One might think, as inclined as I might be to mix the scrutiny of game design with affectionately-intended trash pop, that Beatbuddy: Tale Of The Guardians is the crux of musicality, ingenuity and design I’d write scads of lovelorn poetry for.

Not only is each level of the underwater puzzler Beatbuddy: Tale Of The Guardians named a ‘song’ and comes with a different piece of music composed by such melodic adonises as Sabrepulse and Austin Wintory, but everything in this game has a beat, the artifacts of gameplay each add a small note to an eventual symphony of rhythm and beat and song. Your very collision with other sea creatures creates music and warps environment; enemies alert you to their presence off-screen by their music slowly working in on a tide towards you. But there’s something stuck in the heart of this grand piano. There’s something slightly out of shape. There’s something off. And that hurts: because that first glorious hour is like being bedded by some baritone merman with rigorous, human-proficient hands. You feel like you are an instrument being strummed. And you settle into the rhythm of it. (more…)