Wii Music

"Did not see that one coming.."

Most people know the story behind Nintendo's E3 conference, and how Wii Music disappointed every hardcore Nintendo fan. With expectations of a new Zelda, F-Zero or whatever have you, seeing Miis play guitars and violins was a bit of a let down for many. And so Wii Music became a scapegoat for hardcore gamers to take their anti-casual gaming anger out on. While I never spoke out negatively against Wii Music the way many did, I was still a bit disappointed at Nintendo's decision to focus on a music game over something more... well, typical.

So now I have Wii Music in my possession and have great things to say about it. What happened? Well, something about Wii Music can't be captured well by merely watching a video (as was apparent from E3), as the game doesn't click until you play it yourself. But once it clicks its quite the enjoyable experience.

The game is often criticized for not allowing wrong notes. Just waggle and "voila!" You just played Beethoven! In actuality, its a little bit more complex. Timing is very important as is style. Most instruments can be played a variety of ways, such a playing single notes, chords, muted notes, glissandos, etc When you play is just as important, as you can stick to the main melody or chose to go crazy. But no matter how wild you play, you will want good rhythm otherwise you have a mess.

There are over 60 instruments including all your traditional ones like guitars, pianos, drums, flutes, as well as more unique ones like the NES horn and beat boxer. The game also includes 50 songs total, most of which are public domain. This isn't a big problem though: Nintendo gives you plenty of recognizable melodies to work with, so you have an idea what the song is all about. Remixing it to your liking it what makes it intriguing.

The motions for playing are responsive and fairly intuitive. Its no 1:1 or anything, but you can really "feel" the music and play accordingly, without having to fight the motion controls to get them to work properly like in some Wii titles. Buttons change the sound of most instruments, so its not all motion, but its still easy to get down. Violin for example, has you pressing back and forth between C and Z (on the nunchuk) to change notes, while the remote movements back and forth determine the volume of your playing (more intense movement = louder). Guitars let you strum, and you can hold buttons to play arpeggios (individual notes as opposed to chords) or palm muted notes.

As for the visuals, having Miis playing the music can be quite comical, especially for those who have humorous/creative Mii designs. The overall look is pleasing and colorful, especially the 10 background stages you perform on. It's about what one would expect from seeing previous "Wii *insert word* " titles.

While playing music is fun, a lot of the fun comes in layering instruments. Play through the song with a cello, then go back and record a harpsichord to go with it. Then try a different drum beat. Want to add a cheerleader into mix, or how about some Mii-style singing? Experimenting goes a long ways in Wii Music. The songs have endless possibilities for stylish interpretation.

After you are done, you can watch your performance, and design a CD cover for it. Music videos can be traded with friends which is a nice plus, though using the internet for anything else - playing with friends live, downloading new songs, etc - is absent.

Overall, I have to say I'm surprised at how much fun can be had with Wii Music. Most mocked Nintendo for claiming to put "more smiles on more faces". But after seeing a friend nearly die laughing at the sight of their Mii going off on a spastic tambourine solo, I can't help but see what they are getting at. Wii Music isn't like your everyday video game, and I for one couldn't be happier.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 10/27/08

Game Release: Wii Music (US, 10/20/08)