1Up.com has posted their official review for the upcoming Wii exclusive Wii Music in which the title did surprisingly well. Check it out:
You can check out the full review here. Stay tuned as we bring you all the reviews we can find.
True musicianship has taken a hit recently with all the music-based videogames captivating today's youth, and Wii Music will surely be the next virtual music experience replacing real music for everyone. As a classically trained musician, I might take offense at this -- except that Wii Music gets it really right. Using the Wii Remote, Nunchuk, and (optionally) Balance Board to mimic the motions of real instruments may have seemed like a bad joke when the game was first announced, but in practice, it works amazingly well. It's worth it to take the time to learn the four different instrument motions (drums, guitar, horns, and violin) because the game offers so many varied opportunities to pretend-play all of the dozens of instruments in the game, and knowing how to wave your arms and press the buttons just right makes the crucial difference between a stupid-silly game and an actually fulfilling one.
I love how the three minigames -- Mii Maestro, Handbell Harmony, and Pitch Perfect -- challenge your rhythm and your ear in legitimately musical ways. They're easy at first, but you have to listen closely and think about note values to succeed, especially in later levels, and it's based just enough in classical theory that those with musical training will probably find the games a bit easier. Sure, some of the minigames are hampered just the slightest bit by control issues typical to Wii, but generally, with a bit of attention and practice, Wii Music is easy to play and makes classical music quite fun. Once you've learned the basics of a song, it's easy to feel like you're genuinely improvising simply by pressing buttons at the right time. The way the game fills in the right notes for you gives an astonishing feeling of having performed a real solo. If you need guidance, the game provides a note pattern for you to follow, which is handy. The experience is lighthearted and enjoyable, and it puts basic music concepts within easy reach of anyone playing it.
I love how the three minigames -- Mii Maestro, Handbell Harmony, and Pitch Perfect -- challenge your rhythm and your ear in legitimately musical ways. They're easy at first, but you have to listen closely and think about note values to succeed, especially in later levels, and it's based just enough in classical theory that those with musical training will probably find the games a bit easier. Sure, some of the minigames are hampered just the slightest bit by control issues typical to Wii, but generally, with a bit of attention and practice, Wii Music is easy to play and makes classical music quite fun. Once you've learned the basics of a song, it's easy to feel like you're genuinely improvising simply by pressing buttons at the right time. The way the game fills in the right notes for you gives an astonishing feeling of having performed a real solo. If you need guidance, the game provides a note pattern for you to follow, which is handy. The experience is lighthearted and enjoyable, and it puts basic music concepts within easy reach of anyone playing it.
You can check out the full review here. Stay tuned as we bring you all the reviews we can find.