Mercury Games has announced that, as part of their deal with Japanese publisher Ertain BV, both Aquarium by DS and Fantasy Aquarium by DS will both be released in Europe.

Great for those of you with allergies to watery critters, Aquarium by DS requires players to look after their fish as if they were real creatures - the tank needs to be cleaned, they need feeding regularly and on Thursday’s they demand their walkies or else. Okay, perhaps not the last point.

Excitingly, there are five tanks of differing sizes to choose from, each which can be customised with different backgrounds, plants and accessories. As if that wasn’t great enough already, Mercury Games promises that there’ll be up to 30 varieties of fish in both Aquarium by DS and Fantasy Aquarium by DS, and that you’ll be able to swap them over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Network with other players.

If players don’t switch their DS on for a few days or if the environment is wrong and the fish are not cared for, they die and disappear from the tank. And if the wrong combination of fish is added the consequences can be lethal; for example if the player puts a killer whale in the same tank as a penguin, the Killer whale will eat it. Devastating stuff, we’re sure you’ll agree.

Leo Zullo, President, Mercury Games said: “Aquarium by DS and Fantasy Aquarium by DS will provide players with the relaxation of having pet fish without the hassle. The game can be played by people of all ages.”

Feature List

• Create your own personalised fish tank
• Two versions available - Aquarium by DS and Fantasy Aquarium by DS
• Pick from more than 30 fishes to populate your tank
• Swap your fish with your friends using the DS Wi-Fi feature - allowing your fish to play in your friends aquarium
• Decorate the backdrops and features of your tank
• Unlock extra fish and props to use in the game
• Control all aspects of your aquarium, size, water temp and salinity to create the perfect environment for your fishes
• Care for your fish, make sure they are fed and that the tank is clean

Aquarium by DS and Fantasy Aquarium by DS swims to the Nintendo DS this December.