GENRE
	Dating Sim
	DEVELOPER
	Ubisoft
	PUBLISHER
	Ubisoft
	LOCAL WIRELESS MULTI-PLAY
	No
	Wi-Fi/GLOBAL ONLINE MULTI-PLAY
	No
	MICROPHONE
	No
	EXPECTED RELEASE DATE
	December 7, 2004
	BUY NOW AT

The fall has come, the DS has Sprung, and a new gaming genre is coming to the States. Sprung is a new game that its developer, Ubisoft, says is like a Simulation game but would be more accurately described as a “Stimulation” game. Confused and excited, you should be. The truth is Sprung is more like a Dating Sim then any other kind of game. While it is true you can get Dating Sims over here in America they aren’t very well known. So for those of you who have never heard of a Dating Sims before... Buckle your seat belts and return your Game Boys to their full upright and charging position because you in for one culture shock of a ride.

media

impressions

Now technically Ubisoft is calling Sprung a Simulation game. Fact of the matter is it shares a lot of similarities with the Dating Sim genre so before I get too involved in my impressions of the game I think I should explain in a little more detail just what Dating Sims are.

In short Dating Sims are sick, twisted, and usually played alone. Which is cool… if you’re into that kind of thing. Which obviously some people are because they have been around for over 20 years in one form or another and the main goal has always been the same.

Where many games challenge you to rescue or save some damsel in distress, Dating Sims challenge you to win the “affection” of some guy or gal, but almost always some gal. In this effect Sprung appears to be no different. Although unlike most Dating Sims Sprung will give you the choice of playing through the game as either a sex. Now it’s my guess that most people will play through the game as a guy but hey it least the option will be there.

One area where Sprung separates itself from a Dating Sim is game play. Most games of this genre have little to no actual game play other then selecting a choice from a list of options. While Sprung does rely heavily on the text based story (better brush up on those reading skills) and selecting between different options in order to progress the story, Sprung is introducing something that is relatively foreign to the Dating Sim genre. That is Sprung is going to offer actual “challenges” in the game. This is basically unheard of in the Dating Sim genre. Also it’s not just one or two “challenges” rather it is over 50 different kinds of “challenges”. Now if these “challenges” are actually challenging or if they are just a matter of picking the right line at the right time remains to be seen. But with “challenges” like “Hot Chick Scavenger Hunt” and “Secret Admirer” (score one for the stalkers) it should certainly be interesting.

If you haven’t guessed it by now Dating Sims tend to be a little risqué. Now I highly doubt that Sprung will go as far as many Dating Sims do, which is graphic visual detail of two very happy people. Although, based on the screen shots of buxom blonds and bodacious brunettes this game could cause a few gamers to dream the dreams that only a gamer could have. Don’t expect too much though because unlike most Dating Sims this one carries a Teen Rating. Which is a good thing, considering an M-Rated Dating Sim would be fairly self defeating on a handheld.

Graphically Sprung appears to be right in line with Dating Sims as well. As you can see in the screen shots above the graphics in this game are rather simple with very little action. While these types of Graphics aren’t all that impressive they definitely fit the genre and serve their purpose, which is to show characters expressions and emotions. So basically the graphics are about as exciting as two fat men fighting over a frozen waffle. At first it’s a little interesting but as time goes on it just gets sadder and sadder.

word on the street

Originally scheduled to be a launch title Sprung has since been pushed back to December 7, 2004. Other than that, not much is being said about this title right now. In fact, Ubisoft’s own website doesn’t even have any kind of information on Sprung. Then again their site doesn’t say much about any potential Nintendo DS titles. There’s no doubt that there is an audience for this type of game. If this audience exists in America and if the Nintendo DS is the right platform, remains to be seen. Don’t expect this title to do a whole lot sales wise because it is likely a little to strange even for Americans. Then again the same thing was said about DDR and most other games that have taken the States by storm.

press release notes

“Sprung creates an entirely new genre for portable gaming by putting players in the middle of an engaging, risqué and daring adventure with sexy singles at a hip ski resort. The dating simulation, or "stimulation," title features gender-specific adventures, entertaining dating missions and a hilarious script written by North Shore (FOX) writer Colleen McGuiness.”

overall

Sprung is a Dating Sim. While it isn’t going to be a sick or twisted Dating Sim, at the end of the day it is a Dating Sim and you either love Dating Sims or you hate Dating Sims. There is no middle ground here. If you love Dating Sims keep an eye on this one because while it won’t be as “hardcore” as most Dating Sims it seems like it is going to bring a few new twists to the Dating Sim genre. Now if you are one of the many people who have never played a game like this and are curious to find out more about them then you should keep an eye on this title too. If, however, you hate Dating Sims then you probably stopped reading this preview a long time ago and are writing hate mail to Ubisoft in order to figure out why the same company that made Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, the Splinter Cell series, and many other great games is making a game even remotely similar to a Dating Sim. While I do, obviously, have some reservations about this game, I will save final judgment until after I have actually played it. I won’t, however, be marking off the days on my calendar.