Metareview: Wii Music

by Chris Greenhough { Oct 20th 2008 at 7:13PM }

We'll say this much for Wii Music: it's probably the game/toy/whatever that has become the most debated release of 2008. It's caught a lot of flak, particularly since E3 and that presentation, but it's also had its fair share of defenders. Unsurprisingly, this uncanny knack of dividing opinion has spread to professional reviewers.

GameSpy (70%) concedes that the title isn't for everybody, but thinks it will appeal to families and the chil'n: "It is far from a traditional videogame, and more akin to a tech demo or social audio experiment. The fact that it is so very basic means it's completely accessible to anyone, but at the same time there's not much here to interest regular and core gamers. It'll be a definite hit with younger children and in turn, parents and family members will love to watch the reactions of this demographic."

1UP (A-) was the first online outlet to get its review up, and managed to get us nicely hyped for the game with an absolutely stellar review and score: "Wii Music may have a hard time winning over the skeptics who just want to laugh at it, but give the game the chance it deserves. You just might realize it's pretty damn fun being in on the joke."

... Only for IGN's (50%) Matt Cassamina to deflate our enthusiasm with a fairly crushing verdict: "I think most adults will quickly recognize that Wii Music is little more than a noise maker tied to a series of gestures and grow bored of the experience in a matter of hours, if not minutes. The controls aren't particularly intuitive, but gimmicky, and the selection of music is fundamentally flawed with dated public domain songs rendered in equally dated MIDI."

Gallery: Wii Music

Tags: music, rhythm, wii-music

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Sonic_13 @ Oct 20th 2008 7:34PM

I normally like Matt's reviews, but I can't help but feel that he already decided how he was going to review Wii Music long ago...

KaBob799 @ Oct 20th 2008 7:42PM

Yeah I doubt he gave the game much of a chance.

NvM @ Oct 20th 2008 7:45PM

this is Wii Music youre talking about

Arex @ Oct 20th 2008 7:47PM

Or maybe the non-game really does just suck to gamers.

Mr Khan @ Oct 20th 2008 9:09PM

What did you think was going to happen?

It came out of E3 and it wasn't Kid Icarus. It's a foregone conclusion

Sonic_13 @ Oct 20th 2008 9:45PM

"It came out of E3 and it wasn't Kid Icarus. It's a foregone conclusion"

Matt Cassamassina was shamed and now seeks vengeance on the game that caused that shame.

:P

warioswoods2 @ Oct 20th 2008 10:39PM

Matt clearly didn't give the game a fair chance, and what's more, it would seem to be due to an embarrassingly meager musical ability.

To see the game played well, and see Matt's failure, check out the Zelda re-arrangements here:

http://news.vgchartz.com/news.php?id=2348

phinn @ Oct 20th 2008 11:40PM

wow this game looks terrible, so glad i bought SOCOM instead, it's sick

Pixel-One @ Oct 21st 2008 2:44AM

@warioswoods2:

That's pretty convincing. There might not be much in the way of challenge, but I can see that IGN really didn't give it much of a fair shake.

Sonic_13 @ Oct 21st 2008 3:03AM

@phinn

You were never going to buy Wii Music (or any Wii game) instead of Socom anyway. Just looking at your past comments reveals that you don't own a Wii or even like Nintendo. You're a PS3 fan (which of course is perfectly ok), but you're crossing a serious line when you start bashing other systems and games for no good reason and without even trying them. Each system has great games that you should try and you will be pleasantly surprised by what you will enjoy. It's just a suggestion, but DO NOT troll around like you clearly do bashing games and systems and then hide behind your veil of Internet anonymity.

time @ Oct 21st 2008 2:34PM

"wow this game looks terrible, so glad i bought SOCOM instead, it's sick"

yeah I know! I was having the same debate in my head for over a week!

Roto13 @ Oct 20th 2008 7:45PM

It's good to see the more professional reviewers keeping the target audience in mind, even though so many gamers refuse to do so.

Arex @ Oct 20th 2008 7:54PM

Good point. Of course, most non-gamers probably don't read video game reviews in the first place (just like they don't know what the hell E3 is).

Because of this, I'd say it's most important for reviewers to keep THEIR OWN target audience in mind, rather than the game's. (Myself not being a five year old girl, do I really need to know whether the game appeals to five year old girls?)

But, you're right, they should also discuss the game from the perspective of the game's target audience, if at all possible.

Roto13 @ Oct 20th 2008 7:56PM

If a reviewer doesn't think anyone who is going to read their review would be interested in the game, they shouldn't review it in the first place. You don't see them reviewing Sesame Street-themed preschool edutainment for that reason.

finnith @ Oct 20th 2008 9:45PM

True but in this case the game in question is a Nintendo developed/published title, making it a title of interest. Obviously such games will be of interest to the core gamer and therefore must be reviewed.

finnith @ Oct 20th 2008 9:56PM

Just thinking about this makes me realize how archaic number ratings are.

HiddenEmerald @ Oct 20th 2008 8:04PM

By now, most people know if they want Wii Music or not. Me? Ima pass. Not cause it sucks or anything, I've never played it. But cause I have to make a good 350 for November alone to get half of the games I want.

Sonic_13 @ Oct 20th 2008 8:07PM

"this is Wii Music youre talking about"

That is the problem. People like you have strong feelings against a game that you have never even played.

Roddie @ Oct 20th 2008 8:17PM

It was always pretty obvious that this game was going to be terrible.

Sonic_13 @ Oct 20th 2008 8:50PM

How so because I would strongly disagree.

Mr Khan @ Oct 20th 2008 9:07PM

It was assumed after E3, but since then the game has shown its merits

scissors125 @ Oct 20th 2008 8:56PM

I'm not going to buy this game.

Not for the biased reason that "It's casual" or "It's going to suck".

It looks neat, but I'm looking for more in a $50, or even more (since I do not own a balance board) purchase. It looks like something I would play for five minutes and never play again. Kinda like Wii Sports, but on a lesser level, since Wii Sports was technically free.

Mr Khan @ Oct 20th 2008 9:06PM

And so begins the great division of the gaming media outlets. Not necessarily by the final score given, but by the general tone of the review. Thus we shall determine who is mature, and who is not

So GameSpy and 1UP are mature, and IGN is not.

Mr Khan @ Oct 20th 2008 9:19PM

And on with the MIDI complaints. How the hell else could Nintendo do it? Record 60 different versions of the 50 songs?

Pixel-One @ Oct 21st 2008 2:46AM

To the midi thing:

It's not so much that it's midi, just that midi can sound much better than that. If you get the change to goof around in Apple's Garageband, I highly recommend it as a good example of what midi and midi-like software is capable of.

GatorSax2010 @ Oct 20th 2008 9:44PM

It looks to me like it could be pretty fun to play around with, but I don't think I'd get enough mileage out of it to warrant a purchase (although the track list is wonderfully offbeat and varied). If I had kids, yeah, I'd buy it. That's the target audience, and there's nothing wrong with that. I don't understand why that fact bothers people so much.

Chris Greenhough @ Oct 20th 2008 10:28PM

Must say I'm right with you on the track list. I find it charming, and Cassamassina's complaint that it contains "public domain songs" baffling. So what if they're public domain?

And "dated"? I'm sure fans of Wagner, Mozart, Bach, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, and Strauss would be delighted to hear that!

Kenneth Caldwell @ Oct 20th 2008 10:47PM

Just to weigh in here, I agree that the track list looks great. But I also agree with Matt Casamassina in saying Wii Music never looked convincing or promising in any way. Every demonstration I've seen looks clunky, and music notes appear to register terribly out of sync. As an actual percussionist, the apparent imprecision of control is hard to overlook.

warioswoods2 @ Oct 20th 2008 10:58PM

@Kenneth

As an actual percussionist, then, you should in fact recognize that the game grants far, far greater control and nuance to the drums than rock band - look at these playthroughs of the L'o'Zelda theme, all of great variety in rhythmic approach:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXdmpTf4nUU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z41PCj8sXV4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VemTng1c6vk

It's more of a 'sandbox' title than its critics seem to realize, and in particular when it comes to percussion.

Mr Khan @ Oct 20th 2008 11:56PM

he's right. Those Zelda theme videos are real eye-openers as to the game's potential

KingKRule @ Oct 20th 2008 11:10PM

Wii Music FTW

Hardy @ Oct 21st 2008 12:26AM

I do like Matt's reviews, however this one had baised written all over it.

He was comparing it to Guitar Hero and Rock Band, and I think it's not even close to the same type of game.

This feels more like Endless Ocean, where everyone passed it off cause it looked stupid, however it most likely has a much bigger depth then most people see it as.

il_duce620 @ Oct 21st 2008 12:44AM

Not a game I'm terribly interested in... That said, who cares if I'm interested in it?

Seriously...if this game sells in the millions, like Wii Fit and Wii Play (yes, it's a game...accept it...), then it benefits the industry as a whole and gets more people to buy "Boogie" and "Raving Rabbids"...which eventually gets them to buy "Halo" and "Gears of War."

In the end, the more people buying GAMES THEY WANT TO PLAY, it benefits all of us. There are plenty of games I'm not interested in that will do well and are quality games. Let it be as it may.

Hamster @ Oct 21st 2008 8:36AM

I imagine that when new gamers buy Boogie and Raving Rabbids, they think "man this sucks" and never buy another game again.

thesoiden @ Oct 21st 2008 1:04AM

So, if a game is 'casual', it deserves a 5 out of 10?
Peggle is a casual game that deserves a 10.

And no, I'm not casual. I just enjoy the best of both 'worlds'.

Hamster @ Oct 21st 2008 8:38AM

He didn't give it 5/10 because it's casual, he gave it 5/10 because he didn't like the game.

Sonic_13 @ Oct 21st 2008 9:41AM

No, he gave it a 5/10 because he didn't give the game a fair chance.

Arex @ Oct 21st 2008 1:35PM

So just because he says he didn't like the game, he didn't give it a fair chance? Did you even read his full review? He says it'll probably be great for kids, but not so much for adults. That's in line with the Game Spy review, and probably countless other reviews out there that will eventually be written by people who actually purchase the game (and therefore have an incentive to actually enjoy the game).

Sure for every person who dislikes the game, there will probably be others who love it. But a difference of opinion is hardly grounds for suggesting a review is unfair.

Sonic_13 @ Oct 21st 2008 2:40AM

I truly hate how the word "casual" has turned into such a negative connotation and how the gaming world has seemingly been split in two (hardcore vs. casual). So what if a game is more "casual" based? If you don't like it, then don't buy it. Contrary to what seems to be a common belief among many people, the success of casual games are not going to cause games like the Zelda, Mario, and Metroid to be go away. They can perfectly coexist (and are currently doing so whether people chose to realize it or not).

By the current "gamer definitions" of the words, casual seems to mean 'sucks' and hardcore seems to mean 'guns'. There appears to be no middle ground. This is a absolutely terrible mindset that the gaming community has turned to and one that needs serious adjusting. A "hardcore" gamer should be someone who appreciates and is willing to try all games. Unfortunately the definition has become so convoluted, that you can't be a hardcore gamer unless you only play games where you get to shoot and blow up stuff. I'm a 19 year old male who has been playing games almost my entire life. I am definitely a "hardcore" gamer in the traditional sense, but I wouldn't even want to consider calling myself a "hardcore" gamer in today's market. It's not something I want to be a part of. It's become a negative connotation in my mind whereas it should describe a person who simply loves gaming for the sake of gaming, regardless of what type of game it is.

Why not simply play games for the love of playing games? Why does it always have to be a war of the so called "casual" games vs. the so called "hardcore" games? People need to appreciate games like Wii Music just as much as they appreciate Gears of War 2. Neither of those two games will appeal to all gamers, but why should they? Gears of War will appeal to those gamers who love a deep story with lots of action while Wii Music will appeal to those who want something that is fun and easy to play with friends.

Wii Music is an extraordinary creative development and I find it downright shameful that people like Matt Cassamassina refuse to see it for what it is and would rather let their bias against the game get in the way of a fair review. I'm not by any means saying he has to like it or give it a good score, but it is very clear from his review that he was not giving the game its fair chance.

In my opinion, this is the greatest threat to the video game industry today. The needless and mindless bickering about games has to stop and the divisions between hardcore and casual need to end. No one needs to like every game or genre, but a dangerous precedent is set when people start judging or worse, bashing games without even trying them. If you don't like a game, then share your thoughts intelligently without snide comments. Give a game a fair chance and people will respect your opinion. This is the way to forge a stronger gaming community. Learn to love and enjoy games for what they are and forget about whether they are "hardcore" or "casual". Just play games like they were meant to be played.

Just_a_guy @ Oct 21st 2008 3:19AM

I have to say that wii music is a game that many people will love for a short bit of time but will get tired of it because you can't ever get better at it, or create anything unique. there is only so many times I'd go and play "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" before I go nuts

meist3r @ Oct 21st 2008 6:55AM

Well I hate to be another one of these people but I won't buy it. From all I've seen I would chuck that game aside after the first session and never touch it again. Congratulations to Nintendo anyway because they again used their innovation (motion controls) to create a yet to be copied experience targeted at a very specific audience demographics. This won't outsell WiiSports or Super Mario Galaxy but I believe twenty years from now people all over the world will think back to WiiMusic with fond memories. They always manage to do that for each generation and that's their recipe for success. Most people will forget about anything PS3 or Xbox because it's good but not very new or exciting. At least I'm glad that some people aren't locked into their Nintendo fanboy-dom and can see that the audio could have been much better, the graphics are anything but impressive and the replay value for people who want to experience a story is zero. I'm not ranting, just commenting.

Rocketboy @ Oct 21st 2008 8:31AM

Come on, you missed Play's review "Not enough boobs".

Arex @ Oct 21st 2008 1:37PM

My wife loves Raving Rabbids!

Arex @ Oct 21st 2008 1:38PM

(in response to Hamster, above)

time @ Oct 21st 2008 2:34PM

^sarcasm

time @ Oct 21st 2008 2:35PM

and of course the reply doesn't work... this is supposed to go to my post above

Sisyphus @ Oct 21st 2008 4:50PM

This 'game' is insulting to anyone has ever held a controller and I hope it fails like E.T. The Game.

Eivets @ Dec 1st 2008 8:17PM

I'm sorry, but this game is no more insulting than Guitar Hero or Rockband, obviously you havn't tried the game and are thus uninformed on the topic on hand.

^_^

TWOO DEE @ Oct 22nd 2008 1:18PM

this game is brutal! i picked it up last night and it's pretty damn hard to actually create something that is both unique and pleasing to the ears.

at this point, i truly believe matt probably doesn't have one creative bone in his body and was probably just overly frustrated with it.

i love it, however (just unlocked the turntable this morning) :)