While shopping at a Goodwill store near my house, I came across Ener-G Gym Rockets and Ener-G Dance Squad. Both games were brand new, still in the plastic wrapping, and priced at $3. While I normally don’t partake in games that appear to pander to children, I decided that $3 was a fair price for these kinds of games. I’d purchase both, and see what Ubisoft’s Ener-G games for girls were like.

Unfortunately, Ener-G Gym Rockets was pretty much everything I thought it would be. If I were younger, perhaps I wouldn’t mind its ambiguity, character models and graphics and occasionally demanding controls. But I’m not, and after playing for an hour I have a sneaking suspicion that 1st Playable Productions and Ubisoft could have done better…

Ubisoft has realized what an ignored segment teenage girl gamers are, and they are ready to fill that game void. They started with the Imagine line of games, which were essentially a series of simulation games. Now they have created Ener-G, a line of sports games for girls. So far three games in the line, all DS titles, have been announced, Ener-G Dance Squad, Ener-G Gym Rockets and Ener-G Horse Riders. All three will be released October 2008.

Ener-G Dance Squad makes players choreographers. They are placed in Laura’s shoes, a girl who is part of a modern dance squad. Players then perform alone or with a group, in a Story or Challenge Mode, dance against 12 other computer players and get items to dress up in. The music in the game will fall into the R&B, Techno, Disco, Pop, Classical and Tribal genres.