Nintendo is famous for making fun family games that get a person mentally engaged and (thanks to the Wii) physically active. Wii Music provides both of these things, using the controller and nunchuck to turn even inexperienced musicians into virtual virtuosos.
Four main activity areas in the Wii Music Game:
- Lessons - Learn how to play the virtual instruments found in Wii Music. There are sixty different instruments from xylophones and drum sets to guitars, trumpets, and clarinets. As more activities are completed more instruments are unlocked including electronic instruments and special effects dog and cat sounds.
- Games - There are three mini-games included with Wii Music. The first is titled Wii Maestro where the player uses the controller as a virtual baton to conduct an orchestra of Mii's. Speeding up or slowing down the motions alters the tempo of the music, and several fun surprises are thrown in that young players absolutely love. There is also a Rock Band style "Handbell Harmony" game where each player takes control of two tuned handbells, ringing them when their color scrolls across the screen. In Pitch Perfect players use their ear to solve musical puzzles.
- Jam Sessions - In the jam sessions Wii Music players can choose to be either a soloist or a member of a five piece combo. Select an instrument, choose from one of sixty songs to play, select a venue to play it in, and start jamming. Each session is recorded automatically, and features panning and zooming camera shots across the entire ensemble. As with most of the other activities in Wii Music up to four people can jam at the same time, each using their own controller. Once the song has ended the video can be saved and rated as well as sent to other friends via WiiConnect24.
- Videos - A place to organize and view all of the different music videos that the player and others (via WiiConnect24) have created.
Wii Music is obviously geared toward the younger video game player but its value should not be limited to any one specific age group. The beautiful thing about the game is that anyone can be instantly successful and start jamming out with almost no practice necessary. The only downside to the game is long term replay value. New songs are added to the play list as certain activities are completed giving more depth to the game, but after a while all of the activities become rather repetitive.
Unlike most music video games Wii Music is actually quite educational in its application of musical concepts. Wii Maestro and Pitch Perfect both provide transparent instruction in some basic musical concepts such as steady beat and ear training. When learning to play more advanced songs basic music notation is also added in. The instrument controls are not incredibly realistic, but they are enough so that a student can get a feel for what it might be like to play the real thing.
Wii Music retails for $49.99 and is available now.
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