Play Shark Tale (U)(Hyperion) Online

Shark Tale for the Game Boy Advance came out in 2004, developed by Vicarious Visions. It was one of those many licensed games that filled the portable library back then, a direct tie-in to the animated movie. You don't see many games like it anymore; it was very much a product of its time.

You control Oscar, a small fish with big ambitions, navigating through side-scrolling levels. The main goal is to earn enough money to pay off a debt to a loan shark, which you do by completing various jobs and mini-games. The gameplay shifts between racing through seagrass tunnels, avoiding obstacles, and engaging in rhythm-based dance battles to impress other characters. The difficulty is inconsistent, with some sections feeling unfairly rushed while others are more forgiving. It feels like a chaotic, slightly messy underwater romp that captures the movie's energy in a very straightforward way.