Spore Origins (iPod)

It took millions of years for single-celled organisms to evolve into complex animals. It takes you five minutes to do the same on your iPod, after scrolling through a couple of play lists, of course. Spore Origins condenses years of theoretical science into bite-sized sessions that are as entertaining as they are brief.

Starting from the thick primordial ooze and travelling upward to sandy beaches, the game chronicles the evolution of a micro-organism through 18 levels. You begin as a cellular creature, little more than a moving mouth with an eye to chart a path through the murky prehistoric waters.

Using the click-wheel to navigate, your only objectives are to survive and devour lesser creatures in an effort to grow into a larger, more formidable form. Evolution, at least according to Spore Origins, is the consequence of eating. Progressing through each level means chomping on smaller organisms to fill up your DNA meter.

Once you've amassed enough genetic material, your creature can mutate. A menu pops up between levels - at designated intervals, mind you, not after each level - that allows you to choose from a dozen distinct appendages. Sensory, Defensive, Offensive, and Mobility parts come in three tiers. Predictably, advanced parts become available as you equip their more basic predecessors. For example, adding a water jet propulsion organ first requires testing out a tail and then fins.

Since there are fewer opportunities to mutate than total number of parts, Spore Origins presents an interesting dilemma. You're forced to decide how to evolve your creature because there's no possible way of acquiring every part on a single organism. This not only makes each spore you create unique, but also influences the way in which your creature behaves or at least how you control it. If you evolve down a defensive path, you'll obviously behave accordingly. On the other hand, donning offensive appendages lends to more aggressive gameplay.

It doesn't take long to move up the evolutionary ladder. The 18 levels in the game's main Evolution mode go by very quickly. Fortunately, there's an incentive for going back through it again and creating different creatures. Arena mode lets you pit organisms against each other in computer-controlled battles. You're not able to control any creature, which is a drag, but you can determine whether you've designed creatures fit enough for survival without your help. You're also welcome to test your own endurance in Survival mode.

Additionally, a virtual Aquarium mode pulls music from your iPod and lets you watch organisms respond to the music as they swim through the water, although it's a rather pointless option. If you're wanting to listening to music, you're not watching your screen. Including an option to listen to your own music during Evolution mode would have been preferable. We're impressed with the in-game music, though, so even though the option of playing personal track is an oversight, at least you can enjoy the well-suited score.

With its simple gameplay, Spore Origins is a natural on iPod (and, indeed, on iPhone). Some features are more desirable than others and more levels would be great, but on the whole it's evolved in fine form to be among the best that the device has to offer.