Electroplankton

[chuddy_2001uk]

- Japanese Import Version - Electroplankton



The DS and PSP have both come under fire recently for the amount of straight ports that have been released for them and the lack of innovative and inspirational new gaming ideas. Mario 64, Ridge Racer and Rayman have already shown the DS is more than capable of porting N64 titles and many critics have picked up on this, slamming the dual screen for nothing more than sub-par 64 games on the move. Luckily though, Nintendo are never ones to be shouted at for lack of innovation – Donkey Konga proved that – and recently I was lucky enough to receive another example of exactly why the DS is taking this innovative and new ideas to a whole new level. Welcome to the world of the Electroplankton.

Electroplankton is… well what exactly is it? The best way to describe Electroplankton is as a musical art program. It was created by Toshio Iwai, a multimedia artist who has worked on many previous musical-art programs and media in the past. The whole product is a work of art, right down to the packaging it arrives in. The game comes in a shiny blue box set with a set of blue coloured headphones as well as the standard sized DS box, which is also shiny blue in colour. It all looks very smart and one can only hope Nintendo keep this packaging for the games NTSC and PAL releases too.


As soon as you start up Electroplankton, you’ll be greeted instantly with the simple menu screen - There are no credits or intro logos to be seen, it just puts you straight into the ‘game’. The game has two modes – Performance, which allows you to make the sounds and music, and Audience, which just lets you sit, watch and listen as the DS makes some awesome beats. Choosing performance brings you to the second menu screen and gives you the choice from the 10 different types of music making plankton. Each of the 10 plankton are massively different and each make incredibly varied and different sounds – lets take a look:


1. Tracy

This mode gives you several different coloured triangular shaped plankton that move along a line you draw with the stylus to make sounds. They react to the speed at which you draw the line as well as the direction it is draw in… can sound like a complete mess but also quite chilling and relaxing. I found this mode to be pretty interesting to play with but it’s not the best.



2. Hanenbow

In my opinion this is the best of the 10 plankton. Basically you are given a variety of ‘plants’ with leaves than can be individually rotated around the stem. A leaf at the other side of the screen fires plankton at altering speeds and frequency and as they bounce and ricochet off the leaves they produce a series of mellow and relaxing sounds. Describing this mode is difficult but picking it up and playing it is simple. The leaves even change colour depending on how often they are hit which adds to the beautiful art-esque design of the game. It’s beautiful and by far my favourite.


3. Luminaria

The screen is filled with arrows which can be rotated with a simple press from the stylus. 4 plankton move at different speeds across the screen, moving in the direction of the arrows and making different noises as they hit each one. It is difficult to describe and even more difficult to make this sound very good... but it can create mellow sounds and very soothing melodies.


4. Sun-Animalcule

Based around the life cycle of these plankton, you are able to place plankton anywhere on the screen and listen as they produce anks, I posted the details in thetheir sounds every so often. This mode becomes unique from the day-to-night cycle in the colours and the styles of plankton in which you are placing down - from sun to a moon shaped plankton. Where you place them, when you place them and how long they stay there all affect the final sound which leads to a very deep mode of play. Interesting.


5. Rec-Rec

This is the first of the plankton modes to make use of the DS’ microphone to make sounds. Basically 4 fish styled plankton swim from right to left across the screen, waiting for your vocal input. Pressing one allows you to record a short sound ‘into’ that plankton that will be played every time the tune loops. This allows for up to 4 short sounds/vocal recordings to be put into the loop, all on top of the rather funky drum beat. It’s very unique and very fun to mess around with as the amount of sounds and tunes you can make with this mode is virtually infinite.


6. Nanocarp

Possibly the most unexplored of the 10 plankton by myself is the Nanocarp. The little plankton that feature on the front of the DS box all feature in this mode of play. There is around 10 or so of these small plankton on the screen and as you press them they make a sound and send a sound wave out around them. If this hits plankton nearby, then that will also make a sound making a kind of echo effect. Once again, this mode has the ability to make very ambient noises and produce a very peaceful and relaxing sound for you to listen to. However there is a lot more to the mode as using the D-Pad sends out a wave in the direction pressed which causes the plankton to sound. Even certain microphone input causes these Nanocarp to form new formations on the screen, which is very intriguing.


7. Lumiloop

This is not only the simplest of the 10 to describe but also the most relaxing. Like 5 wine glasses, you have 5 rings to rub with your stylus to make a ‘ringing’ noise. They can overlap to produce stronger sounds and it’s all presented with beautiful colours and effects to add to the artistic feel. It is peaceful and certainly nice to listen to while trying to sleep.


8. Marine-Snow

Similar to Nanocarp in the fact that you press these plankton on screen to make sounds. Again, they form many different formations and make different piano-style notes when you poke at them and it’s just plain fun to mess with these guys. They switch positions occasionally, form circles and sometimes overlap to make chords, which add depth to this simple mode.


9. Beatnes

By far, the most popular mode within Electroplankton with the people who I have had chance to show the game to. 4 plankton with long ‘tails’ are on the screen and make different sounds when you press one of their segments. These sounds are then looped and played for 4 times, during which you can make more beats to go over the top or accompany the tune. It is difficult to explain but very simple to pick up – you don’t need to have any music experience and it is incredibly difficult to make anything that sounds bad in this mode (- believe me, I tried!). It is also worth noting that the game features classic NES background beats and sounds which will make this a clear favourite with nostalgic Nintendo fans.


10. Volvoice

The last of the 10 plankton is probably the weirdest. By pressing the big plankton in the middle of the screen you can record your voice or some sound into the DS. Then by selecting one of the smaller plankton from around the outside, it will play back your recording in a variety of weird ways – such as reversed, echoed and a bunch of crazy stuff that simply cannot be put into words. Feels more like an improved version of one of the Wario Ware toys, but that is no bad thing.


That is pretty much what Electroplankton has to offer. You can either play with one of the 10 plankton modes or let the computer play for you – there is no story mode, no objectives and seemingly no hidden extras. It is also very difficult to review as there is no way as classifying Electroplankton as a Game. The best way to describe it is as a piece of musical-art software which I think is pretty accurate. As well as the soothing musical charm of the title the graphics and presentation is beautiful. From the simple bubbles and underwater look of the menu screen, to the zoomed in view of the plankton that appears on the top screen, it all just looks beautiful and colourful. It may be all simple 2D graphics, but the game looks just like it sounds and I haven’t found anyone to not be impressed with the charm this title has to offer.

It is also worth mentioning that it is another clear example of Nintendo being able to appeal to a wide range of audiences. While Metroid, Mario Kart and Animal Crossing are no doubt going to appeal more to the hardcore gamers, games like Nintendogs have started promoting the DS to a whole new (dare I say, female!) audience. Electroplankton is no exception by the way anyone can pick up and have a go. The lack of restrictions, and aims within the title mean that no one can loose or fail to see what it has to offer. Even my 66 year old Dad got involved with Beatnes, which was a shock to me. It really is nice to see Nintendo coming out with titles that can appeal to such a broad audience, especially when they are as appealing as Electroplankton.


However there are a few criticisms to be had with the game. The lack of saving means that you cannot store any great tunes you make, which can be a bit frustrating. There is also no way to make a beat in one mode and play it over the top of the other plankton modes, which would have been a really clever and useful feature. It is also worth pointing out that many people will quite probably fail to understand the charms of this title – it is not a game and does not reward you in anyway for playing it – but if you can just enjoy listening to the mellow beats and have fun fiddling with the modes then will understand just why it is so appealing.

In conclusion Electroplankton is not like any thing else you will have played with. It is not a game and many people will be put off by its simplistic design and lack of targets. However for the many people who get sucked into the artistic feel of the title, it will no doubt provide endless hours of fiddling and messing. It is one of those titles that you will pick up for 10 minutes or so every so often and never fail to be impressed by. Every time you ‘play’, the title throws new sounds at you or new designs and it is these little touches that make the whole thing a work of art. It’s simple to play, very difficult to review – but certainly one to look out for in the future. Electroplankton is another great example of innovation and new styles of ‘gameplay’.




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Graphics - 9 / 10

The simple art style and beautiful, tranquil effects make this a lovely piece of eye candy for your DS.

Sound - 10 / 10

Relaxing, soothing and overall peaceful music. The whole title is about the music and sounds and it is a good job that they sound so good. Put a pair of headphones in to fully appriciate it though.


Gameplay – 8 / 10

Incredibly simple with no real targets or aim to it. Many people will be put off but to the rest, it will be a refreshing change from standard games.


Lifespan - 7/10

If you fall in love with it, then you could come back to play with it for ever. For some, it may be just to simple though.


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Electroplankton is a great example of what music, art and a DS can make when blended together. It is innovative, unique and incredibly refreshing - just don't go expecting action packed gameplay.