Fanta Vision is not so much of a game as it is a utility or an application, although it does have a nice entertaining quality to it. Perhaps “edutainment” may be the most appropriate genre in which to slot the Fanta Vision title. Fanta Vision is a simplistic application, similar to Flash, that allows the user to create his or her own animated short clips. It is basically a TWAIN animator. It was released in the late eighties and was a very novel concept at the time and was considered to be a top of the line program in its day.
Even in the modern times, Fanta Vision is still useful and can bring out the creativity in computer users of all ages. It did not receive a great deal of critical acclaim due to the fact that it remained quite obscure. Shortly after its release, its programmer became defunct and it did not benefit from expensive marketing schemes. It was actually published by Broderbund Software, Incorporated.
In Fanta Vision, the user begins by drawing his own animations. The computer program will then animate them and give them life to make little movies. Sound can be added and so can some rudimentary effects. The length of the clips can range from a few seconds to some significantly longer. Loops can also be created to make very long,
full-length animated movies. There is a wide variety of colors available for the user to choose from when creating backgrounds and shading in the cartoons. It is only a two dimensional animator, but a creative user will be able to add effects that will give the illusion of a third dimension. Shading and coloring, as well as shaping can give the illusion of depth or roundness. The user is only limited by his imagination, not the application’s capabilities.
The best thing about Fanta Vision is probably not its animating capabilities, but rather its ease of use. Even a young, aspiring animator will likely be able to pull off a decent animation on the very first try, which is likely to diminish frustration and improve the chances of the user trying another, more sophisticated animation. The user interface is very user friendly and easy to grasp.
Overall, Fanta Vision is a good little utility that can be fun for kids and older computer users. It is a good introduction to the world of animation that can really open some doors for some great creative productions.
