Previews

GC: Hands on with EA Playground DS

This one needs to pull its socks up

GC: Hands on with EA Playground DS
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DS
| EA Playground

For certified gaming fanatics, the Leipzig Games Convention felt a bit like an enormous playground (although we were there to work, honest). In the EA booth, however, things took an interesting twist as we found ourselves looming over a playground of a much smaller sort in the form of EA Playground on DS.

Having written about it back in June and July, we jumped at the chance to get our hands on the casual-focused sports title.

We had to wait. Starting up the game, we were treated to a lengthy explanation about what to do in the playground. First in German, then in English and then in some sort of computer code we couldn't decipher. It was the first of several signs that, like the DS version of The Simpsons (which appropriately was the next game along the stand), this perhaps wasn't at a stage to be shown to the general public.

The next problem we encountered was that these lengthy dialogue sequences were un-skippable: a problem compounded by the fact that several of the characters wandering around the playground had the same dialogue ascribed to them, making exploration a painful experience.

It was a shame because, like The Simpsons, EA Playground appears to have a solid formula driving its fun.

Anyway, we eventually cleared these early technical blips and got to move around the map using the stylus and interacting with our fellow playmates. The game is laid out as a collection of mini-games, which are dotted about the playground, and fronted by a different character.

The first kid we approached was king of the basketball court and after enduring his boasts we were challenged to a one-on-one match, which we duly accepted. Before the mini-game began, though, there was little in the way of instruction so we ended up flailing around for at least half of the timed shootout trying to work out what to do. Once figured, things obviously proved to be more straightforward and we managed to pull back the game to within an inch of victory.

Winning these mini-games is, of course, the point of EA Playground as that's how you gain the stickers that allow you to practice the challenge without a time limit (presumably so you can polish your skills for the Wi-Fi multiplayer matches).

Not feeling the need to steal the king's crown, we refrained from a basketball rematch and instead went off in search of another challenge. But seeing as the next mini-game we tried – a dance-themed affair – offered even less explanation about what to do, we decided it was an appropriate time to step away from what clearly is very unfinished code.

Still, what we did see was well presented, if graphically overly reminiscent of Animal Crossing Wild World. The game's mechanics, meanwhile, appeared strong although it's obviously difficult to make a satisfying evaluation given the in-progress nature of the game.

We're not alarmed, though. With the game not due until November 2nd, there's obviously time to smooth out those rough edges before release and we look forward to seeing EA Playground in its finished form.