The latest phase of the extension of the franchise has been realised most recently into a couple of games for the PS2 and the DS by the Namco-Bandai-Banpresto development hydra, and a 'sequel' that was recently released on the Wii. The PS2 adaptation (by Banpresto) places greater emphasis on the dramatic elements of the series, but the DS game (by Bandai) is really a rhythm-action game that masquerades as an adventure game. A map of the music university stands for a sort of hub in the game, which blends the structure of an adventure game and Ouendan; by tapping on hotspots strewn around the map, the player can check out the university at leisure, gaining through this exploration a brief tête-à-tête with a character from the manga or anime. The game suffers exploration only to some degree though, and the player is subtly directed to a certain location that brings about the key stages in the game, prefaced by brief talking-figure episodes that skim the plot of the manga and give way to a 'conducting' rhythm-action episode.

In view of the popularity of the rhythm-action genre on the DS, it's a credit to the developers that the game design of Nodame Cantabile DS works well enough to stand out. Somewhat fittingly to the concept of being a conductor, the rhythm-action portion is a bit like the mix of Beatmania and Ouendan (bearing the duties of both a DJ and a cheerleader): the object of the game is to tap on 'notes' on the screen moving from right to left in rhythm with one of about thirty classical compositions. What makes the system in Nodame Cantabile DS rather different is that there is no ideal beat line or shrinking rhythm ring to which one must tune the beats; instead, note-bubbles flowing across the bottom screen from right to left must be timed to 'meet' with falling music notes at a certain point. Flourishes to the gameplay include occasional 'note lines' that must be 'drawn' across the screen and several notes and rainbow rings that appear when you strike a note right on the pulse.

It's not a revolutionary system, but, by sharing the manga's belief in a total and sincere enjoyment of music, it emerges with a distinct personality of its own. Indeed, for all the occasional weaknesses in writing and characterisation in the manga that come as an attempt to make events more humorous and exciting, (at times risking undermining the narrative) the strength of Nodame Cantabile is that it understands music to its very core. Despite originally being a silent medium, Ninomiya makes music the centre of the manga, and the most powerful moments in the manga's storyline occur during pages and pages of almost text-less images that verge on dreamlike abstraction, drunk on the power of the music they 'accompany.'

Ironically, the problem in the DS game is the opposite. There is scarcely anything to fault in terms of the presentation and overall conception of the game. The visuals are remarkably close to the designs in the manga, and display colourfully and clearly on the screens of the DS. The 'adventure' episodes, however silly and unimaginative they might be, are well-written and at the same time brief enough so as not to hinder the light-headed tone of the game. A very pleasing addition also is the layer of mini-games and gallery extras which serve as both fan-service (replete with cameos by Nodame mascots Puri Gorota and the mangoose) and as a sort of distraction to the main rhythm-action game centrepiece. The inclusion of these is admirable, even if they're nothing but short diversions, of which the highlight is a simplified version of Namco's Taiko no Tatsujin.

The perplexing aspect of the game is the design of the actual rhythm-action mode. In other rhythm-action games, the connection between the input and the action on-screen is obvious by the choice of instrument that one uses to play the game. Nodame Cantabile DS has a predecessor in Mad Maestro in terms of games where the player takes the conductor's baton. But in Nodame Cantabile DS, you aren't even the conductor per se: you are just a cub reporter who helps conductors and orchestras at the university by doing something with a musical piece, via on-screen prompts of note bubbles and rainbow arcs and circles. It's very pretty, and quite enjoyable in practice, but every performance is shrouded in a mist of imaginary numbers that are beyond the understanding of the player – made all the more vague as each note the player hits does not correspond to a direct sound response. The only visible effect of your efforts is a musical glow that is manifested by an excellent performance.

The sense of unwarranted, nebulous success in the game is not helped by the lack of difficulty or other obstacles in the game. Nodame Cantabile lacks an 'insane' mode or set of tracks to really challenge the most fervent rhythm-action fan – which, admittedly, is a welcome change, but even so, the game is too lenient. No matter how many notes and figures might be missed or hit only half-right constantly, rarely will the game punish the player with a 'game over' screen. As if to add insult to injury, as the story mode progresses, the player is complimented recurrently for having fantastic musical ability, no matter the quality of one's performances.

Ultimately, the biggest success that Nodame Cantabile DS may have achieved is to present a rhythm-action game with a list of songs comprised entirely of music not usually heard in the genre – in this case, classical European music. It's not a remarkable feat in itself, (and it's certainly not the first game to do so) and, to be fair, the impetus behind this is driven mostly by the power of the Nodame Cantabile franchise. To the credit of the developers of the DS game though, the inclusion never feels forced or gives the game a stuffy feeling. Cheery and breezy, it must be commended for creating an atmosphere that is faithful to that of the manga; but it lacks the vision, beauty and power of the musical works that it respects and features so prominently.