Review: High School Musical: Making the Cut (DS)
Score: 90
You have to hand it to Disney, when they do something, they do it properly. While many movie spin-off games have been lack-lustre, this makes the high school grade in more ways than one.
Although the basic gameplay is familiar to anyone who's ever played a 'tap to the tempo' game, there are enough tweaks here to keep your 8 year old daughter happy for weeks, if not months, definitely sorting out the 'is it good value for money?' question.
With both music and dance modes, a variety of tapping and gesture-making control methods, six characters (any of whom can be dressed up) and another half dozen venues that you work your way round on the 'tour', plus four difficulty levels (from trivial to decidedly tricky), there's enough basic gameplay to keep a High School Musical fan happy for ages.
Now add being able to create your own character, to join the gang in the games. And add in a video editing suite, in which you can switch cam views, add effects and generally create your own HSM video - there are even voice commands available, via the DS's microphone.
Taking the score up to the coveted 90% are 12 tracks from HSM and HSM 2, each of which sounds as great (though as familiar) as ever. And, with multiple game cartridges, two children can dance and sing against each other for points.
Now that's what I call value for money - one of the best realised DS game packs ever.