Super Rub-A-Dub (PS Store) review

Super Rub-A-Dub is an extension of the PlayStation 3 technical demo that Sony displayed when the console was first revealed. Yes, its ducks in a bath turned into a convenient downloadable video game via the PS Store. But does a technical demo warrant being turned into an actual game?This is the key question when considering the merits of Super Rub-A-Dub, as youll either find it to be a wonderful distraction, or a pointless exercise is displaying the abilities of the SixAxis controller. Particularly as there are already several other games via the PS Store that take advantage of the tilt sensors inbuilt into the controller. Therefore this needs to be something youll appreciate more than just a demo. Given its cuteness and presentation, maybe this is suited to someone younger in the vicinity. You have to download the demo (183MB) in order to be in a position to purchase the 3.49 key to unlock all the features Super Rub-A-Dub offers. So more than ever this is a convenient option to try before you buy.Super Rub-A-Dub is Marble Madness turned on its head, and flushed full of water. You take the role of an adult duck (of the plastic yellow variety) that must navigate the treacherous bath waters in order to free baby ducklings and return them to the exit point. These ducklings remain static in bubbles until you burst them by passing by and touching them. At this point they automatically follow you Pied Piper style, as you navigate the rest of the layout, or return to the plughole (the exit point) to drop them off. The fair setting of difficulty slowly introduces you to the varieties of dangers you will encounter on your ducky voyages. Outer barriers are removed thereby prompting subtle and skilful control; currents and whirlpools also debut as you attempt to free all the ducklings. While you need to activate all the ducklings on the map, you do not need to return all of them to the exit point successfully. Although this results in time penalties you can leave the poor blighters to be snapped up by the clockwork sharks, who represent your biggest foe. The bath equivalents of Jaws come in several shapes and sizes, with the smallest only being able to take on ducklings. They can also be initially trapped in bubbles, allowing more skilful players to dodge the minefield with precision. Controlling your duck is simply achieved by tilting the controller at whatever angle you desire. It works extremely well for the most part with moments of frustration being introduced when it proves too sensitive on certain maps. However the braver player can simply leap across maps or barriers by jolting the controller. On certain layouts this is the only way to complete the level, and jolts will also flip sharks rendering them useless for vital seconds. Through judgement you can even toss the sharks off the level, thereby providing a hassle free route to success.Super Rub-A-Dub measures success and progress through time. You have the rudimentary gold, silver and bronze medals available, and you must achieve the target time in order to progress to the next tub. On each skill setting there are 20 available with bonus eating layouts where you take the role of the shark and have to eat your way through those poor ducklings you were trying to save only moments before. Gamestyle wadded through most of these in one sitting with only a couple of on the tricky difficulty proving extremely frustrating. Perhaps our recent Nintendo Wii experiences put us in good stead, yet putting this in context it is a short-lived release even at such a reasonable price. The more determined can try to obtain gold on each tub or move up the online rankings by improving your times. The inclusion of a 4-player multiplayer mode could have saved the day but this simply provides the option to set a best tub time (one at a time) on a layout youve already completed. Why one player could not take the role of the duck, and another of the shark is a bizarre oversight.Visually Super Rub-A-Dub is a charming release bundled with all the cuteness weve come to expect from Nintendo over the years. As with flOw and Blast Factor it is best experienced at 1080 definition and has some of the best water effects Gamestyle has seen so far. It is just unfortunate that SCEE have not built upon a unique puzzle opportunity, instead content to ship out something that will long term only appeal to the youngest of players.