By Brad Cook

Asked what made the Pirates of the Caribbean film trilogy such a success, Terry Rossio, who co-wrote the movies with Ted Elliott, replies: “Complexity of story, complex characters and a sense of history and myth created for audiences a vivid world that was fun to visit, and audiences felt rewarded the more they chose to explore that world.”

Now you can not only explore that world through the movies on your iPod, but you can also experience a new aspect of it in the game Pirates of the Caribbean: Aegir’s Fire. Sail to the Caribbean, Europe, the Maldives, Africa, and Hawaii as you search for the five daughters of Aegir, who rules the seas. Only some of the game’s 30 quests bestow one of the daughters on you as a reward, but all of them earn you doubloons to spend on more powerful cannonballs and better ships.

As you begin your journey, you’re told: “You’ve known vessels and friends alike swallowed up by Aegir’s mythical fire. He is at war with the high seas, and it’s time to exact revenge!” Later, the enigmatic Tia Dalma says while issuing a quest: “All de riches of de sea will reveal themselves when de daughters unite.” Complete your tasks and uncover the mystery of Aegir’s fire.

The Tools of Your Trade

You start your adventure at the controls of a basic cutlass, but you can soon unlock and upgrade to better ships — including the infamous Black Pearl — as well as more powerful ammunition, such as cannonballs that inflict residual damage through fires or plague. Defeat other ships that cross your path to harvest their riches, but watch out for storms and whirlpools that may appear at any time. And beware of the vicious Kraken, which can be stunned but never killed.

You’ll have help along the way, though. Each port you visit offers a quest as well as a chance to recruit three crew members who feature unique skills. For example, Jack Sparrow gives you a better chance of discovering random loot and Joshamee Gibbs increases your ship’s speed. Hector Barbosa enhances your steering while Schuyler grants better aim.

You can swap out crew members and switch to a different ship at each port, allowing you to figure out the best combination for the current quest, which might require you to escort a vessel to safety, find an object for someone, destroy a certain number of enemy ships, or rescue a character in distress.

So is the pirate’s life one for you? Raise your anchor and find out.

A Pirate’s Life For Disney

Heavy Metal to Prove Your Mettle

• Iron: These inflict the least amount of damage possible, but you have an endless supply of them.
• Copper: They’re a step up from iron, but they don’t come with any residual effects.
• Gold: This heavy cannonball packs a serious whallop.
• Fire: The cheapest of the special cannonballs, this one’s initial impact is on the same level as iron, but it starts a fire that inflicts additional damage over the next few seconds.
• Frag: This one explodes into fragments that cause collateral damage to nearby ships.
• Freeze: Temporarily stun your opponents when you hit them with this one. The initial damage is the lowest of all the cannonballs you can buy, although it’s perfect for fending off the Kraken and getting away.
• Ghost: This magical cannonball blasts right through shields.
• Atomic: Fire this one into an opponent’s hull and you’ll cause a blast radius that also hits nearby vessels.
• Plague: This one packs as much initial damage as the atomic cannonball but adds repeated effects to your victim, as well as nearby ships.
• Barrel: Drop a few of these in the water and see what happens when another vessel gets too close. These powder kegs pack the most initial damage of any weapon.

iPod Games FAQ

Do you have questions regarding any of the iPod games available from the iTunes Store?

Whirlpool Ahead! Full stock of atomic cannonballs? Check. Two badly damaged enemies? Check. Nimble-fingered move to avoid that whirlpool? Let’s hope so.

Click to see price.

• Site: Pirates of the Caribbean: Aegir’s Fire
• Publisher: Apple Inc.
• Developer: Disney Online Studios
• Genre: Action

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