<s>
Aqua	B-Application
Aqua	I-Application
is	O
a	O
puzzle	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Zed	O
Two	O
,	O
the	O
studio	O
of	O
Ste	O
and	O
John	O
Pickford	O
,	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
sequel	O
to	O
Wetrix	B-Device
(	O
1998	O
)	O
and	O
has	O
very	O
similar	O
gameplay	O
;	O
the	O
player	O
,	O
on	O
a	O
landscape	O
,	O
uses	O
Uppers	O
to	O
create	O
walls	O
for	O
enclosures	O
that	O
hold	O
flying	O
water	O
bubbles	O
,	O
contending	O
with	O
hazards	O
like	O
rainstorms	O
,	O
bombs	O
,	O
and	O
ice	O
cubes	O
in	O
the	O
process	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Imagineer	O
commissioned	O
a	O
sequel	O
to	O
Wetrix	B-Device
following	O
the	O
predecessor	O
's	O
critical	O
and	O
commercial	O
success	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
2000	O
in	O
Europe	O
,	O
North	O
America	O
and	O
Japan	O
as	O
the	O
third	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
puzzle	O
game	O
after	O
Fantavision	B-Application
and	O
Super	O
Bust-A-Move	O
,	O
selling	O
70,000	O
+	O
copies	O
in	O
the	O
West	O
and	O
15,000	O
+	O
in	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Aqua	B-Application
Aqua	I-Application
was	O
generally	O
well-received	O
by	O
professional	O
critics	O
for	O
its	O
addictiveness	O
,	O
graphics	O
and	O
sound	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Aqua	B-Application
Aquas	I-Application
gameplay	O
remains	O
largely	O
unchanged	O
from	O
Wetrix	B-Device
(	O
1998	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Described	O
by	O
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthlys	O
Chris	O
Johnston	O
as	O
a	O
combination	O
of	O
Tetris	B-Device
and	O
Civilization	B-Application
,	O
it	O
is	O
a	O
3D	B-Application
isometric	I-Application
puzzle	O
game	O
where	O
the	O
player	O
builds	O
paddocks	O
on	O
land	O
to	O
prevent	O
falling	O
water	O
bubbles	O
from	O
dripping	O
off	O
the	O
landscape	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Aqua	B-Application
Aquas	I-Application
predecessor	O
,	O
Wetrix	B-Device
,	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Zed	O
Two	O
,	O
a	O
small	O
studio	O
owned	O
by	O
Ste	O
and	O
John	O
Pickford	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
conceived	O
out	O
of	O
a	O
water	O
effects	O
demo	O
done	O
for	O
another	O
one	O
of	O
their	O
own	O
games	O
,	O
Vampire	O
Circus	O
,	O
which	O
became	O
Taz	B-Application
Express	I-Application
(	O
2000	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wetrix	B-Device
and	O
Taz	B-Application
Express	I-Application
were	O
published	O
by	O
Ocean	O
Software	O
out	O
of	O
a	O
two-game	O
deal	O
signed	O
a	O
week	O
before	O
the	O
publisher	O
merged	O
with	O
Infogrames	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
release	O
sold	O
105,000	O
+	O
copies	O
in	O
the	O
west	O
and	O
12,000	O
+	O
in	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
Wetrix	B-Device
was	O
critically	O
acclaimed	O
for	O
its	O
originality	O
in	O
the	O
puzzle	O
game	O
genre	O
,	O
scoring	O
8/8/8/7	O
in	O
Famitsu	O
,	O
the	O
magazine	O
's	O
highest	O
for	O
a	O
Western	O
title	O
in	O
years	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
critical	O
and	O
commercial	O
success	O
motivated	O
Japanese	O
company	O
Imagineer	O
,	O
who	O
developed	O
Wetrixs	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Color	I-Device
port	O
,	O
to	O
commission	O
Zed	O
Two	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
sequel	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Contrary	O
to	O
fan	O
rumors	O
that	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
development	O
kits	O
were	O
already	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
by	O
mid-1999	O
,	O
none	O
had	O
been	O
sent	O
by	O
Sony	O
to	O
companies	O
outside	O
of	O
Japan	O
until	O
October	O
1999	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
meant	O
some	O
Zed	O
Two	O
staff	O
flew	O
to	O
Japan	O
to	O
develop	O
Aqua	B-Application
Aqua	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
June	O
25	O
,	O
1999	O
,	O
IGN	O
revealed	O
Zed	O
Two	O
was	O
developing	O
a	O
sequel	O
to	O
Wetrix	B-Device
,	O
not	O
yet	O
named	O
,	O
for	O
the	O
upcoming	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
had	O
been	O
moved	O
to	O
summer	O
2000	O
by	O
the	O
time	O
the	O
sequel	O
was	O
presented	O
at	O
the	O
2000	O
Tokyo	O
Game	O
Show	O
,	O
where	O
its	O
name	O
,	O
Aqua	B-Application
Aqua	I-Application
,	O
was	O
revealed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
3DO	O
Company	O
published	O
Aqua	B-Application
Aqua	I-Application
in	O
North	O
America	O
on	O
December	O
30	O
,	O
2000	O
,	O
while	O
SCi	O
Games	O
published	O
it	O
in	O
Europe	O
in	O
November	O
2000	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
the	O
third	O
puzzle	O
game	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
console	O
after	O
Fantavision	B-Application
and	O
Super	O
Bust-A-Move	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Aqua	B-Application
Aqua	I-Application
sold	O
15,000	O
+	O
units	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
and	O
70,000	O
+	O
in	O
the	O
West	O
,	O
numbers	O
GamesTM	O
attributed	O
to	O
its	O
reputation	O
as	O
a	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
launch	O
title	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviews	O
of	O
Aqua	B-Application
Aqua	I-Application
were	O
generally	O
positive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Containing	O
gameplay	O
and	O
graphics	O
identical	O
to	O
Wetrix	B-Device
,	O
it	O
received	O
the	O
same	O
praises	O
and	O
critiques	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
Aqua	B-Application
Aqua	I-Application
has	O
its	O
problems	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
's	O
still	O
the	O
best	O
puzzle	O
game	O
yet	O
to	O
grace	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
,	O
"	O
wrote	O
GameSpots	O
Shane	O
Satterfield	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
mind	O
of	O
David	O
Zdyrko	O
of	O
IGN	O
,	O
Aqua	B-Application
Aqua	I-Application
"	O
takes	O
the	O
basic	O
gameplay	O
elements	O
that	O
made	O
its	O
prequel	O
so	O
well	O
liked	O
and	O
has	O
added	O
a	O
lot	O
of	O
neat	O
new	O
features	O
and	O
play	O
mechanics	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Aqua	B-Application
Aqua	I-Application
was	O
highlighted	O
for	O
its	O
addictive	O
quality	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Allgames	O
Jay	O
Semerad	O
lamented	O
that	O
the	O
directional	B-Device
pad	I-Device
controls	O
the	O
falling	O
pieces	O
(	O
unlike	O
Wetrix	B-Device
which	O
was	O
controlled	O
with	O
a	O
more	O
versatile	O
analog	O
stick	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
piece	O
can	O
jump	O
from	O
one	O
side	O
of	O
the	O
screen	O
to	O
another	O
with	O
one	O
small	O
tap	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
praised	O
by	O
Zdyrko	O
as	O
a	O
new	O
edition	O
to	O
the	O
Wetrix	B-Device
series	O
,	O
the	O
Story	O
Mode	O
was	O
generally	O
criticized	O
for	O
being	O
too	O
short	O
,	O
reviewers	O
reported	O
beating	O
it	O
within	O
a	O
few	O
hours	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Official	O
UK	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
Magazines	O
Louis	O
Wells	O
criticized	O
the	O
"	O
seemingly	O
unobtainable	O
points	O
needed	O
to	O
stop	O
a	O
boss	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
he	O
was	O
more	O
forgiving	O
towards	O
the	O
graphics	O
in	O
general	O
,	O
saying	O
that	O
although	O
not	O
the	O
best	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
,	O
they	O
served	O
their	O
function	O
for	O
a	O
puzzle	O
game	O
,	O
as	O
doing	O
anything	O
more	O
spectacular	O
would	O
only	O
distract	O
the	O
player	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameRevolution	O
journalist	O
G-Wok	O
appreciated	O
the	O
graphics	O
as	O
"	O
clean	O
and	O
colorful	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
Official	O
UK	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
Magazines	O
Louis	O
Wells	O
enjoyed	O
the	O
cute	O
character	O
design	O
,	O
"	O
beautifully	O
rendered	O
"	O
land	O
,	O
and	O
water	O
effects	O
.	O
</s>
