Rhythm Thief And The Art Of Appropriation

With the recent speak of game cloning, it is easy to forget that taking an idea from another game and running with it can be not only inoffensive, however beneficial.

When done the incorrect manner, cloning lets one company divert revenue and attention away from the original, nearly identical supply. However when done well — when it’s “inspiration” and not outright copying — everyone’s happy. People that liked the original game get to play one thing that takes what worked about that game, and builds on it in fascinating ways in which. The developer of the new game gets a proven framework upon that to apply its own ideas, and a built-in fanbase to sell to. And therefore the originator gains the status of getting its game become a genre-defining work.

That’s the case with Sega’s Rhythm Thief: The Emperor’s Treasure for 3DS. Sega’s musical adventure wears its influences on its sleeve, and is best for it.