Surviving High School 10

On the iPhone EA Mobile delivers games like Need For Speed (in several editions), Madden 2010, and Command and Conquer: Red Alert. What do Android owners get? Surviving High School (which they also have on the iPhone). Then EA Mobile wonders why sales are weak on the Android. Nonetheless, this is where we are and this being an EA Mobile game I felt obliged to give it a chance.

The game description reads "BE WHOEVER YOU WANT!" Well, quite frankly that's not really true. In this Android adaptation there are two scenarios and you do little more than name your character, compete in some mini-games, and choose from a few text options in situations like who to eat lunch with (the geeks, the freaks, or the jocks) which reminds me of the outstanding series Freaks & Geeks TV series we just recently watched on DVD (I'm easily sidetracked).

The two scenarios, and from what I gather EA does update the game with new scenarios on other platforms so let's hope they do the same for Android, are:

1) You're in a dissin' content with a rival and you have to out dis' him with rhyme.

2) You're trying to become homecoming queen by becoming popular, getting a guy to ask you to homecoming, and then winning the dance contest.

Aside from the "Choose Your Own Adventure" type mechanic where you're given a few choices as to what to do there's a mini-game side to things where several objects rotate in a circle at varying speeds and you have to tap the screen when the one you want reaches the bottom of the circle. All in all most of the game is reading and going along with the provided storyline.

When I read "BE WHOEVER YOU WANT!" I envisioned something very different. The way the game handles didn't surprise me as the screenshots made it evident that this wasn't a 3D game or anything. I just though, from the game's description, it would be more of an open ended experience as I carve my niche out in High School.

Two other points of interest about this one:

• There's no reference to the Android version on the EA Mobile website.
• The game sells for $2.99 on the iPhone, but $4.99 for the Android. Is there some sort of Android tax that I'm not aware of?

This game strikes me more as a game for those that want to live the movie "High School Musical" and I picture this as a game more for young girls. There is no demo that I can see so all you can do is try it for a day and get your money back if you don't care for it (as I did). As for me, the limited choices and juvenile storyline got old pretty fast. I do think a game that simulates High School could be a good idea if done right. Bully (on the major consoles) was a step in the right direction. I don't think this is.