"Spot the DifferenceS"

Do you remember those spot-the-difference games that used to be featured in the kids section of the newspaper? Those were awesome time-killers that were both fun for one and fun for all. Quickspot is that same game, with a slightly different name, electronically remodelled to provide quick thrills for the modern gamer on the go. Quick to pick up and play, but also quick to finish off and put away in that dusty old corner.

Visuals - 6
Sound & Music - 6
Gameplay - 6
Controls - A
Longevity - B (Rapid Play is over too quick, but Focus provides more than meets the eye)
Replayability - B
Difficulty - Easy

VERDANT - 5.5/10
VERDICT - 5.5/10

Quickspot is all about identifying and circling the subtle differences between 2 nearly identical pictures, one displayed on the top screen and the other on the bottom. There are 2 main modes to choose from. Rapid Play has you going through 10 pictures in quick succession, and is a race against time to spot the single difference in each one to complete the level. As you get further in some twists will be introduced to make things more challenging. You may have to rub the screen to reveal the picture prior to searching it, or you may have to spot the odd-one-out: for example the top picture shows a bicycle, whilst the lower shows it disassembled and you have to identify the piece that does not belong. These variations give a nice change of pace from the same old spot-the-difference formula, but they do seem out of place at times, especially since they are not grouped together, but thrown out at you at random.

This main mode is not all too long, but you can also unlock extra levels by gaining sufficient medals. This is where some of the better picture puzzles are at, including scrolling scenes littered with plenty of discrepancies, and pictures with dynamic elements - the toughest kind of puzzles seen here. You wouldn't think one could do much with such a basic game-plan, but Namco have really crammed in a lot of stuff into this budget title. I haven't even begun to talk about the second mode, Focus Play, which features all 140 main stills with 10 differences to pick apart in each - classic spot-the-difference here. Sadly there isn't any score function to speak of here, and by exploiting big/small circles (draw a large circle to locate the approximate whereabouts of a difference, and then successively smaller ones to isolate it), these puzzles are child's play.

So now that you know what this game is about, what makes it stand out? The pictures seen here vary from sketches to CG to pastel to bitmap to the new age. There are a couple of takes on classic fairy tales, but most interestingly are the images that feature some of Namco's most popular franchises, including Klonoa, Mr. Driller, Pac-Man and Riiiiiiidge Racer! Sounds like a fan-service pull, and it is, for out of the 140+ different pictures and their variations, only about 20 of them aren't anything other than random artworks. Being a videogame, Quickspot definitely would've been more attention-grabbing had it included more pop-culture references or graphics which us gamers would associate with more. And where the heck is Tekken?!

The music in Quickspot is great, but nearly entirely composed of remixed classical pieces. As much as I appreciate classical music (I did get my Grade 8 Piano half a decade ago!), the likes of Mozart, Chopin and Strauss belong somewhere else; some more original upbeat tunes akin to the title track would have been better suited to this modern take on a classic game.

Just like how the diverse range of activities featured in Brain Age made it a hit, but the following specialised Sudoku games were ignored, Quickspot with its limited appeal won't achieve star status anytime, period. It is a decent puzzle-genre game that excels with its user-friendliness and quick-playing nature, but it still feels rather stale. The dual screens are used perfectly (how could they not?) and the touch interface is extremely precise, giving you good feedback on how accurate you were at isolating differences. However these days some extra flair is required, especially if you are thinking of bringing back an ancient concept back from the dead (ok slight exaggeration here). More visual splendour (this game by no means stretches the graphical hardware) and more interactive elements (like the spot-the-moving-differences bits) may have brought this title to the top, or not. Some things don't change; if this isn't your cup of tea, it will never be, but a little sip if you have the chance won't hurt you one bit.

5.5/10 - So it can be done! But it could be done.. better.

My Score System – a score of 7 from me denotes a good, solid game. Excellence earns a higher grade, whilst 4-6 reflects a below average product; glitchy, unplayable games deserve less.

29/03/07

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 03/29/07