14 DAY TRIAL // Just prior to the release of the Nintendo Wii the "console wars" were fought between Sony and Microsoft. Nobody credited the Japanese company with a chance to take the console top spot. Now the hardware sales charts are dominated by the Nintendo Wii, which can at times sell as much as its two rivals combined.
The battle of the music simulators has, at the moment, two big players. In one corner there's the Activision published Guitar Hero while in the other corner there's Rock Band from Harmonix. Both the franchises are expected to get new games this fall, in the form of Guitar Hero: World Tour and Rick Band 2 respectively. but I have a sneaking suspicion that, come the beginning of 2009, the most played music game will be the newly announced Wii Music from Nintendo.
Let's look at some of the strengths of the game. It aims to simulate not just the four instruments of a band, like its two rivals, but will also employ the Wiimote and the Nunchuk to reproduce more than 60 musical instruments. You will be able to play a classic instrument, like the violin, or jump straight into modern times and play the drums or the guitar. Nintendo even assures us that things like cowbells and pianos are included. It seems that trombones, however, are not in.
The game also offers interesting mini-games, like one where you become the conductor of an orchestra, one that allows you to plug in the Balance Board and play a drum while also simulating the pedal related action and one where you can take quizzes related to your musical abilities. All of these little elements might not be too appealing to hardcore music fans, but they will surely attract more casually oriented gamers.
There are just two weaknesses I can see in the game at this point. On one hand, it does not seem to offer any microphone support, which means that no gamers with bad voices will be likely to try and channel their favorite stars. This contrasts with Rock Band, where being the singer of the band can be one of the main attractions. It also seems that the graphical style of the game is also very Nintendo Wii like, with all things getting a clear cartoonish look, which might also prove to be a turn off for some gamers.
If Nintendo offers more information on the game, we'll be sure to bring it to you.