The Nintendo DS launch lineup was relatively standard, with only a few titles such as Mario 64 and Warioware Touched being standouts. As such, Sprung is a unique title, which is very rare for a launch title.
The game is best described as a choose your own adventure dating title. Through the use of the Nintendo DS stylus, players take control of either Brad or Becky as they take a holiday at a ski lodge for a week. If American Pie was just text then we'd probably get something similar to this title. Sprung is very stereotypical of teenagers, and the overall objective of the title is to hook up.
As fun as it looks
The tasks in Sprung range from scoring a VIP pass to choosing whether to stick with one girl or not. Players can use items along the way to help them win the girl over, and these range from rose bouquets to kissing the girl. Some of the items can also improve your own self appearance, such as a hairbrush.
Unsurprisingly the title is a little more mature than we'd anticipated. There's a frequent use of swear words, and the dating missions consistantly hint at bisexual encounters. Unfortunately the novelty of the dialogue wears off very quickly. One thing we can commend Sprung on is it's utilisation of the two screens of the Nintendo DS. The top screen displays the action, and it is from here that the player gauges the reaction of the lady (or guy) they are trying to win over. The bottom screen has the text choices that the player can choose from. The text is very close together, and can sometimes result in choosing the wrong phrase. At times the game can also be unforgivable, meaning that choosing the wrong phrase can often kick the player back to the mission screen.
The gameplay of Sprung is more trial-and-error based than actual gameplay. It's really dissapointing that there seems to be no logic with the decisions. We could understand failing a mission if we'd made some questionable decisions, but failing when choosing a romantic path doesn't make sense at all. For example at one stage, I had to offend a girl and act aggressive before she would give me her number, playing nicely simply resulted in a replay of the mission. Choose your own adventure titles have never been as linear as this title.
Tell me about it..
The graphics in the game are average, with a lot of the action fairly static. It's important to keep your eye on the top screen as well, as the facial impressions of the women you are trying to win over are vital, and can often determine whether you pass the mission or fail the mission.
The sound in the game is fairly bland as well. None of the characters speak, so the only sound is the background music, which is okay and adjusts relatively well to what is happening in the game. However, after a while the sound can become a little repetitive. It would have been better if we had the option of turning character voices on, but it appears Ubisoft has made the decision for you.
The game should last a decent amount of time. The two characters have completely different storylines, and unlocking every item could take its time. There is a total of over fifty missions in the game, but none of them are overly hard, and they quickly become repetitive.
Sprung really could have been a decent game. Ubisoft easily could have included some mini games which utilise the Nintendo DS's double screens, and this would have broken up the text element of the game a little better. In fact, there are a lot of things Ubisoft could have done to improve our enjoyability of the game. There's no multiplayer mode at all and the choices you are given are far too limited. Even when selecting a choice, sometimes the game will dismiss your choice and make you choose another one, until there is only one choice remaining.
Why oh why did they develop this?
The Urbz: Sims in the City also has a relationship aspect in it, and one that is much more enjoyable than this entire game. Sprung should have been a mini-game; it doesn't even feel like a full fledged title. We appreciate that Ubisoft would have been under a time frame to complete the development of the title, but even with extra time we're unconvinced the game would have been any better.
Ubisoft has released a few titles for the Nintendo DS now, and none of them have been overly compelling. We appreciate that the developer has done something different, which is unusual for a launch title, but there is a reason for the low price point after all. Dating has never been this boring.
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