Wii Music

Pitch-perfect or tone-deaf?

If rumour is to be believed, Wii Music is Nintendo's last "big idea" for the Wii - Shigeru Miyamoto has admitted that they have done everything that he planned at the start of the console's development. So you could say that Wii Music represents the culmination of Nintendo's plans for the console, the pinnacle, if you like. The question is, is it worthy of this accolade?

The game starts with you meeting your tutor, who explains the different methods of play. Wii Music boasts over 60 instruments, but there are a few basic control schemes and a lot of the instruments are the same but in a different style - for example, multiple variations on the piano or the guitar.

You are thrown in with the standard quirky Nintendo instructor who starts you out on each method of control. These can be based around moving the Wiimote and Nunchuck in a certain way, or pressing certain buttons on the Wiimote - for example, moving the Wiimote and Nunchuck up and down to play the piano, or pressing buttons on the Wiimote to play the trumpet. You'll soon get the hang of this and breeze through the training session (this session is repeatable, if you really need anorger stab).

Once into the main game, there are a few more options. You may want to start with the "Games" menu. There are three varieties. One is a bell-ringing game - you have the Wiimote and Nunchuck and must shake them when necessary in a Guitar Hero-fashion. There is then the Conducting game where you conduct an orchestra with hand movements, and finally a game where you select Miis based on certain criteria; identifying the lowest pitch, or an instrument playing the wrong note in a piece, for example. Each game has a few possible tunes and levels, as well as a high score available for each one. You can then unlock extra backgrounds, tunes or instruments for the meat of the game - the Jam Sessions.

In the Jam Sessions, you choose the part of the piece you want to play (for example, Melody or Percussion, Chords or Bass) and choose the instrument that you want to use for this. The game only allows appropriate instruments for each part, so there will be no banging out the melody on a set of steel drums. You then play your part in the piece along with the rest of the tune being played by computer Miis (or other players, if you are playing with friends). Having done this, you can then play a different role - but against the role you have just recorded.

But how do you actually play the instruments? The musically inept amongst you will be pleased to hear that this is largely irrelevant - the controls are basically about rhythm. Every time you make a movement, the game chooses a note for you to play - you can play just the usual number of notes, or go wild and add in 10 notes where one would have done. On the trumpet, you play by pressing 1 or 2 or B on the Wiimote, and the note played is unaffected by the button chosen.

I'm sure I have made it clear now, then, that this game is not about beating levels, or top scores. You won't get a higher score by sticking to the rhythm or the tune, but you actually mark each Jam Session yourself, and can save a video for future viewing. It is the ultimate self-scoring game, and lends itself to experimentation and a bit of fun. Unfortunately, this will not be everyone's virtual cup of tea. Personally, I enjoyed the games where the challenge was based on identifying different pitches, but there were only a few levels and I blasted through them with absolute ease.

This kind of open-ended, creative gameplay is theoretically what people want "these days", but I think many gamers will be disappointed and not really know what to do with the game. Wii Music has been crippled by a disappointing song selection (mostly nursery rhymes or Nintendo theme tunes) and will probably only appeal to much younger gamers or really musical types. If you are looking for a feeling of a vague challenge in the playing of a faux-instrument, play Guitar Hero or Rock Band - or wait for Orchestral Hero or Brass Band similar to make an appearance.

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By Richard Bright