TopTenREVIEWS
DigiFish Dolphin is one of those programs that make our job fun because it is so unexpectedly good. This program takes the idea of aquarium screensaver software to a whole new level, which is why we gave it our “TopTenREVIEWS Silver Award.” Digifish Dolphin does more than create an aquarium, it recreates the ocean. You are able to swim with the dolphins and follow them through the ocean as they pass other species and hunt for food.
DigiFish Dolphin is truly 3D because you can rotate the camera angle around the dolphins as they swim and zoom in and out. If left alone (or in screensaver mode) the program automatically rotates the view every few seconds. It is truly stunning to see the dolphins skimming across the ocean floor and then swivel below their pod to look up at the surface.
But all this 3D playtime would be worthless if it didn’t look real. Fortunately, Formosoft International Inc. did their homework and made the whole thing visually accurate. The sunlight glints through the waves onto dolphins and fish that look totally life-like. It looks so good that you won’t want to wait for your screensaver to start.
DigiFish Dolphin is so stunning that it would have won our highest award, if it weren’t missing a few features like a windowed mode and active desktop support.
Digifish Dolphin is extremely easy to use. The mouse is used to rotate the viewpoint and magnification at any time. There is also a simple menu that allows you to feed the dolphins and follow them through the ocean. It’s also possible to follow other species in the ocean by double clicking on them. It sounds simple, but there’s a small learning curve when trying to click things that are on the move.
The major limitation with Digifish Dolphin is that it can only be run fullscreen. There are no window or active desktop modes, which we think would make the program so much more versatile.
There is a lot to do in the DigiFish Dolphin ocean. Besides following the dolphins, you can follow schools of fish, turtles and even a whale shark as they cruise through the briny deep. There are three species of dolphins that you can include in the program, along with 15 other species of life that are not customizable.
You can feed the dolphins by giving them schools of fish and watch them hunt. You can also pet the dolphins and watch as they approach the screen while you pet them.
Another great feature that we love is the music playback function. You can create a playlist of your favorite songs and listen to them while you watch or while the screensaver runs.
Installation and setup were easy. Just download the file, click on it and it’s installed automatically.
Formosoft International Inc. has a dedicated email support team that was able to answer all our questions within 24 hours. Other information is available through FAQs, user forums, user manuals and updates.
You can control up to eight dolphins from three different species. There are 15 other types of fish and turtles to be seen, but they are not customizable. All the species in Digifish Dolphin look and act just like the real thing. Up close you can even see the detail of individual scales on some of the fish.
The scenery in DigiFish Dolphin is simple but effective. There is sand and rocks along the sea floor, with several options for each. The rest is the pretty blue expanse of the ocean and the glimmers of sunlight that sparkle through the waves above. It’s very convincing, and it has a genuine ocean feel to it.
Digifish Dolphin is visually stunning, genuinely entertaining and incredibly simple. It’s a must have.
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