well-designed, has its flaws, and Ja Rule Fish Gun is no exception. Fortunately, however, my complaints are fairly minor. While the soundtrack is perfectly fitted to the game's rhythm, the actual sound effects become somewhat repetitive after a while. The physics of the fish bouncing could have spent a little more time in development, and the graphics, likewise, could use some polish. However, taken in the context of the game (and considering that its design team consisted of all of one person), these are eminently forgivable and hardly take away from the total experience of the game.

In an age where innovation is rare and me-too-ism stifles creativity and dominates the industry, wedge55 delivers up a refreshing dose of sophisticated gameplay. With the polished and refined creative vision one might expect from a veteran game designer such as Chris Roberts or Peter Molyneaux, wedge55 skillfully crafts his first foray into today's PC gaming market. Ja Rule Fish Gun successfully blends unparalleled artistic focus with adrenaline-pumping pace, superb musical score, and top-notch controls. If good games are your thing, then Ja Rule Fish Gun is certainly worth your time, and certainly worth your money.