SCT Smash

I could use a good music game I thought as I downloaded SCT Smash. Back in 2005 I really got into Dance Dance Revolution and, in addition to losing a lot of weight that has since come right back, it was a blast to play. Addictive! There were songs that would call me back to play that game every night. I know DDR clones on a phone are a bit lame, but they can still be fun if you let your fingers do the dancing instead. I thought that's where SCT Smash looked like it was headed.

SCT Smash is a simple game. There's a big, wooden mallet that taps on some blocks and musical notes march towards the trees chiming away with every step. Ding ding dong... ding ding dong... Once a note reaches one of these blocks you have to strike it with the mallet. If it makes it past the block then you lose a life and you start with three lives. Every note you smash is worth a point. Smash 200 and you get an extra life although fat chance that will happen.

The graphics are pretty good and somewhat interesting in this game. I have no idea why there are two trees with a giant, floating mallet between them. I guess I don't need to know why. The sound... well, it's just the click of the notes and the smash of the hammer with the exception of some very pretty music that makes losing more appealing that winning. The game's two big, glaring problems are...

1) The controls just aren't well done here. They're simple, but they're not smooth. Tap on the left/right sides of the screen to move the hammer. Tap on the hammer to strike. Sounds easy enough and it is, but it so annoying having to tap three times to quickly squash a note on the other side of the screen that landed there during the same cycle and it certainly isn't fun. It feels like busy work. Some games are hard because they're challenging. This is hard because it's a pain do.

2) In a music game I'd expect the music to play a major part in it. DDR was addicting because as I jumped around it was as if I was at one with the song. It almost felt like I was conducting it. It was a beautiful feeling. Here, there's no real 'music'. Instead it's random chimes and hammer smashes. I hoped that I'd be playing a little ditty like some of the pocket piano programs do. This game doesn't draw me in at all.

It didn't take long for me to tire of SCT Smash at all. It's pretty clear there's some talent behind this game with respect to the arts, but execution of a game is absent. There's also this odd feeling as the way the game zooms in to this cluster of trees made me feel like I was about to bear witness to a masterpiece. I'm always up for something cool and innovative and wondered if that's where this was headed versus games like DDR, but instead it's several steps back. If the notes simply scrolled and I tapped where the hammer was supposed to tap I'd have been satisfied. Take a look at the video of game play below where the author prooves he's a lot better than me at this game (although the video doesn't appear to be the Android version as the 'lose a life' music doesn't match... it's better on Android). 2/5 stars for a game that's missing the fun.