Review: Sound Shapes on Playstation Vita

I have had a lackadaisical relationship with handheld gaming. When I was 13 years old, I received a Sega Game Gear for my birthday. Within a year I had sold it on the 90s British equivalent of Craig's List. Over the past few weeks I have been able to take a look at Sound Shapes, one of the flagship games designed for the PlayStation Vita, and found myself delighted with the outcome.

Sound Shapes is a game that is as simple or as complicated as you make it. It uses simple tools and devices in potentially extravagant ways to propel you through it's world. "You" are a small sticky ball that has to navigate a world full of pitfalls and obstacles, on the way collecting items that add to the musical backdrop of the game. Enemies are easy to spot, anything red is bad and their motion is timed with the music. The creation of music as you play is one of the main features of the game, though I found myself enjoying the campaign play, the obstacles of the game, more than the music. I have yet to make it all the way through, due to time constraints rather than inclination, but understand that once you beat the initial campaign series you have access to the harder levels available in Death Mode and Beat School.

I'm a fan of the platform game. I was a Super Mario junkie whenever given the chance to play, and I was a recent Glitch addict, so this is a game I can really get on board with. However I am not hardcore, and so for the laissez faire gamer like myself I found two big advantages. It is very forgiving: firstly, there is no set number of lives, which means I can keep dying in my attempts to leap over every red obstacle. Secondly, there are frequent checkpoints, which means when I do inevitably die I never have to repeat too much of what has already been done.

Sound Shapes is definitely something that my inner 13-year-old responded to, but my three-year-old also found it highly entertaining. Though the fact that the game is rated from six and up was evident in Toby's ability, or rather inability, to navigate the world when given the chance, he enjoyed the appearance and sound of it. In fact our whole family enjoyed the music and artistry of the game, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it spark some fan art and music in the future. The game includes a full level editor and already has a vibrant online community, for the sharing of creations.

The Vita itself is a pretty nifty device for a young family. With two touch screens, front and back, to work alongside the more traditional side controls, you have a large degree of flexibility, though its multi-functionality is definitely something you need to get used to. It is nice to have a gaming console with a touchscreen for internet access, as it made sharing our other devices much easier! It is easy for little hands to handle, and seems to be less sensitive than some touch screen devices we have had our toddler play with.

Sound Shapes is a beautiful and addictive game, and I look forward to future generations.

[youtube]http://youtu.be/zfPbJE6XDxg?t=16s[/youtube]