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Freddi Fish 2: The Case of the Haunted Schoolhouse

From Alfawiki
Humongous Entertainment
Company typePrivate
IndustryVideo games
Headquarters
United States
ProductsFreddi Fish 2: The Case of the Haunted Schoolhouse

Freddi Fish 2: The Case of the Haunted Schoolhouse is an adventure game released in 1996, serving as the second installment in the Freddi Fish franchise. Developed and published by Humongous Entertainment, it originally launched on Macintosh and Windows systems. Over time, the title was adapted for various platforms such as DVD players in 2005, Linux in 2014, iOS and Android also in 2014, and most recently for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in May 2024. Tommo handled the mobile editions' publication, while the Steam version was co-released by Tommo alongside Night Dive Studios. The project saw production led by Ron Gilbert, with design contributions from Mark Peyser and Tami Borowick. The game runs on the SCUMM engine and features a soundtrack composed by Tom McGurk.

Plot

While heading to school, Freddi Fish encounters Luther, who brings along his Codfish Commando action figure for show-and-tell. During class, their teacher Mrs. Croaker announces that a ghost has been stealing toys from students. This ghost soon appears and takes Luther’s action figure. Freddi and Luther pursue the ghost into the basement where Luther retrieves his toy, but the ghost threatens retaliation. Skeptical about the ghost’s reality, Freddi creates a Rube Goldberg-style trap and they embark on a quest to gather five components needed to complete it.

Throughout their adventure, Boss and Spongehead—the shark antagonists from the initial game—attempt to deter them by cautioning about potential dangers. As the trap nears completion, these sharks confer with the Squidfather, who commands them to confiscate toys from the guppies since he never had any during his youth.

After assembling all necessary parts, Freddi and Luther set their trap using Luther’s action figure as bait. The ghost is ultimately unmasked as Boss and Spongehead in disguise. Upon hearing the Squidfather’s backstory, Luther allows him to keep his action figure while returning all other stolen toys to their rightful owners. The class then celebrates Freddi and Luther’s accomplishment.

Gameplay

Freddi Fish 2 builds upon its predecessor’s gameplay mechanics by incorporating fresh puzzles, new collectible items, additional characters, expanded locations, minigames, and interactive features. The components required for the ghost trap are randomized each playthrough, which increases replayability.

Development

The game was presented at E3 1996. Designer Tami Borowick addressed previous ambiguity regarding Freddi’s gender by including a line in this sequel that explicitly confirms she is female—a clarification prompted by player confusion arising from adult women voicing children of both sexes in the first game.

Reception

Critics responded positively to Freddi Fish 2, with Electric Playground awarding it a score of 9.5 out of 10, PC Magazine granting five stars, and Unikgamer rating it 7.5 out of 10. It received three stars from Allgame and was listed among the top 50 CD-ROM titles of 1996 by MacUser. Additionally, it won "Best Educational Game" at the 1997 Spotlight Awards hosted by the Game Developer's Choice Awards.

External links

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