Wii Music Comments by Oli Welsh

Like a more accessible and playful Electroplankton or Guitar Hero.

It sounds a bit like what actually happens when you learn to play an instrument.

As much fun as Ectoplankton, no doubt.

watching them play this on stage it looked incredibly embarrassing, especially the incredibly gay jump they do at the end

hopefully it will be fun to play though, rather than just waving your arms like mad in the hopes of reproducing 'twinkle twinkle little star'

i'll only get it if it's got some Muse and Radiohead on it

oh so i wont then

sounds like for 15-20 quid sale anything more and it will be too much for yet another novelty that will wear off very quickly.

As much fun as Ectoplankton, no doubt.

i really doubt it. certainly from what i've seen so far, looks nothing like it... which is a shame cos that's what i was hoping for...

sounds crap

twinkle twinkle little star...my 2 year old daughter will love this. A must buy for my family i think.

Looking forward to getting my hands on it, should be fun, at least whilst trying out all the tunes and instruments.

Have to say I doubt I could satnd watching people playing it though, music played out of time/synch is something that grates my ears and head more than polystyrene (?sp) and nails down blackboards.

The thing is, this isn't even as creative as Electroplankton. In games like Electroplankton and Spore's Creature Creator you have a pure sandbox where you can create anything you want. You don't get that here - you have to settle for pre-chosen tunes to play along to. Nintendo should really make a "create what you want" mode the main focus on the game, and focus on interactivity between players by allowing them to send their tunes to each other, edit them however they want, and then send them back for the other players to edit again. But still, Miyamoto's goal to make a music game where the focus is the enjoyment of playing harmoniously together in a band is an admirable one.

The lack of a 'physical' connection to whichever instrument you want to play is going to de difficult for some I reckon. The premise though - and the apparent fun the game engenders - is just the sort of reason I bought the kids the Wii. About time.

Sounds better than I was expecting...but I'm not sure I'd pay full price for it.
Seems like it should really be a £20 title..£30 max.

"As much fun as Ectoplankton, no doubt.

i really doubt it. certainly from what i've seen so far, looks nothing like it... which is a shame cos that's what i was hoping for... "

+1,000,000

It really is a shame. :(

Does it come with a packed-in lobotomy?

Wii Music = Guitar Hero for special needs people

But there is a sandbox element in there, right? Playing the piano and the drums seemed to be pretty random, as was the jazz tune they performed on stage at the beginning. I do agree that there definitely should be a WiFi share your creation option for this to remain remotely interesting after you've tried out all the instruments..

"Does it come with a packed-in lobotomy?"

It's the only way to enjoy it ;)

It will probably be misunderstood by many who look for gameplay systems in it rather than suspending disbelief, letting themselves go and expressing themselves through it. Those people love it.

/turns to camera

Nice!

@spekkeh: You can share videos of your tunes with friends, but I think it would be better if you could send the tune data for other people to edit on.

Anyway, for anyone doubting the Drumkit mode after the horrible, horrible E3 conference, check out this video. So much better.

How is it an almost entirely postive preview from people who have actually played it can draw so much negativity? Would loved to have seen this comments thread had Wii Music been completely borked.

Jack Thompson is going to ballistic over this.

He hates sax and violins in games!


/coat

Because it's a complete non-game. There seems to be no objective, goal, or challenge.

I'm expecting the market to be flooded with crappy 3rd party remote addon things that make it look like the instrument if it sells well.

everyone remembers the Wii Sports plastic crap right, Tennis rackets, sword attachments that sort of stuff.

Jack Thompson is going to ballistic over this.

He hates sax and violins in games!


/coat


Joke of E3!

/hands over Golden Jaffa Cake

Because it's a complete non-game. There seems to be no objective, goal, or challenge.

Surely learning to play the instruments is a challenge?

It's apparently very good fun...I can't ask for too much more than that out of my games personally. I think this sums it up...

it's a technically amazing, totally accessible, funny and entertaining toy, and will be a proper riot for anyone in the right kind of loose company. It will probably be misunderstood by many who look for gameplay systems in it rather than suspending disbelief, letting themselves go and expressing themselves through it. Those people love it.

Secombe - How does it help you learn an instrument?

flOyd wins the thread

"Surely learning to play the instruments is a challenge? "

LOL, do you think GH helps you learn the guitar as well Secombe?

Why wish for it to be like Electroplankton when Electroplankton's still out there, what would putting it on Wii add?

This looks great fun, can't wait to play it. Don't need a traditional structure for something to be fun to play.

"Because it's a complete non-game. There seems to be no objective, goal, or challenge."

And so will last about a weekend before the novelty fucks right off.

"Wii Music = Guitar Hero for special needs people"

Chortle! I can see the worthy news report now: "Wii music game helps keep these tragic youngsters entertained"
Cue lots of swaying and out-of-time 'music'

Secombe - How does it help you learn an instrument?

I didn't say AN instrument (i.e. real life), I said THE instrument, as in the ones in the game. Although at the end of the day if it gets people interested in playing for real that can only be a good thing.

Learning to drive the cars in GTR2 is a challenge, I'm under no illusions that it will help me on my trackdays in real life, however! This is no different in that respect.

Learning to play the violin etc is for spotty pale faced nerds who rarely leave their bedroom, err... hold on.

Why wish for it to be like Electroplankton when Electroplankton's still out there, what would putting it on Wii add?

erm, cos it could be like a hugely expanded electroplankton, obviously. electroplankton is great, but pretty limited. i want a big expanded sequel on wii please, would be the best thing ever. wii music, however, is not it.

@ Fl0yd

Zing! Joke of the day!

As long as they find a way to add a full sandbox band mode the game, it will be good.

If it's JUST playing along with these tunes, then there's not going to be much variation and it's going to get boring. A full snadbox on the otherhand would let you create whatever the heck you want and that's just limitless.

We may not have seen all the game has to offer yet. To be honest, I think it's a brilliant idea for a game, but I think they've gone the wrong way about certain things within the game.

What's the problem with this game? If you don't like it, don't buy it. It's as simple as that.

And yes, you may be a bit bitter when Nintendo expects you to get all hyped up about a game that may not be designed to appeal to you, and there's seemingly little left on the line-up. But if you've been following any of Nintendo's announcements over the past six months you'd have realised that Wii Music and Animal Crossing are certainly not their only games for the holiday period, and that they're going to announce more (hardcore/core) games closer to the time period.

If it's JUST playing along with these tunes, then there's not going to be much variation and it's going to get boring.

At the very least there will be some variation due to the sound modifiers and at most all notes will be completely off key and time.

It reminds me of those kids toy's you had when you were 2 or 3, where you just press buttons and the tune sort of plays regardless, the sort of thing you'd drop down the stairs to see what noise it made, and then get bored. Now admittedly, 60 different things to drop down the stairs to make noise sounds fun, but surely its jus ta gimmick, no? They can't be charging full price for this, it isn't anything, it's not a game, it's not a training device, it's an interactive screensaver, at best...
Don't really see the appeal in this, think I'm just a miserable git tho /sigh

This is a Fisher-Price "game" isn't it?

Oh.

"sounds like for 15-20 quid sale anything more and it will be too much for yet another novelty that will wear off very quickly."

So?

They're all sold at Toys R Us amoung tat from China

@groovychainsaw
"Don't really see the appeal in this, think I'm just a miserable git tho /sigh "

Who wants to grow up anyway? Certainly not the crazy Japanese who bring us these cute and colourful games.

Why on earth would we be looking for gameplay mechanisms when playing games on a games console?

Oh right.

This sounds like sick fun - like Electroplankton but with more instruments, and more players.

I'll definitely pick it up, and probably enjoy every drunken minute of it. If other people don't feel like they can enjoy something like this... well, whatever. That's their choice.

Wii Music sounds innovative and unique but it doesn't sound like it's particularly fun to play once the initial buzz has worn off. Time will tell I guess but I can't see myself buying it. My parents might for their Wii though.

@groovychainsaw

I may need to get a house with stairs just for that, I wanna see what it sounds like!

This is a joke compared to GH and RB.

Another reason that the wii is a perfect system for kids.

so nursery rhymes eh?

yeah, i'm 22 Nintendo

>>Only game I will buy from now on with Wii in the title is Wii Sex.

"learning to flail your arms randomly whilst disgusting midi garbage seeps from the speakers is not, nor never will be, considered a game. "

honestly!

It's a great preview, this. It's nice to read an opinion that isn't just immediately cynical about Wii Music, or essentially saying 'oh, it's not a game therefore it's worthless' like some of the US sites. It's measured in its praise, but there does seem to be some genuine enjoyment there. Either way, I'll be getting it because it'll be the perfect title to experience with my son, who will be approaching his third birthday when it arrives.

The Wii still needs a WiiWare Electroplankton though - where you can share your compositions over WiFi, and save them. I think it'd really work well with the remote acting as a kind of theremin, and thinking about how the different plankton work, the pointer control would be a perfect substitute for the DS stylus. You could even maybe have some kind of link-up feature with the DS version.