Design a Game for Datel! Competition entries

DDRlite

It does what it says on the tin, with no real surprises. DDRlite is a benami-type game where you reproduce a button combination offered on the screen. As the music plays (three tracks are offered), a series of big green arrows scrolls to the top of the screen. When they’re under the metallic arrows, you hit the respective buttons.

You can’t fault the game’s controls. You can use the D-pad, the face buttons or the touchscreen, the choice is yours. Unfortunately, the game drops an industrial-sized clanger in making no attempt to tie the gameplay in with the music. Benami games should be about rhythm. As you tap out the button combinations on your controller, you should be singing them to yourself along with the music, your body rocking back and forth as you dance in your seat. The soundtrack should act as a gaming metronome to keep your button-presses in time, your input representing an extra, albeit silent, instrument. When the gamer performs a duet with the console, with the action and audio in perfect harmony, a benami game works. When the soundtrack is little more than an irrelevant piece of aural wallpaper and the game could just as easily be played with the sound off, it doesn’t.

Sorry guys. It was a brave attempt, but your game misses the point of its genre and will never replace the series it rather cheekily name-checks in the title.

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Competition entries so far...
Breakout DS Breakout DS
The arcade classic finds its way on to the Nintendo DS thanks to Max Media Player.
DSokoban DSokoban
Clever treasure puzzle game with puzzles ranging from easy-peasy to tricky enough to make you pull your hair out in frustration.
DSudoku DSudoku
The pen-and-paper classic comes to the DS, and the developer has put a great deal of effort into turning it into a videogame.
Earth Invaders Earth Invaders
Positioned at the foot of the screen Space Invaders style, You blasts out bullets with attitude for as long as your stylus is on the touchscreen.
Super Snake DS Super Snake DS
Guide your roving reptile around the screen, eating the fruit and food scattered around the playing area.
Warrior Training Warrior Training
an interesting mix of game styles.
London Underground AMAP4DS
A map of the London Underground is always a handy thing to have when visiting the capital. This is the Nintendo DS version.
Stringy Things Stringy Things DS
Stringy Things DS is a compendium of word games.
Minesweeper Minesweeper DS
Fans of classic gaming will soon be able to play it on the move.
DDRlite DDRlite
It does what it says on the tin, with no real surprises.
Battleship Battleship
Now here’s a game worth playing! A fair old rendition of the classic pencil-and-paper offering.
Memory Memory
What can you say about Memory that isn’t obvious from the screenshots?
Tic Tac Toe Tic Tac Toe
This one’s Noughts and Crosses on the DS.
Prohibition Prohibition
Interesting – an Amstrad CPC game brought to the DS in an unofficial conversion.
Joggle DS Joggle DS
It’s daunting at first, but as you sit and think, all sorts of words present themselves.
PaddleBattleDS PaddleBattleDS
Now here’s a text-book example of how to make good use of the touchscreen and create a game which could only have appeared on the DS.
Copyright (C) 2006 Datel Design & Development Ltd.