Beat City is a rhythm-based game for Nintendo DS.  You’ll need to keep time with the music by tapping, swiping or holding the stylus on the screen.  These actions, when done correctly, are rewarded with the on-screen characters and scenery slowly becoming more colorful or animated.

There’s a very distinctive art style to Beat City which really makes playing it a uniquely fun experience.  Tutorials are presented before each of the different level, so you’ll know whether you’ll need to tap in time with a soundwave, swipe in time with the hairstylist or keep up with the beat of the dancing mannequins.  If that all sounds a bit wacky, it’s because it is, yet somehow Beat City makes it work.

According to what we’ve read and been told about the game, the main story involves battling something called the Cacophany Corporation.  The in-game storytelling is honestly a bit hard to follow, with quick, textless comic strips.  Luckily, these don’t seem to be critical for enjoying the game.

What we really enjoyed about Beat City was the satisfaction of figuring out the patterns to the rhythms and the animations, and carrying them out throughout the songs.  It’s a fun feeling when you get wrapped up in a game like Beat City, and constantly find yourself wanting to fit in “just one more level” before turning the game off.

The actions and patterns are sometimes subtle, and may be difficult for most kids to pick up, so we recommend this one for tweens and teens.  But even though it’s only a one player experience, we think that once your family gets into the rhythm of Beat City, you’ll want to keep coming back.