MS Paint Meets Lemmings
In this ingenious little puzzle platformer, you need to guide a crew of little characters ("notes" whom "DJ Sonoro" is trying to steal) to the level's exit. You do so by painting--connecting ramps with orange paint, walls with red paint, jumping platforms with blue paint, and so on. But you have a limited quantity of each type of paint for each level, and have to be careful, particularly as DJ Sonoro (the enemy character) has a gun which he can use to destroy orange platforms (but not yellow ones). Painting is straightforward; select a color, hold the left mouse button, and draw.
When a character ("note") is captured, it's gone forever, and you've got 30 levels to get through--in essence, they're your "lives," and you need to husband them.
The result is a novel and entertaining twist on the puzzle platformer, with a nice boppy techno score and cute graphics. If there's a flaw, it's that the tutorial is slow as molasses--either have some patience with it, or forget it and just start playing--you'll screw up a few times, but you'll eventually get the hang of things.
The developer says:
Sonoro TV is a PC game that mixes platforms and strategy with a completely new concept of game play and -control. The game is played by drawing lines that will guide little musical characters to the exit of each level.
The main characters of the game are Jin and Nina, guests on a TV game-show called "Sonoro TV". To win the grand prize they will have to complete 30 missions against the evil DJ Sonoro.
Some years ago, the multinational enterprise Devilish Corporation created some mutant creatures which send out different sounds for our programme. When a certain number (4,5,6...) of the creatures come together they form a song…
The aim of our competitor is to lead these curious characters safely to the exit without getting captured by DJ Sonoro.
Every lost character means also a lost sound in the song. If DJ Sonoro steals half or more sounds, the participant loses. Conversely, if he or she saves them, one can pass to the next level.
Features
- 30 levels with increasing difficulty
- Infinite possibilities for completing each level
- 6 painting colors with different powers
- Artistic backgrounds
- Play for hours!
Reviews
"The look and sound of this game are really striking. The music is an upbeat and slightly mad mix of techno beats, while the cartoon characters are starkly contrasted against gorgeous backdrops of abstract art photography. The droplets of spray paint also “drip” after being applied, and this has no gameplay effect, although it adds to the unique look of the game. The overall game really has a delightful sense of design despite all these disparate elements, and you can be sure it’s one game that you won’t ever forget playing."
- Casual Review
"Sonoro TV is a well-executed game with an original idea that’s difficult to improve upon, barring the addition of multiplayer. The game mechanics are certainly unique and the overall concept is like nothing else I can remember. This alone is reason enough to check out the game. The level of challenge in the game is appropriate, the interface elements are good, and the style and presentation is nice. Multiplayer battles (either cooperative or competitive) could have been a very nice addition, but we still have a nice little game to enjoy. Anyone who’s been looking for something different should take a look at Sonoro TV, as it offers a unique and challenging gaming experience."
- 6/8, Out of Eight PC Game Reviews
Awards
Best game concept (Premios ArtFutura-PlayStation 2004 (Barcelona))
Special mention by the jury (Premios ArtFutura-PlayStation 2004 (Barcelona))
Innovators prize (Premios Desarrollador_ES 2006 (Valencia))