Telstra has revealed the addition of almost one million new mobile services in the six months to December 2011, but Sensis revenues plummeted 24 percent in 12 months.
What to wear? What to wear? Budding fashion magnates can live their dreams, albeit at a small scale, all from the comfort of their own couch. Take Groovy Chick, dress her and her friends up in My Fashion World.
I like these DS titles, they are ones where – and I know this is stereotyping – I can let my eight year old daughter rip into for her enjoyment and instant opinion feedback. In a nutshell, she warmed quickly to the features on offer in Groovy Chick: My Fashion World.
Groovy Chick: My Fashion World
Developer
Mindscape
Publisher
Mindscape
Rating
G
DS
As the titular Groovy Chick – well, Fleur to be specific - you are out to realise your dream of opening a fashion boutique or two, helping out some classy – and not so classy – clients and ultimately garnering the attention of a potential Mr Right.
The hand-drawn graphics and limited, but catchy tunes are pleasantly presented in this title, though the animation – simple fade in and out – could have had more work done, but suffices as a conduit to the mini-games that ensue.
Clients arrive from the start of the working day, each with an idea for a new look or other requests for an image spruce up. Teenagers will be going out with friends, or actress’s might be going to a gala dinner, either way they have style needs that must be fulfilled with the generous time frame allowed.
Fleur must analyse the client’s needs and then it’s off to the wardrobe, hairdresser, make-up room, manicure salon or three fashion studios.
Clothes are tried on, jewellery or hand-bags to match. Eye shadow, eye brows and lips are recoloured and extensive preening is done on finger tips. Hair is teased, combed and cut for a new design and at the end of the day a particularly fussy customer must receive special treatment.
To achieve a satisfied customer, their requests for levels of Beauty, Comfort and Originality as well as general needs of a new wardrobe or haircut must be met. This is easily indicated by a set of star ratings that change with every option selected.
It is pretty obvious that this game is aimed at the young girls in the family; it is attempting to recreate much about doll play that girls enjoy. As such the mini-games are very simple to achieve, but with enough creativity built in to amuse the target demographic.
The best game is the manicure, involving filing and painting of nails, blowing into the DS microphone to dry the nails and then picking patterns and arranging adornments as appropriate to the client.
A couple of issues spring up however, there seems to be a bug with the lipstick part of the game, with chosen colours simply not appearing, and the save system is just a little too horrendous to deal with for youngsters: Saves can only be made at the end of a working day, rather than a more friendly, after each client point.
Generally, this game achieves its obviously targeted aims, many will question pre-teen girls continued exposure to make-up and fashion in today’s world, there is nothing overtly sexual being presented here, it is all good doll-fashion play that has intrigued kids of this age for eons.
David Bass
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