Surf's Up

So, you might ask, what the heck was that?

That was Audiosurf, a game that I recently played, purchased, and became addicted to. The reasons may not be clear from the video, so let me elaborate as to why.

First of all, I have an addiction for rhythm and music-based games such as Elite Beat Agents, Guitar Hero and the like. Simply put, it scratches my music itch when my siblings' wonderful mixes aren't there to do it.

Second of all, the soundtrack for this game is without peer. You will find all of your favorite songs in it, guaranteed. Quite the bold claim if I do say so myself.

So how is that possible? Are they insane? What if your favorite song is "Where'd the Cheese Go?" The answer is simple, their library is your library.

The game automatically generates the track and the "traffic" based on whatever soundtrack you give it. It accepts every standard sound format from mp3 to ogg, and will even attempt to check the internet to see how other people did on the same song (which is tricky given how people tend to label their music differently, and it isn't always successful).

Want to surf to Beethoven's Fifth? Go right ahead. Prefer to romp to Strong Bad? You can! Are you wishing you could ride the disjointed notes of your child's well-intentioned compositions? The power is yours!

I have no idea how well it would figure out such wonders as William Shatner's rendition of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, but it's done a fantastic job with everything I've thrown at it thus far.

Sadly, while there is a demo you'll need a Windows box in order to play it and the full version. Still, for only $10 it's a steal.