Aqua Real 2 is my favorite underwater screensaver so far. It’s loaded with fish and features and there are absolutely no upsells.

The trial version of Aqua Real 2 is better than a lot of full version screensavers I’ve found. It actually allows you to change up the fish and change some of the settings. The full version is an amazing sight, with a full 29 fish species and 5 beautiful seascapes. Best of all, the graphics are smooth and very realistic. All the different fish move with their own unique motion and speed. It’s also great fun to watch the sharks come sauntering through every now and again!

The drawbacks are very minor. I noticed every now and again that fish will swim through each other, and the crashing waves sound files that are included are a little strange. However, these are minor issues as you can play your own mp3 files with this ocean screensaver.

Overall, this is one of the best fish screensavers you will ever find. It blows Aqua 3d out of the water (sorry for the pun) and easily gives Sim Aquarium 2 a run for its money. Unlike Sim Aquarium 2, Aqua Real 2 includes unlimited access to all future upgrades, extra fish and environments. At just $19.95 that’s a great deal!

The Good: Great animation, features and price.

The Bad: Strange sound choices.

The Ugly: As with other Formosoft products, terrible text on the checkout page.

Download the Aqua Real 2 Demo.

Visit aquarealscreensaver.com

Buy Aqua Real 2 Now. $19.95

Sim Aquarium 2 is a solid contender in the aquarium screensaver competition. It offers a nice range of environments and quite a few options including a bunch of hot key shortcuts to use while the screensaver is running.

It features a whopping 41 fish varieties and has ultra realistic looking coral reef environments. Sim Aquarium 2 does not offer any interactivity or desktop options, but it doesn’t need to. It does a great job being what it is: An Aquarium Screensaver!

Although all the screenshots on the Digital Illusions product page shows the surface of the water above the fish, there is an option to not show the surface within the control panel. I personally like not seeing the surface as it feels more like being deep within the ocean environment.

Fish animations are decent, but still lack a little in the smoothness department. The fish motions seem a little jerky at times, and at times the fish just seem to “coast” a little before moving again. These are minor issues and don’t detract too much from the overall experience. It can get a little distracting though.

The pricing of Sim Aquarium 2 is a little convoluted. There are two basic package versions, one with 26 fish (lite) and another with 41 fish (deluxe). On top of that, you must choose which tank(s) you want with your purchase. With all these choices, the price ranges from $18.45 for 26 fish and 1 tank, to $39.95 for 41 fish and all 5 tanks. Still with me? Looking at their purchase page I felt a little like I was shopping for Windows Vista or an Xbox 360: Why go with an limiting option when you really need the whole thing? Conclusion: The full version of Sim Aquarium 2 is a bit pricey at $39.95!

Aside from the minor issues in animation and the strange pricing strategy, this screensaver could work for someone who is looking for a simple and solid aquarium screensaver.

The Good: Simple and enjoyable.

The Bad: Slightly off fish animations.

The Ugly: Strange pricing options, too expensive.

• Download the Sim Aquarium 2 Demo.
• Visit simaquarium.com
• Buy Sim Aquarium 2 at SimAquarium.com $18.45 - $39.95

Finally, there is a great dolphin screensaver available.

I only managed to get my hands on the demo version of this screensaver, so consider this a partial review.

The demo version, like other Digifish screensavers, is a limited version, but it never expires. Also, there are no nag screens or annoying reminders to register. Very nice for a demo. This particular dolpin screensaver demo allows only a single bottle nose dolphin on screen, but it is enough to get a feel for the screensaver and very enjoyable to watch.

The animations are smooth and the sound is suitable for an underwater screensaver. The dolphin swims elegantly through the water and the camera follows gracefully at different angles. Occasionally, the dolphin encounters beautiful schools of tropical fish.

The full version offers four varieties of dolphins, plus a bunch of deep sea fish to customize the whole experience. Overall, this looks like another quality product from Formosoft and it seems they have finally figured out that sound matters!

The Good: Great animations, sound.

The Bad: Nothing.

The Ugly: Cheesy text on the checkout page.

Download the Dolphin Demo.

Visit digifish.com/dolphin

Buy Dolphin Screensaver Now. $19.95