El-Fish

El-Fish is a complex and intriguing fish and fish tank simulator developed by Russia’s AnimaTek. It first appeared in the middle nineties, and could be credited as a precursor to today’s popular fish farm game, Fish Tycoon.
El-Fish allows the user to view the specific character traits of the fish within his or her tank and selectively breed for a specific trait. Each individual fish has its own unique egg, holding the chromosomal pattern for the fish’s personal traits. There are around 800 possible genetic attribute combinations, including fin shape, body colour, fish size etc.

The massive number of combinations allows for a truly singular experience and a totally customizable game. The replayability is awesome.
There is no ultimate mission in this game, such as Fish Tycoon’s task of eventually recovering the magical fish of Isola through selective breeding. This game is all about aesthetics. You must build the style of fish tank you like, and then fill it with fish that are pleasing to your eye, whether they are big, small, brightly coloured, or covered in sailback fins.
The hidden gem of El-Fish lies in the manual. The play of the game is straightforward enough that very few people will really peruse the manual thoroughly. But missing the manual is missing some funny spoofs and bits on modern culture. Several quotes from the manual include: “There’s a suckerfish born every minute,” and “I’m a union fish—a Pisces working for scale.” We also can’t forget the song: “You Ain’t Nothin’ But a Dogfish” by El Fish Presley.
Since the game play is so simple, more space and time was devoted to graphics. The fish are much more realistic than one would expect, as are the items within the tank itself. The fish themselves are very colourful and interesting (or can be, if the user so chooses). Some people might become bored sitting around waiting to see what type of fish will come of their odd pairings, whereas others will be on the edge of their seats hoping for something new and cool. The value of this game lies with the gamer. Every part of this game, from the background music to the gravel on the tank floor is chosen by the user, making this a true simulation game.