Reviews// Electroplankton (DS)

Or is it unique. Take a look around, say, the Tate Modern - the world’s most visited free museum and arguably now at the forefront of modern art, outshining the neighbouring Saachi Gallery with raw piece turnover. The last Unilever piece to be displayed, following moments of art-changing genius such as Anish Kapoor’s ‘Massive Red Thing’ was a sound installation. It featured the cavernous Turbine Hall decked out with occasionally positioned speakers on the walls. Out of the speakers came the most clichéd ‘art is noise’ spew one could possible imagine. The sound of laughing. The sound of crying. The sound of screaming. It was perhaps the most cynical piece of plagiarism SPOnG has ever witnessed, yet it was deemed worthy of one of the most prestigious positions available in the world for modern art. Further investigation at Tate Modern reveals more sound installation. One a box into which attendees are invited to inset their heads. Inside you can hear an artist talking. About herself. Electroplankton destroys what passes for modern interactive music/sound art on all fronts. Once you see this game in context, its importance as both a piece of art and an expander of digital interactive entertainment should not be overlooked.

Luminaria is, according to Nintendo, an adaptation of one of Electroplankton creator Toshio Iwai's previous works, in which four plankton move along predestined grid networks, with each representing a different instrument. The direction, and thus pitch of each stroke, can be changed by tapping on an arrow and revolving it. This section is played at high speed, with the UI purposefully slow forcing the player to always be chasing the sound, creating new and unexpected patterns.

The DS’ microphone is employed throughout Electroplankton, with perhaps the best results away from Nintendogs’ voice-recognition brilliance. Volvoice is a base-level sampler that provides ten effects to any recoded sound, controlled by tapping orders to manipulate the flow and frequency. Nanocarp monitors clapping and blowing, offering the user visual and audio rewards.

It’s somewhat difficult to know how to wrap up a review of Electroplankton. It’s not a game and therefore sidesteps traditional boundaries of quality. Perhaps it would be best to say that SPOnG found its time with Electroplankton more rewarding that almost anything we have seen running on a game console to date. It is a fascinating look at what the future holds for the DS and, although the lack of depth can be quite frustrating, (users of sequencing software will try in vain to extract more from Iwai-san’s work) its appeal is unquestionable. Put it into the hands of anyone – literally anyone – and the briefest moment of confusion will be replaced with the kind of smile reserved for only the most special of experiences.

SPOnG rating - A

Electroplankton is arguably the most important DS title to date. Although it serves more as a glimpse of the future than final solution, the intent behind the work is at all times apparent. It’s soothing and inspiring and magical and even comes with free headphones. If you want normal videogames - racing, shooting, hitting things with a stick and nothing more, buy a PSP. If you are looking for a portable platform that will deliver an endless stream of interest and stimulate you in ways you were not expecting from a machine marketed as a videogame player, buy a DS. You need look no further than Electroplankton to justify Nintendo’s confidence in a product written off by so many.