VIDEO GAME REVIEW: Jaws Ultimate Predator

Last Updated on July 23, 2021

Published by: Majesco
Developed by: Majesco
Release Date: November 9, 2011
Available on: Nintendo 3DS (Reviewed), Nintendo Wii

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INTRO: Hey! Remember Jaws? Well he’s back! In Pog form! Of course, this Simpsons reference is foolish and incorrect but Jaws is indeed back and he’s swum (swimmed?) his way onto the 3DS. Assume the role of the Ultimate Predator as you swim through the seas, taking out suckas who gots to know that they shouldn’t wear such delicious swimsuits.

GAMEPLAY:

This one plays it fairly straight, as you take control of our favorite Great White who wants to wipe out anything that stands in his way in the waters that surround Amity Island. You’re going to spend most of your time eating people, and isn’t that what you want?

I hope it is, because that’s the name of the game. Yep, you’re pretty much stuck in one section of the ocean while you eat swimmers and knock stupid fishermen off their boats to eat them. The problem with this is that the things you’re taking down are so tiny that you can barely see them. It can also be hard to tell how far away things are too, due to the game’s camera system. It helps to turn on the 3D effect. The death animations aren’t impressive enough for this to carry the game either- the second you bite them, the tiny humans just turn to chunks and scream repetitively.

The game is pretty simple in terms of advancing too- “eat this many people/destroy these boats to advance”. There are also minigame-esque levels where you have to explore caves, blow up the Coast Guard and such. These can make you want to beat your brains out after awhile though, the levels where you have to dodge bullets or bombs can be especially exhausting due to loose controls.

Let’s talk about these controls, shall we? The problem here is the lag between pressing the actual button and the action happening on screen. You don’t have a lot to work with anyway, so you press bite or dodge or charge, then you have to wait for it to happen. This gets really frustrating, and it doesn’t help if things get more complicated and you have to input a touchscreen command with precision. Blech.

Gameplay: 5/10

GRAPHICS:

Visuals aren’t overly impressive. The shark looks good, and so do some of the things you see underwater. Once you look at land characters and boats and such, the game is not impressive. Sure, the 3D is kind of cool but the camera system is glitchy at best and it can be difficult to see what’s happening.

Graphics: 6/10

AUDIO:

Sound is alright, with the classic theme making an appearance and plenty of gross sound effects to accompany the biting you’ll be doing. The screams are repetitive though.

Audio: 5.5/10

FINAL VERDICT:

Jaws can be kind of fun for 10 minute bursts, but this isn’t a game that feels complete enough to warrant the cash. The game does offer a few quick hits of fun, but it isn’t enough to keep you interested for any length of time. If you’re a Jaws fanatic, I recommend Jaws Unleashed from a few years back, and I even hear that the Wii version of this one is better. Check those out instead.

Final Score: 5/10

GET THIS GAME HERE