Freddi Fish 2: The Case of the Haunted Schoolhouse Review (TheSneak06)
Freddi Fish: The Case of the Haunted Schoolhouse
A Delightfully Fun Underwater Mystery Adventure
Freddi Fish and the Case of the Haunted Schoolhouse is the second instalment in the Freddi Fish series. In this second mystery story, Freddi and Luther, two young fish, try to recover the stolen toys of their guppy friends while also trying to figure out who's pretending to be a ghost behind the thefts.
As with their first adventure, Freddi and Luther encounter other fish friends in their quest to solve a mystery. In this story, the two plan a trap for the "ghost" behind the toy thefts, and seek out various items to create their elaborate trap. Which items they need to find changes each time the game is played! Though the overall trap is the same, which items are missing is not always the same, resulting in slightly different encounters and activities. Unlike the first story, in which the two friends have the exact same experiences with other marine life, that differs somewhat in The Case of the Haunted Schoolhouse. For instance, the pair may or may not have to barter with Eddie the Eel. These changing scenarios add so much replayability to the game. It is one of the things I like most about these games.
The trap items are not the only things that change with each playthrough: so do the locations of the purple urchins (that's right, we collect purple sea urchins again in this instalment), how to solve a knot puzzle, and the combination to a lock. I really like that some things are not precisely the same with each iteration of the game; having them move around and/or change the solution makes the game feel fresh and more fun!
There are a lot of fun extras in the game as well. There are a few mini-games, including a slider puzzle (its image changes, too!) and a target-practice-type game. Players can click on tons of images on screen and have things happen (changes in shape, fish swim about, and so on). These are the kinds of things that are not needed but have a positive impact on the game. It shows that the developers thought about their audience and wanted to keep them entertained. I love it!
We also have a few callbacks to the first game in the series, including a key item from the first adventure, as well as some fish friends (and foes). And, of course, the game gets a bit musical! Such fun!
Considering that this game was released in 1996, it holds up really well today. The adventure is fun, the characters are amusing, and the variability makes it worth playing over and over again. I rate Freddi Fish and the Case of the Haunted Schoolhouse 5/5. I prefer it over the first game, because it offers more changes with each playthrough, and it feels even more adventurous than the first. It's a great game for children and adults alike.