It’s not often that a well-known developer works for months and comes up with a polished, innovative product — and then decides to give it away. This must be Christmas in July, because that’s what PDAmill has just done with their latest release, Catchy Cadence.

They call it a music-rhythm-action game, and sure it’s a made-up genre but it gets the point across. Catchy Cadence is a pack of 12 mini-games featuring everything from escaping from sharks to making sandwiches. Gameplay is a little different for each one, but they all revolve around tapping the screen in time to the music.

Read on for a quick look!

Most Pocket PC games are notorious for their lousy soundtracks. If you’ve played any of PDAmill’s games before, you know that their music is definitely a cut above. The outstanding audio comes courtesy of PDAmill’s resident composer, Jason Surguine aka Jaybot, and he’s created a dozen new songs with games to go around them.

All screenshots courtesy of PDAmill

Catchy Cadence gets an A+ for simplicity of controls. Just tap the screen. It doesn’t matter where, as long as it’s in time. But don’t let the simple controls fool you into thinking the game is easy. I’m a dancer with years of piano training under my belt; I have good rhythm. I still notice a good-size learning curve with each mini-game until I figure out exactly where in the rhythm I’m supposed to be tapping. The fraction of a second it takes to lower the stylus to the screen is enough to throw you off, and Catchy Cadence is not forgiving.

I was impressed at how Catchy Cadence uses one simple control to create so many levels without becoming repetitive. Gameplay is deceptively difficult, but it’s fair and a lot of fun. At the end of each song, the game gives you a score out of 100. Too low, and you’re treated to an ego-crushing “You failed!” Manage a high enough score, and you earn a bronze or silver record, which will unlock the next level and various extras. To get a gold record you have to be 100% note-perfect, which should keep you tapping for a long time.

The cartoon-style graphics are charming and quirky, and they fit the game perfectly. In addition to the well-crafted visuals, the game design includes an “Extras” section with a Jukebox where you can listen to unlocked songs and an Inbox with messages on your progress. For a free release, Catchy Cadence is unbelievably polished.

One of my favorite things about PDAmill games is their humor, and Catchy Cadence has more than its share of subtle jokes, from the robot in the first level named Rook IE to the army guys performing “Face, Battle, Patrol.” PDAmill’s tongue may be planted firmly in its cheek, but the catchy tunes, innovative and addictive gameplay, and overall polish are no laughing matter. Try this one at your own risk — I dare you not to get at least one tune stuck in your head.

Vital Stats:

Catchy Cadence is FREE for Windows Mobile touchscreen devices (with some caveats that probably account for why this game is free — it ran fine on my Dell Axim x51v) and PC. Check out the excellent product page for demo videos, screenshots of every level, and lots more info.

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