Attention amateur songwriters/singers/lyricists: No longer must your talent be shackled to basement concerts for your cats and stuffed animals. Now, if you enter our "Now You're A Songwriter (or You Have To Write the Lyrics)" contest, your skills could net you fabulous prizes.

Here's the skinny: You know the hit game You Have to Burn the Rope featuring the also hit song "Now You're a Hero," right? Well, we're giving you a chance to re-do the song with your own lyrics about a memorable gaming moment in excruciating detail. All you have to do is get the background music, make your own MP3 and go here to submit it to us. It's that simple. Don't feel shackled though, if you want to bust out some musicianship or editing skill on your submission, go crazy. Be creative.

The best entry will win a white DS Lite as well as Professor Layton and the Curious Village or The World Ends With You. Runner up will get the other game. But, more important than prizes, we'll be playing some of the best entries during the Joystiq Podcast this month, so you'll want to submit ASAP. If you're curious about this sort of thing, official rules are right here.

Download -- "Now You're A Hero (Instrumental)"
Read -- Submit your masterpiece

We've made no secret of our love for the incomparable You Have to Burn the Rope, for both its ease and its brevity. But what really makes the experience for us is the hit song "Now You're a Hero," the end credits tune that rewards your limited amount of work. If you're interested in Henrik Nåmark, the man behind the music, we've dug up a few links for you to enjoy.

First, you can go here and download an MP3. Then, once the melody is fully embedded in your cranium take it to the next level by checking the chords and playing the song at your next open mic performance. Everyone's sure to really, really enjoy it. Still no enough? Well, we've embedded Henrik's audio player after the break, maybe you should put together a whole open mic set. Chicks ahoy!

We know it's a little early to be throwing phrases like "Game of the Year 2008" around, but when we discover flash games of this caliber, we can't help but voice our heartfelt infatuation. With its stunning character design, addictive gameplay, and breathtaking soundtrack, You Have To Burn The Rope is a smorgasbord of top-notch writing, programming, and design.

We must insist you try it out, and let us know your opinions, strategies and fastest speed run times for the game in the comments section. Though it may detract from the game's titular twist, we feel we must warn you -- you will
come across a rope during your journey through YHTBTR's lovingly-crafted world, and it absolutely must be burned. Anyone who tells you differently does not have your best interest at heart.

[Via Kotaku]

Play: You Have To Burn The Rope
Watch: The pulse-pounding teaser trailer
Read: The comprehensive walkthrough