Star Wars: Cantina

Never trust an establishment that drops things into your food when you're not looking.

The last place I encountered that engaged in such practices was a burger van in the local B&Q car park.

Now detained at her majesty's pleasure, the owner took to adding his own 'special ingredient' whenever anyone dared complain about his service, leaving more than a few customers with a decidedly nasty taste in their mouths.

Questionable business ventures aside, Star Wars: Cantina's own special ingredient – a syrup shot added to its roster of drinks as a tool to multiply your score – attempts to prove that an unplanned additive or two can, in fact, lead to a tasty bite of gameplay.

Luke, I am your waiter

THQ's time-management sim, having already made an adequate splash on iPhone, appears here in largely the same form, bringing what is one of the first takes on the genre to Windows Phone 7 in a straightforward, no frills manner.

In truth, the link between Cantina and its host franchise is minimal – aliens from the series act as your customers, with Star Wars themes playing in the background on and off throughout.

Strip that back, however, and Star Wars: Cantina is the unashamed product of the Diner Dash generation.

Just as in PlayFirst's franchise, waiting tables is the order of the day, with taps on the screen enough to send you scurrying back and forth between the bar and the baying batch of customers.

Upgrading the Empire

The routine is certainly simple enough. Providing there's a table free, the idea is to show customers to their seats before taking their orders, serving their drinks, and collecting their cash.

The drinks on offer come in a variety of colours, and matching them up with the correct customers naturally keeps them placid.

Getting each party in and out quickly is also key, with each set of characters coming with distinct personalities that make them either more or less tolerant of delays. Leave some groups too long, for instance, and they'll cause a ruckus, robbing you in the process.

None of this is especially unique or original, however.

Though the upgrade model is designed to keep you entrapped from level to level – stellar performances earning you water coolers, or air conditioning to placate the customers – it's the kind of setup that's been employed in every other time-management title on the planet.

A new dope

Indeed, Star Wars: Cantina's one unique trait is its inability to master the Achievements system.

Somewhat annoyingly, should you unlock one, the resulting notification at the top of the screen during in play disables your input, leaving you standing motionless for vital seconds.

It's not a game breaker – such awards are almost certainly less likely to pop up the longer you play – but, even discounting such faults, there's nothing that stands out about Star Wars: Cantina.

While Lucas's franchise is no hindrance to its play, its no real help either, leaving you with a recipe that sadly lacks the one extra ingredient that really could turn it into something special.