After going on record and saying that Hardcore players should wait until E3 for their next must have title, I wonder what was going through Reggie’s head when the game turned out to be the already announced Wii Music.
Yes, all hopes of a first party Nintendo game for the hardcore by holiday have been dashed, as instead we have what is little more than a game where you press random buttons and shake the Wii remote whenever you want.
It’s supposed to be a good thing that there are no specific notes you have to play, no bars you have too watch, no timing needed, but what it boils down to is a game where you hold the Wii remote in different positions, performing actions at your own speed.
It looked terrible on stage, with a person attempting to play the Drums using the Wii Remote, Nunchuck and Balance Board, and looking more like a fool than anything else. Even Miyamoto, with his saxophone solo couldn’t make Wii Music look enjoyable.
The problem that Wii Music seems to have is that there is no real gameplay, no goals to achieve, no way to get better, which is all part of the magic of games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Wii Sports was excellent as a way of introducing the ways of the remote to you, while this just seems like a waste of time.
By ending with, and in turn hyping up Wii Music, Nintendo allowed themselves to be beaten by the competition. I really expected Miyamoto to come back out and give a trailer for Pikmin 3 or something, but no; Wii Music was Nintendo’s big game, which is a crushing blow to anyone who had been anticipating the ‘huge’ announcement.
Hit the jump for the full press release, with more info on Wii Music, which will be out at holiday.
Format: Wii™
Launch Date: Holiday 2008
ESRB: RP (Rating Pending)
Game Type: Music
Accessories: Wii Remote™, Nunchuk™, Wii Balance Board™
Players: 1-4
Developer: Nintendo
KEY INFORMATION
Create a musical masterpiece with up to four players. Anyone can play the huge selection of instruments in Wii Music with simple motions—like strumming and drumming.
• It’s easy to play improv jams. Musicians in your band jam by simply playing their instruments to the beat of a song or by improvising to their heart’s content. Play faster. Play slower. Skip a beat, or throw in 10 more. No matter what you do, Wii Music automatically transforms your improv stylings into great music. There are no mistakes—just playing for the pure joy of playing.
• Wii controls immerse you in the music. You can play most of the 60-plus instruments in Wii Music using simple motions with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers. Strum to play guitar, banjo and sitar. Drum to play jazz drums, congas and marching drums. Hammer away to play piano, vibraphone and marimba. Unlike most music games, Wii Music doesn’t make you use complex buttons. You only need to imitate playing the instrument.
• Wii Music offers virtually endless ways to make music. You choose the song and instruments and decide whether to blaze through a rock take on classical songs, put a jazzy spin on folk tunes or transform Nintendo classics like the Super Mario Bros.® theme into Latin-flavored numbers. The song list is only a takeoff point—it’s how you improvise with the songs that matters.
• Send your band-jam recordings to Wii Friends who have Wii Music. They’ll see your Mii™ band members, your players’ improv styles and your instrument selections. They can watch your recordings, or play over parts of your song, then send their modified recording back to you. Improv jams can be sent back and forth over WiiConnect24 and changed again and again.
Beyond the Jam:
Wii Music includes many other modes besides the main band jams, including several musical games and an enhanced video playback mode for recorded jams.
• Play it again: Use the playback mode to see your jam recordings brought to life with dramatic camera angles.
• Pick up the baton: Command an orchestra in the conducting game where you’ll wave the Wii Remote controller like a conductor’s baton to lead a Mii orchestra through orchestrated music. Make them play quickly, slowly, strongly or gently.
• Ring a bell? Play a handbells game where you’ll swing your Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers to play your two handbells as part of a larger ensemble. Everyone on the team has a job to do: Play one of your notes only when the tune demands it.
• An ear for music: Take a tone quiz that tests your musical ear by giving you challenges, like putting note-playing Miis in order from lowest to highest pitch.
• Bang the drum: Play a virtual drum set in the drumming mode, the one mode in Wii Music that also uses the Wii Balance Board accessory (sold with Wii Fit™). You’ll use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers as drumsticks, and place both feet on the Wii Balance Board—which work as virtual pedals for the bass drum and hi-hat cymbal.
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