It's easy to glance at a screenshot and relegate Aquaria quickly to a retro, "They don't make them like that anymore" category. There's nothing wrong with this, except everything... Aquaria is to garden-variety side-scrolling games what Halo is to FPS, or what WoW is to MMPOG. The phrase "Best of Breed" comes closest, and it's no surprise that Aquaria was handed the grand prize at the 2007 Indie Games Festival. It's a game that looks and sounds amazing, with great voice acting and a soundtrack that is positively epic. You can close your eyes and envision a grand Merchant Ivory saga, rather than be subjected to the usual plinks and plonks passed off as music in many games. This is a grown-up game, not something done to plug a license or keep a bored Tween occupied between sitcoms.

The style of Aquaria echoes classic arcade games, and builds on simple palettes with basic design elements. When you peel back the game's interface through the included editor, you find that all you have is really just a series of tiles and sprites. It's a good thing. After looking in from the outside on so many games, it's refreshing to see the covers pulled back. You can get in and play with all the various items and layers in the game, and you can literally play while you build a level. Most editors are rather sterile or academic, and immediately take you far, far away from the feeling that you have in the game. Aquaria manages to produce an editor that feels like a bonus level to the game, and the biggest bonus of all is that you can use it to build your own game. Back to the perception of Aquaria as a retro title, it's safe to say that nobody ever made something quite like this before. It's a good thing.

The plotting in this game is fantastic. There's a real story that plays out, beginning very early when you assume the role of a mergirl (or is "maid" the PC term?) named Naija. She's a bit of a lost soul, but there's more to her than meets the eye. This is starting to sound like a Transformers review, and that's not entirely a mistake. We really, really, really don't want to give away anything - this review is entirely free of spoilers - but we can say that the mild mannered Naija you begin with isn't what you'll have through the entire game. To uncover the full depth of this gal, you'll need to use her power of song, which is really a form of magic. Casting spells is accomplished through specific song styles, whether for simple actions like lifting objects or things more... transformational. The power of song is a theme that plays throughout Aquaria, and the notes Naija can sing are in specific hues. When you see these colors in the environment, there's a good chance your song will have some impact.

Trying to describe Aquaria is a bit difficult because it draws obvious inspiration from so many great games. There are role-playing elements in the way that you develop Naija and explore the world looking for items that you can use to heal or boost powers, even adding pets to the mix eventually. The twitchy arcade elements are here also, with some respectable action gaming. The puzzles in the game are more than simple "hit switch/find key" affairs, forcing you to explore and decipher clues. Defeating enemies takes more than brawn, but there are also lots of escapist mouse-pounding battles where shooting fans will feel at home. Underneath everything, Aquaria is a game that defies categorization, but never feels like it's trying too hard. The simplicity is disarming at first and incredibly endearing once you've devoted a few hours exploring Naija's world.

Aquaria can be a tough game; it doesn't open up quickly, which is immediately counter to the impression you'll take from its arcade, side-scrolling exterior. The size and complexity of the underwater world that Naija calls home is intimidating, and you'll spend plenty of time traversing areas to uncover all the secret items and puzzle elements. Less patient gamers may find this a bait-and-switch, like coming to the party expecting something quick and fast, only to find some epic saga. We're not talking Suikoden or anything, but Aquaria will absorb many, many hours if you let it. The hardest parts come when you begin to master Naija's magic abilities, but before you really have the spells memorized. Hitting the Esc key will bring up the Pause menu and allow you to browse items, do a bit of cooking to generate new items, or view help for the game. A separate screen tracks your progress in the game's map for that area, including save points. We hated not being able to save anywhere, a major letdown considering that you lose items and abilities gained if you encounter a tough enemy or run out of health during encounters with numerous small opponents. There's more twitch than strategy when it comes to winning these fast-paced battles, and where patient gamers are rewarded by the slow unraveling of Aquaria, they may feel a bit of bait-and-switch after a few intense battles. Pleasing everyone is impossible, but Aquaria does successfully walk that line between meditative, ambient gameplay and white-knuckle shooting. It sounds like a strange marriage, but these guys just make it work.

The controls for our Mac were decent, but only when we gravitated more toward the keyboard. Perhaps it's just that Magic Mouse, but the right-click actions tended to blur somewhat with the movement controls, sending us hurtling into enemies rather than attacking them. The song controls use motions, but motion on a mouse just isn't the same as motion on a Wii-mote, 'ya know? We tolerated most of the control scheme for Aquaria, but it didn't feel as natural as we had hoped. The way in which Naija moves around in the water is part of the problem; she seems to go at only two speeds: lightning fast or death crawl. The creative part of how movement is implemented comes in the form of a targeting reticule that can be positioned closer or further from Naija. Close equals slow movement and far equals jet-blast burst of speed. The problems come in when you travel through narrow passages that demand pinpoint control, or during battles with enemies that almost always seem more agile. You get used to the controls, but only after investing some time in Aquaria. The payoff is that you get to play a badass game, so we have to concede there's not much point in griping.

Mac gamers are better off these days than ever before. Steve has done us proud, and millions of sheeplike consumers have now flocked to what was once our strange, defiant cult. Ambrosia has been on the money with its Mac games, going back to Escape Velocity and Maelstrom, so it's no surprise that they have their flag on Aquaria. When you can approach a very well known style like a side-scrolling arcade game and turn out something this original and compelling, you know you've got some juice. Mac owners looking for something truly different will find it here, as long as you feel reasonably competent in the action/arcade arena. Gamers looking for something more casual will be tempted, but we recommend they move along; Aquaria has a gentle and lush appearance, but there are plenty of twists and turns that await you during the course of Naija's adventures. Recommended.