A neat idea that lacks in depth and is plagued with a few motion control annoyances.
THE GOOD
-Lots of instruments
-Easy to play
THE BAD
-Extremely shallow
-Motion control annoyances
OVERVIEW
On the drawing board Nintendo had a great idea with Wii Music. Drum sets, woodwinds, and string instruments are just the tip of the iceberg that's offered and everything is really easy to pick up and play. The only objective to Wii Music is to have fun with your friends and family by making music together. Unfortunately, the simplistic nature is also the game's downfall because the limited features and content end up making it boring after a few short hours.
GAMEPLAY
When you start the game you're automatically thrown into a tutorial session with the musical maestro named Sebastian Tute. This goofy looking character will teach you a few basic control styles like the piano, guitar and trumpet. Each method is used for multiple instruments; for example, the trumpet method is used to play the clarinet. There are over sixty different instruments ranging from the familiar like the violin and piano to the more obscure like the NES Horn and Cat Suit.
Control-wise, Wii Music is setup perfectly for anybody to jump in and play right away. The movements are intuitive to the instrument you're playing. Although, I have noticed that precision playing with some instruments using the violin or guitar styles is a little difficult. There are also a few other motion control hiccups that can really get on your nerves.
The main mode for the game is the jam session. The jam session lets up to 4 people take on different parts of the song like the melody, harmony, percussion, etc. You have the option to customize your session or jump right into a quick play option. During the song all you have to do is time your notes with a press of a button or motion of the remote. The pitch is already predetermined by the game. If you want to, you can also add your own improvisation by omitting or adding extra notes to the song. Once the song ends you are prompted to save your creation to be played back at any time under the video section of the main menu. This part of the game is fun but it's too simplistic and limited which means you'll probably get bored quickly. Not being able to change the pitch of your notes is a bummer too.
Aside from the jam session there are three other mini-games to participate in like Mii Maestro, Handbell Harmony, and Pitch Perfect. Mii Maestro puts you in the conductor's shoes as you lead the full orchestra through various tunes. You can speed up or slow down the piece by waving the remote faster or slower and you also have the option to change the volume by how intense or delicate you are with your strokes. Again this is another ho-hum part of the game because all you're doing is waving the remote up and down to the beat of the song. Plus, I've noticed that the motion control doesn't always capture what you are trying to do so your masterpiece typically ends up being something unplanned. Handbell Harmony and Pitch Perfect are actually kind of fun. Handbell Harmony puts you in a handbell choir with three other people. Your goal is to play your two handbells in time with the song. Pitch Perfect will test your musical ear in various situations like picking out the three part harmony or organizing pitches from lowest to highest.
GRAPHICS & SOUND
Graphically, Wii Music looks like all the other Mii heavy games out there; meaning the visuals are just mediocre. It's fun seeing all your stored Miis playing instruments but that's the only note-worthy part in this area.
There are a few widely known songs like "Ode to Joy" and "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" mixed in with some rock music like "Daydream Believer" and "La Bamba". There are also some NES hits thrown in there too like "Super Mario Bros" and "The Legend of Zelda". There are about 50 songs to choose from but the sound quality is only decent at best. Unfortunately, there are many instruments that sound too much like a synthesizer instead of the real thing.
CONCLUSION
Although Wii Music was thrown into a genre dominated by Guitar Hero and Rock Band, it actually showed a lot of promise by introducing a relaxed feel with a plethora of fun instruments. Well at least on paper it did. Instead Wii Music offers plenty of flash but no substance. The shallow gameplay and control annoyances turn this lovable idea into a big waste of time. I wouldn't recommend this game to any Wii owners out there because sadly this musical number is just a bit too flat.