<s>
Wetrix	B-Device
is	O
a	O
3D	O
puzzle	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Zed	O
Two	O
,	O
the	O
studio	O
of	O
brothers	O
Ste	O
and	O
John	O
Pickford	O
,	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
and	O
personal	B-Device
computers	I-Device
in	O
1998	O
,	O
and	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
and	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Color	I-Device
in	O
1999	O
(	O
as	O
Wetrix+	O
and	O
Wetrix	B-Device
GB	O
respectively	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
's	O
goal	O
is	O
to	O
hold	O
water	O
bubbles	O
falling	O
on	O
a	O
3D	B-Application
isometric	I-Application
landscape	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
do	O
this	O
,	O
enclosures	O
are	O
created	O
with	O
Uppers	O
,	O
which	O
fall	O
in	O
a	O
similar	O
manner	O
to	O
Tetris	B-Device
blocks	O
,	O
that	O
raise	O
the	O
ground	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Pickfords	O
conceived	O
a	O
Tetris-esque	O
puzzle	O
game	O
out	O
of	O
a	O
water	O
demo	O
they	O
worked	O
on	O
for	O
another	O
one	O
of	O
their	O
Zed	O
Two	O
games	O
,	O
the	O
hack	B-Application
and	I-Application
slash	I-Application
Vampire	O
Circus	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
design	O
,	O
the	O
biggest	O
focus	O
was	O
on	O
the	O
basic	O
elements	O
 '	O
interaction	O
with	O
each	O
other	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
puzzle	O
game	O
style	O
's	O
originality	O
;	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
falling	O
blocks	O
was	O
the	O
only	O
similarity	O
between	O
Wetrix	B-Device
and	O
Tetris	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
required	O
the	O
brothers	O
to	O
turn	O
Vampire	O
Circus	O
into	O
Taz	B-Application
Express	I-Application
(	O
2000	O
)	O
,	O
while	O
allowing	O
the	O
brothers	O
free	O
rein	O
with	O
Wetrix	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PC	O
version	O
was	O
produced	O
from	O
January	O
to	O
October	O
1997	O
by	O
the	O
brothers	O
themselves	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
port	O
was	O
developed	O
with	O
three	O
additional	O
programmers	O
from	O
around	O
June	O
to	O
Christmas	O
1997	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
version	O
sold	O
over	O
105,000	O
units	O
in	O
the	O
West	O
,	O
and	O
just	O
above	O
12,000	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
PC	O
version	O
sold	O
30,000	O
copies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wetrix	B-Device
was	O
generally	O
well-received	O
by	O
critics	O
,	O
who	O
applauded	O
its	O
addictiveness	O
and	O
original	O
concept	O
but	O
were	O
critical	O
of	O
the	O
limited	O
camera	O
mobility	O
and	O
divided	O
on	O
its	O
difficulty	O
,	O
steep	O
learning	O
curve	O
,	O
and	O
two-player	O
mode	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
critical	O
and	O
commercial	O
success	O
motivated	O
Imagineer	O
,	O
developers	O
of	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Color	I-Device
port	O
,	O
to	O
commission	O
Zed	O
Two	O
to	O
develop	O
a	O
sequel	O
,	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
launch	O
title	O
Aqua	B-Application
Aqua	I-Application
,	O
which	O
made	O
little	O
alterations	O
to	O
the	O
main	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wetrix	B-Device
is	O
an	O
isometric	B-Application
puzzle	O
video	O
game	O
where	O
the	O
player	O
,	O
on	O
a	O
square	O
landscape	O
,	O
produces	O
mounds	O
to	O
hold	O
water	O
bubbles	O
falling	O
from	O
the	O
sky	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
the	O
regular	O
Classic	O
mode	O
,	O
Wetrix	B-Device
has	O
Pro	O
,	O
which	O
quickens	O
the	O
speed	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
Practice	O
,	O
which	O
teaches	O
basic	O
rules	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
studio	O
's	O
first	O
project	O
was	O
Vampire	O
Circus	O
,	O
a	O
3D	B-Application
isometric	I-Application
hack	B-Application
and	I-Application
slash	I-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
in	O
the	O
style	O
of	O
Gauntlet	B-Device
(	O
1985	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
initially	O
named	O
,	O
as	O
a	O
joke	O
,	O
Wetris	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
title	O
was	O
later	O
changed	O
to	O
something	O
less	O
similar	O
to	O
Tetris	B-Device
,	O
Wetrix	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Therefore	O
,	O
it	O
could	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
make	O
them	O
established	O
enough	O
to	O
produce	O
the	O
more	O
ambitious	O
hack	B-Application
and	I-Application
slash	I-Application
project	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
won	O
Zed	O
Two	O
a	O
deal	O
with	O
Ocean	O
to	O
publish	O
two	O
games	O
:	O
Vampire	O
Circus	O
and	O
Wetrix	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ocean	O
required	O
the	O
small	O
studio	O
to	O
turn	O
Vampire	O
Circus	O
into	O
a	O
game	O
starring	O
the	O
Tasmanian	O
Devil	O
,	O
which	O
became	O
Taz	B-Application
Express	I-Application
(	O
2000	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
brothers	O
were	O
allowed	O
free	O
rein	O
with	O
Wetrix	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Much	O
brainstorming	O
was	O
done	O
on	O
what	O
type	O
of	O
puzzle	O
game	O
to	O
produce	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
being	O
in	O
the	O
style	O
of	O
Lemmings	B-Application
(	O
1991	O
)	O
or	O
The	O
Incredible	O
Machine	O
series	O
,	O
but	O
they	O
ultimately	O
settled	O
on	O
a	O
Tetris-esque	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wetrix	B-Device
was	O
the	O
Pickfords	O
 '	O
first	O
puzzle	O
video	O
game	O
,	O
a	O
genre	O
that	O
was	O
"	O
surprisingly	O
difficult	O
"	O
for	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
a	O
Tetris-style	O
game	O
was	O
the	O
initial	O
concept	O
,	O
the	O
only	O
overlap	O
between	O
the	O
two	O
puzzle	O
games	O
was	O
blocks	O
falling	O
to	O
the	O
ground	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
the	O
Pickfords	O
 '	O
perspective	O
,	O
most	O
other	O
Tetris-inspired	O
titles	O
made	O
too	O
little	O
changes	O
to	O
the	O
rules	O
,	O
so	O
they	O
intended	O
for	O
Wetrix	B-Device
to	O
be	O
more	O
original	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Zed	O
Two	O
began	O
the	O
Wetrix	B-Device
project	O
as	O
a	O
PC	O
title	O
,	O
with	O
no	O
plans	O
for	O
porting	O
to	O
consoles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
Zed	O
Two	O
's	O
inquisition	O
,	O
a	O
friend	O
of	O
the	O
Pickfords	O
,	O
who	O
worked	O
at	O
Software	O
Creations	O
,	O
used	O
the	O
PC	O
source	O
to	O
secretly	O
code	O
a	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
port	O
with	O
the	O
Manchester	O
company	O
's	O
development	B-Application
kit	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PC	O
version	O
was	O
mostly	O
only	O
done	O
by	O
the	O
Pickfords	O
from	O
January	O
to	O
October	O
1997	O
,	O
while	O
a	O
different	O
team	O
consisting	O
of	O
Amir	O
Latif	O
,	O
David	O
Gill	O
,	O
and	O
Jan	O
van	O
Valburg	O
programmed	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
release	O
from	O
around	O
June	O
to	O
Christmas	O
1997	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
brothers	O
had	O
no	O
other	O
source	O
of	O
income	O
,	O
meaning	O
finishing	O
either	O
Wetrix	B-Device
or	O
Vampire	O
Circus	O
needed	O
to	O
be	O
done	O
quickly	O
to	O
pay	O
their	O
rent	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
budget	O
limitation	O
meant	O
having	O
to	O
resort	O
to	O
a	O
pre-made	O
3D	O
model	O
built	O
into	O
a	O
package	O
of	O
3D	B-Language
Studio	I-Language
4	I-Language
for	O
the	O
rubber	O
duck	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
publication	O
to	O
announce	O
Wetrix	B-Device
on	O
14	O
August	O
1997	O
,	O
although	O
only	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
12	O
March	O
1998	O
,	O
the	O
cover	O
art	O
was	O
revealed	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
date	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
version	O
was	O
set	O
at	O
April	O
1998	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ocean	O
released	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
version	O
in	O
May	O
1998	O
in	O
Europe	O
and	O
on	O
16	O
June	O
1998	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
and	O
Imagineer	O
published	O
it	O
on	O
27	O
November	O
1998	O
in	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
selling	O
well	O
,	O
Wetrix	B-Device
had	O
its	O
budget	O
cut	O
by	O
Infogrames	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
moved	O
to	O
other	O
projects	O
,	O
feeling	O
the	O
puzzle	O
title	O
would	O
not	O
fit	O
their	O
reputation	O
of	O
producing	O
"	O
mega	O
hit	O
"	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
prevented	O
Ocean	O
US	O
from	O
selling	O
more	O
copies	O
of	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
version	O
than	O
they	O
did	O
,	O
and	O
caused	O
a	O
seven-player	O
LAN	B-General_Concept
mode	O
the	O
brothers	O
worked	O
on	O
to	O
remain	O
unfinished	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ocean	O
hired	O
Imagineer	O
to	O
develop	O
a	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Color	I-Device
port	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
John	O
also	O
created	O
his	O
own	O
prototype	O
of	O
a	O
Wetrix	B-Device
water	O
level	O
on	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Color	I-Device
,	O
but	O
Imagineer	O
went	O
with	O
theirs	O
instead	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
port	O
,	O
Wetrix+	O
was	O
released	O
by	O
Acclaim	O
Entertainment	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
on	O
16	O
December	O
1999	O
and	O
by	O
Take-Two	O
Interactive	O
in	O
Europe	O
in	O
April	O
2000	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Japanese	O
version	O
of	O
Wetrix	B-Device
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
,	O
named	O
Aquapanic	O
,	O
was	O
commissioned	O
but	O
dropped	O
near	O
its	O
completion	O
,	O
at	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
console	O
's	O
lifespan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wetrix	B-Device
received	O
generally	O
positive	O
reviews	O
,	O
including	O
one	O
in	O
Famitsu	O
,	O
which	O
had	O
the	O
highest	O
rating	O
for	O
a	O
Western-developed	O
product	O
in	O
years	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
common	O
highlight	O
was	O
its	O
unique	O
puzzle	O
game	O
concept	O
,	O
which	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Power	I-Application
described	O
as	O
a	O
mixture	O
of	O
Tetris	B-Device
and	O
Populous	B-Application
(	O
1989	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Due	O
to	O
the	O
fact	O
that	O
it	O
involves	O
falling	O
pieces	O
,	O
Wetrix	B-Device
was	O
heavily	O
compared	O
to	O
not	O
only	O
Tetris	B-Device
entries	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
titles	O
Tetrisphere	B-Application
and	O
Bust-A-Move	B-Application
2	I-Application
(	O
1998	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Edge	O
considered	O
Welltris	O
(	O
1990	O
)	O
the	O
Tetris	B-Device
game	O
most	O
similar	O
to	O
Wetrix	B-Device
due	O
to	O
its	O
use	O
of	O
falling	O
pieces	O
within	O
a	O
3D	O
perspective	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Electric	O
Playground	O
critic	O
Victor	O
Lucas	O
and	O
Hyper	O
journalists	O
Eliot	O
Fish	O
and	O
Tom	O
Holloway	O
found	O
its	O
spin	O
on	O
Tetris	B-Device
elements	I-Device
refreshing	O
,	O
given	O
the	O
amount	O
of	O
other	O
titles	O
that	O
copied	O
Tetris	B-Device
mechanics	O
without	O
doing	O
anything	O
innovative	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGNs	O
Trent	O
C	O
.	O
Ward	O
noted	O
that	O
with	O
previous	O
puzzle	O
video	O
games	O
,	O
"	O
the	O
further	O
developers	O
got	O
from	O
Tetris	B-Device
,	O
the	O
more	O
annoyed	O
people	O
got	O
"	O
,	O
making	O
Wetrixs	O
success	O
as	O
both	O
an	O
original	O
and	O
enjoyable	O
puzzle	O
game	O
profound	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewers	O
from	O
Edge	O
and	O
N64	B-Operating_System
Magazine	O
claimed	O
an	O
individual	O
's	O
first	O
playthrough	O
can	O
end	O
in	O
seconds	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lucas	O
,	O
a	O
frequent	O
player	O
of	O
puzzle	O
gamers	O
and	O
self-admitted	O
pro	O
at	O
Rampart	B-Application
(	O
1990	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
also	O
involved	O
building	O
enclosures	O
,	O
was	O
still	O
in	O
the	O
first	O
tutorial	O
stage	O
an	O
hour	O
into	O
Wetrix	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Official	O
Nintendo	O
Magazine	O
found	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Color	I-Device
port	O
inferior	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
release	O
for	O
its	O
slower	O
falling	O
speed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Excitedly	O
wrote	O
N64	B-Operating_System
Magazines	O
James	O
Price	O
,	O
"	O
As	O
it	O
brooks	O
little	O
familiarity	O
with	O
lesser	O
skilled	O
players	O
,	O
you	O
actually	O
feel	O
as	O
if	O
you	O
're	O
achieving	O
something	O
by	O
reaching	O
level	O
15	O
with	O
an	O
unbelievably	O
high	O
number	O
of	O
points.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Jeff	O
Gerstmann	O
of	O
GameSpot	O
criticized	O
the	O
earthquake	O
mechanic	O
for	O
effectively	O
ending	O
games	O
,	O
and	O
opined	O
it	O
prevented	O
Wetrix	B-Device
from	O
being	O
a	O
truly	O
amazing	O
puzzle	O
title	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	B-Application
Power	I-Application
felt	O
the	O
issue	O
was	O
worsened	O
by	O
the	O
controls	O
not	O
being	O
sensitive	O
enough	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Official	O
Nintendo	O
Magazine	O
criticized	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Color	I-Device
version	O
's	O
color	O
palette	O
for	O
making	O
it	O
hard	O
to	O
notice	O
the	O
location	O
of	O
lakes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Zone	O
journalist	O
Paul	O
Presley	O
found	O
Wetrix	B-Device
"	O
colourful	O
and	O
flashy	O
on	O
the	O
surface	O
"	O
,	O
but	O
"	O
staggeringly	O
ordinary	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Total	O
64s	O
Simon	O
argued	O
it	O
was	O
mature	O
in	O
comparison	O
to	O
most	O
other	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Less	O
positively	O
,	O
a	O
writer	O
for	O
Revista	O
Oficial	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
called	O
them	O
"	O
colorful	O
and	O
little	O
else	O
"	O
,	O
bashing	O
them	O
as	O
so	O
outdated	O
they	O
would	O
be	O
suitable	O
in	O
the	O
8-bit	O
console	O
era	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wetrixs	O
new	O
age	O
ambient	O
techno	O
soundtrack	O
was	O
well-received	O
for	O
suiting	O
the	O
gameplay	O
,	O
Schneider	O
analogizing	O
it	O
as	O
if	O
Jean-Michel	O
Jarre	O
composed	O
Top	B-Application
Gear	I-Application
Rally	I-Application
(	O
1997	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
highlighted	O
was	O
the	O
electronically-altered	O
announcer	O
voice	O
,	O
which	O
Bad	O
Hare	O
of	O
GamePro	O
compared	O
to	O
that	O
of	O
Wipeout	B-Application
XL	I-Application
(	O
1996	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Schneider	O
and	O
Ricciardi	O
found	O
it	O
weaker	O
than	O
two-player	O
modes	O
in	O
other	O
puzzle	O
titles	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Puzzle	B-Application
Bobble	I-Application
(	O
1994	O
)	O
and	O
those	O
of	O
the	O
Tetris	B-Device
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wetrixs	O
critical	O
and	O
commercial	O
success	O
inspired	O
Imagineer	O
to	O
commission	O
Zed	O
Two	O
to	O
develop	O
a	O
sequel	O
,	O
Aqua	B-Application
Aqua	I-Application
(	O
2000	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
a	O
launch	O
title	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
a	O
positive	O
critical	O
reception	O
and	O
decent	O
sales	O
,	O
there	O
have	O
been	O
no	O
further	O
Wetrix	B-Device
titles	O
.	O
</s>
