The X Factor 2008

Considering so much of the real 'X factor' has very little to do with singing (personal tragedy, toning up at the gym and tabloid exposes by former one night stands all playing their part), it's perhaps fitting that the series' official mobile tie-in has exceedingly little to do with any player's vocal talents either. Rather aptly, Namco's game mirrors ITV's genuine contest in one key area: it's about trying to become famous by any means possible.

Courting the press, wearing the right clothes, meeting and greeting fans, sweetening your folks back home, even giving the answers when questioned you think will improve your public standing in key areas – they are all vital components in playing The X Factor 2008, just as (sadly) they are in 'the game' currently being played out by real contestants in the British press.

If that's not too much of a sobering or even depressing thought for you, there's still a lot to enjoy here. Basically comprising five different mini-games strung together in the form of a career, the aim of The X Factor 2008 is to up your rating in every part of the game – from your standing with the press to the gravitas of your performance and your pure level of fame with the general public – so that the entire package comes together into a winning performance or two.

Yes, The X Factor 2008 attempts to mirror the entire journey those virgin vocalists go through every year, taking you from the very first autitions that provide such classic car-crash TV right through to the live finals. The problem is, while the use of mini-games ensures that play is varied, in practice you're judged on just two abilities – your dance moves and your voice. At the end of each 'round', you'll be charged with standing up in front of the judges and ordered to sing and then, quite bizarrely, perform some dance moves.

The former is a matter of holding down buttons that correspond with the position of notes on three staves. As the notes pass by, it's your job to press and hold one of three keys – '2', '5' and '8' – taking care to avoid the 'bum notes' that, when hit, cause the music to fly by at an alarming rate and displease the judges. Tapping the right combination of buttons is a common theme throughout, with the dance-off requiring you to move your body in certain directions – up, down, left and right – as they appear on a sliding scale at the bottom of the screen.

But between the live shows there's also a chance to build your career in other areas. On your days off, you're allowed to undertake a number of activities – starting at two, but increasing as the weeks pass - each of which comes with its own mini-game. Meeting fans involves moving up and down a red carpet, shaking hands and having your photograph taken when prompted – yet again, a case of being quick-fingered.

That's a trait that stands you in good stead for the game's Groove challenge, which sees you taking to the drums and attempting to hit the right skins as indicated. In fact, only one of the game's tests – the Fashion Dash - pulls away from this formula, instead placing you in a mall-maze against two other shoppers dashing around for items of clothing.

Sadly, however, while all of the games are accessible and surprisingly challenging at times, they never feel cohesive, and the combination of a lack of any of the real judges (Simon, Dannii, Louis and Cheryl all strangely replaced by drones) and the ill-fitting way the TV shows themselves are represented (the day The X Factor includes a random dance-off is the day it merges with Britain's Got Talent) makes this feel like a game made by folk who've never seen the TV show, essentially taking a standard formula and slapping The X Factor's name on it.

It also doesn't help that, in the latter stages, you can be heralded as the best thing since sliced bread by the judges after having put in a killer performance, only to be voted off seconds later. Still, if you're after a collection of snazzy mini-games, then The X Factor 2008 will tick your box. Just don't expect anything with true star quality.