Sophie Ellis-Bextor Dance Simulator In Development

Programmers promise strategy-based gameplay, jaffa cakes

It was the news that all fans of Sophie Ellis-Bextor dance simulators were waiting for, as this week it was announced that programming work was already underway to develop the world's first Sophie Ellis-Bextor dance simulator computer game. Provisionally entitled 'Sophie Ellis-Bextor's Dance-a-rama', the game is due for release on the Sega Master-System and ZX Spectrum +3 early next year and looks likely to capture the sheer thrill of watching the moon-faced singer pull off complex dance moves.

Ellis-Bextor is not the first pop artist to appear in computer game form. Releases such as 'Chesney Hawkes Fighter II', 'Bananarama International Track and Field' and 'Bros Go Skiing' were all critically acclaimed releases for the Sam Coupe, which ensured its place in computer history. It looks entirely possible that this latest pop tie-in could be just as successful.

Chimpamatic Software, the game's developers, described how the player will be able to control Ellis-Bextor's movements using the controller. Pressing one button will make her step to the right and put her hand on her hip, whilst pressing another button ten seconds later will make her step to the left whilst calmly watching her backing dancers twirl about her in a frenzied motion. Pressing the pause button will cause the game to crash, although Chimpamatic are unsure whether this feature will be retained in the final version.

The objective of the game will be to ensure that Ellis-Bextor retains her balance at all times and doesn't get too tired. Successfully completing routines will reward the character with increased record sales, posh new dresses, and big plates of jaffa cakes. Failure to complete a dance set in three attempts results in the character being taken out behind the TOTP studio and shot. Parents will be glad to know that there will be an option to switch off the level of blood detail.

The game's developers have been quick to defend the slower pace of '...Dance-a-rama', which looks likely to set it apart from its peers:

"It obviously appears a lot more relaxed and less reflex-based than the majority of other dance simulation games on the market at the moment," admitted Chimpamatic Software programmer Muff McMuffin, "But we're trying to inject something new into the genre. We want more of a strategy-based angle, where players don't have to press a button every couple of seconds to enjoy themselves. It'll be almost as good as watching her on TV."