Feeding Frenzy 2

You’ve gotta love a game that lets you chomp your way to victory, one mouthful of food at a time. Like its 2006 precursor, Feeding Frenzy 2 casts you as a little fish in a big ocean — slowly growing your way up the food chain by eating fishes smaller than yourself. Though they’re similar games at heart, this newer version has a number of enhancements that make it a richer, fuller experience.

Presentation-wise, the sequel takes a flying leap over its forebear, landing squarely in Lusciousville. For a 2D, old-style game on Live Arcade, it’s pretty: the backdrops and sea life are more vibrant and detailed than the first game’s, whether you’re a queen triggerfish investigating a wrecked ship or a great white shark swimming past pearl-bearing oysters.

Though the 60 single-player missions have an overarching story — your hunt for the mysterious Intruder fish — you’ll focus on chowing and surviving in this playable aquarium. A faster pace and a more zoomed-in camera make the action wonderfully hectic and more exciting than Feeding Frenzy’s; there’s more darting-and-dodging (this time, you’ll need the Dash button!) and less relaxed cruising.

Other new options add spice, too, including nighttime missions with limited visibility; the ability to hop out of the water and scarf bugs; and new power-ups like a magic mushroom that shrinks larger fish so you can eat ’em. But as far as new features, multiplayer’s the big draw. Up to four people can co-op through the 60-level Story mode (or the easier alternative, “Story Lite”), which makes for a fun, frantic, mildly confusing experience as you try to sort out players from predators from prey. Mixing up the multiplayer are a pair of party modes with 10 mini-games in all, most involving a race to nab the most bugs, fish, gold, and such within a given time limit. Groundbreaking they’re not, but they do offer a quick, competitive diversion.

With all these multiplayer choices, it’s a real shame they’re restricted to one console. This may be a $10 Live Arcade title, but why add all that interesting party play (which wasn’t in the game’s PC version) without making it playable over Xbox Live, where everyone — not just the folks with buddies and multiple controllers — can enjoy it? Barring that baffling omission, though, Feeding Frenzy 2 is a whale of a game. If you own the original, it’s a two-years-on upgrade that’ll elicit fond memories of gulping goodness. And if you’re eyeing the series for the first time, know this: it’s one of Live Arcade’s tastier treats.