Wii Music reflects on Nintendo’s past with playable Famicom
Filed under: Video
Nintendo has been happy to think outside the box when selecting Wii Music’s line-up of instruments, and over the weekend, the company revealed another unconventional choice: the Famicom. This isn’t as weird as the dog suit — there is, after all, a whole scene dedicated to making music from old game sounds (and even household names have dabbled) — but is an interesting and fun addition nonetheless.
The other recently unveiled instrument, the Timbales (there’s a video after the break), is less interesting as a result, though Wikipedia (yes, we call this “journalism” — Pulitzer, here we come) taught us that “Timbales” doubles up as a Spanish euphemism for, well, a rude word. Expect much childish giggling in Spanish-speaking households later this year, then.
Gallery: Wii Music
Looking for more on Wii Music? You can catch an E3 trailer here, read about our time with the game here, and learn how to play the banjo, steel drum, handbell, trumpet, timpani, acoustic bass, shamisen, harmonica, cello, harpsichord, cheerleader, saxophone, sitar, cowbell, electric bass, drums, dog, accordion, taiko, clarinet, conga, electric guitar, harp, flute, marching drum, violin, piano, guitar, and marimba.| Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments |
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Wii Music: UK date, minigames, and the daily instrument
The biggest Wii Music news today is that it’s been dated for the UK. Nintendo has announced that the game will be in stores on November 14.
Of course, being a day, there’s also a “Today’s Instrument” video! Today’s featured Wii Music instrument is one that is, in our estimation, almost universally associated with fun: the steel drum. Most people hear the sound of a steel drum and think of beach vacations, and of time spent relaxing in some resort. We think of Super Mario World. Either way, the sound makes people happy. On an even more basic level, it’s a big bowl that you hit with hammers! Neat! Of course, as usual, the model is too cool to let any of our hu-man emotions show through.
Also, it may be a bit confusing, but two Wii Music websites have updated with new content. The nintendo.co.jp Wii Music site features, in addition to basic info about the game, descriptions of three minigames contained in Wii Music: Narikiri Orchestra (something like “Becoming an Orchestra”), Awasete Handbell (”Connect Handbells”), and a very weird tone-matching minigame, all with video. The wii.com Wii Music website now has an Iwata/Miyamoto Creator’s Voice interview, which we expect to see in English soon, and a series of seven commercials.
Gallery: Wii Music
Looking for more on Wii Music? You can catch an E3 trailer here, read about our time with the game here, and learn how to play the handbell, trumpet, timpani, acoustic bass, shamisen, harmonica, cello, harpsichord, cheerleader, saxophone, sitar, cowbell, electric bass, drums, dog, accordion, taiko, clarinet, conga, electric guitar, harp, flute, marching drum, violin, piano, guitar, and marimba.| Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments |
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Wii Music captures the handbell lovers demographic
Filed under: Video
The handbell, an instrument that is surely only one grade of difficulty up from the triangle, is the focus of the latest Today’s Instrument video. It comes across as cheery and Christmassy, an ap-peal-ing sound which contrasts sharply with the model’s gloomy-as-a-wet-Monday expression. Not that we’re complaining; such solemnity is infinitely preferable to fake enjoyment.
Gallery: Wii Music
Looking for more on Wii Music? You can catch an E3 trailer here, read about our time with the game here, and learn how to play the trumpet, timpani, acoustic bass, shamisen, harmonica, cello, harpsichord, cheerleader, saxophone, sitar, cowbell, electric bass, drums, dog, accordion, taiko, clarinet, conga, electric guitar, harp, flute, marching drum, violin, piano, guitar, and marimba.| Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments |
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Wii Music breaks out the trumpet
Filed under: Video
Another day, another playable instrument for Wii Music is revealed. Today is none other than the trumpet, that instrument that is the scorn of so many soldiers lives. Other than rousing soldiers from their sleep, the thing is able to produce some sweet sounds, as evidenced in the video above. And you don’t even need to be Louis Armstrong, either!
Gallery: Wii Music
Looking for more on Wii Music? Check out the E3 trailer by clicking here, read up on our time with the game here, and learn how to play the timpani, acoustic bass, shamisen, harmonica, cello, harpsichord, cheerleader, saxophone, sitar, cowbell, electric bass, drums, dog, accordion, taiko, clarinet, conga, electric guitar, harp, flute, marching drum, violin, piano, guitar, and marimba.| Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments |
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Wii Music’s drum and bass
Filed under: Video
The Wii Music “Today’s Instrument” videos from the last two days feature instruments which produce sounds on the low end — the kind of instruments that are so dedicated to producing bass noise, one of them is called the bass. Yesterday’s video demonstrates the timpani, which is apparently especially fun, because it managed to pull a smile out of the stone-faced Wii Music model.
Today’s video, after the break, features the stand-up bass, for which the model adopts the more stoic look to which we’ve become accustomed.
Gallery: Wii Music
Looking for more on Wii Music? Check out the E3 trailer by clicking here, read up on our time with the game here, and learn how to play the shamisen, harmonica, cello, harpsichord, cheerleader, saxophone, sitar, cowbell, electric bass, drums, dog, accordion, taiko, clarinet, conga, electric guitar, harp, flute, marching drum, violin, piano, guitar, and marimba.| Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments |
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Wii Music goes old school with the shamisen
Filed under: Video
You know that instrument you always hear during those awesome kung fu movies? Yup, it’s a shamisen. You can check it out in Wii Music above, courtesy of the Today’s Instrument marketing plan from Nintendo. It, uh, pretty much sounds like it should: a string being plucked. We’re sure there are more subtle nuances to the instrument, but we’re game bloggers, not music buffs.
Gallery: Wii Music
Looking for more on Wii Music? Check out the E3 trailer by clicking here, read up on our time with the game here, and learn how to play the harmonica, cello, harpsichord, cheerleader, saxophone, sitar, cowbell, electric bass, drums, dog, accordion, taiko, clarinet, conga, electric guitar, harp, flute, marching drum, violin, piano, guitar, and marimba.| Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments |
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Nobody knows the troubles Wii Music has seen
We’re starting to look forward to that pleasantly bouncy Wii Music “Today’s Instrument” intro music every day. The actual music played by the instrument of the day doesn’t really stick with us. Maybe that says something about the music in the game, or (more likely) the theme has been drilled into our heads by repetition.
Today’s instrument is the harmonica, an instrument well-known for its proliferation in movie prison scenes and John Popper’s vest. Playing the harmonica in Wii Music is like eating a virtual corn cob — which, for the curious, can be experienced in Major League Eating: The Game. When Nintendo’s engineers were designing the Wii Remote, do you think they had holding it up to your face in mind?
Gallery: Wii Music
Looking for more on Wii Music? Check out the E3 trailer by clicking here, read up on our time with the game here, and learn how to play the cello, the harpsichord, cheerleader, saxophone, sitar, cowbell, electric bass, drums, dog, accordion, taiko, clarinet, conga, electric guitar, harp, flute, marching drum, violin, piano, guitar, and marimba.| Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments |
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Wii Music introduces the cello
Filed under: Video
Another day, another Wii Music instrument to talk about. Today’s instrument is none other than the cello. And, in the video above, you can see it in action. What we’d like to know is whether or not her left hand affects the game? You see how she keeps pressing the two shoulder buttons on the Nunchuk? Is that for show or will that actually affect the music in the game?
Gallery: Wii Music
Looking for more on Wii Music? Check out the E3 trailer by clicking here, read up on our time with the game here, and learn how to play the harpsichord, cheerleader, saxophone, sitar, cowbell, electric bass, drums, dog, accordion, taiko, clarinet, conga, electric guitar, harp, flute, marching drum, violin, piano, guitar, and marimba.| Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments |
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Rocking the harpsichord in Wii Music
Filed under: Video
Wii Music’s today’s instrument campaign has just hit 21 and its latest instrument, the harpsichord, doesn’t look all that bad. Forget all of the negativity surrounding the game, because the harpsichord actually looks like an instrument you can have an impact on. The way the model is moving the Wiimote and Nunchuk around, it makes it look like you can have an honest impact on what note you’re playing. Hit up the video above to check it out, then brush up on some of the instruments that have already been shown below.
Gallery: Wii Music
Looking for more on Wii Music? Check out the E3 trailer by clicking here, read up on our time with the game here, and learn how to play the cheerleader, saxophone, sitar, cowbell, electric bass, drums, dog, accordion, taiko, clarinet, conga, electric guitar, harp, flute, marching drum, violin, piano, guitar, and marimba.| Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments |
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Go! Cool! Pretty! Wii Music’s cheerleader in action
Filed under: Video
Nintendo is at it again, stretching the definition of “instrument” to breaking point. Today’s Wii Music instrument is the Cheerleader, though it could just as easily be called Excitable Human Being. It works by punching the air with your Wiimote and Nunchuk, and creates the kind of sounds last heard from the mouth of our favorite intergalactic news reporter. Oh, and before you start mocking this, don’t forget that some companies are building entire games around this one “instrument.”
Gallery: Wii Music
Looking for more on Wii Music? Check out the E3 trailer by clicking here, read up on our time with the game here, and learn how to play the saxophone, sitar, cowbell, electric bass, drums, dog, accordion, taiko, clarinet, conga, electric guitar, harp, flute, marching drum, violin, piano, guitar, and marimba.| Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments |
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