uper Rub a Dub brings whimsical, Monkey Ball-style action to the PlayStation 3. The $6.99 download offers a fair amount of action, although its long-term appeal is somewhat dubious.

In Super Rub a Dub, players control a large rubber duck charged with rescuing the ducklings that are stranded within each of the game’s 60 levels. The game is controlled exclusively with the Sixaxis—players tilt the water-filled basins that act as stages to move the duck around. The ducklings are trapped in bubbles, and when the big duck releases the tiny yellow critters they obediently follow. Once all the ducklings are released, the player ends the level by hitting the exit. At that point, the ducklings are sucked down a drain and all is well. While players can rescue ducks one at a time, bonus points are given for saving them all at once in a long chain.

That’s basically the game. The action is interspersed with bonus stages, where players take control of a clockwork shark and devour the ducklings within a time limit. Levels become increasingly complex, introducing currents, enemies (the sharks) and other hazards at regular intervals. In addition to tilting the controller to move the duck around, making a quick flipping motion enables the duck to hop across barriers and also sends sharks helplessly onto their backs. Unfortunately, the controls aren’t always responsive, and the duck sometimes seems to have a mind of its own. I had to restart several levels because the duck decided to jump over the basin’s lip for no good reason.

The game is certainly fun, but it doesn’t offer much in the way of innovation. Aside from the unusual setting, with its charming bathtub imagery, it’s merely another variation on a game that we’ve been playing for years. The graphics are colorful and vivid, but the water effects don’t seem to be pushing the hardware. If you’re looking for something quick and fun that players of all skill levels can appreciate, Super Rub a Dub is probably a good pick. It’s easy to pick up, and even complete newcomers can understand the basic control scheme. (They’ll probably get frustrated eventually when their motions don’t correlate to the on-screen action, however.) The game supports up to four players in alternating multiplayer, too.

It’s easy to pick on the game for its shortcomings, but what do you expect for seven bucks? Super Rub a Dub is an amusing little diversion to pass the time, and that’s probably all it was intended to be.