The sound of trumpets, the clash of cymbals
and the thunder of drums herald today’s launch of Wii Music. Just as Wii
Sports attracted millions of new players to the world of video games and
Wii Fit showed people that fitness could be fun, Wii Music creates a whole
new genre in video games, one that lets players have fun experimenting with
music as they strive to produce fun, masterful arrangements.
“Music is both moving and inspirational, and it’s something everyone can
understand, regardless of time or place,” said Ron Bertram, Nintendo of
Canada’s vice-president and general manager. “Wii Music highlights music’s
universal appeal as a fun way for people to play together and enjoy a creative
experience. Wii Music can motivate people to enhance their appreciation and
understanding of music and rhythm, and can even inspire them to learn real
instruments.”
Wii Music brings more than 60 instruments to your living room, where
you’re free to experiment with them in a variety of different ways. Unlike
other music video games, Wii Music lets you put your own spin on songs. It’s
all about improvisation, creativity and fun. The goal is to explore your inner
musician to find creative and interesting new blends of instruments, tempos
and styles.
To play each instrument, you use the motion-sensing abilities of the Wii
Remote and Nunchuk controllers to mimic the real-life motions of
instruments: bow a violin, strike a vibraphone or pluck a sitar. The
controllers know if you’re playing fast or slow, hitting the notes gently or
really jamming. Musical novices can understand how to play and start carrying
a tune instantly, while people who are really into music will have fun
creating mixes, rearranging tunes and sharing them with friends.
Songs in the Wii Music catalogue can be rearranged with different
instruments for a virtually endless variety of sounds. Imagine putting a
reggae spin on Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” or turning pop favourites like “Every
Breath You Take” or “Please Mr. Postman” into heavy metal tunes. The song list
contains everything from American classics like “The Entertainer” to
international favourites like “La Cucaracha.” Video game fans will find
several Nintendo favourites, like the themes from Super Mario Bros.(TM), The
Legend of Zelda(TM) and even Wii Sports.
Wii Music builds on the social gaming trend that Nintendo has pioneered.
Not only can up to four musicians jam together on the same song, but once
you’ve created your masterpiece, you can send it electronically to friends and
family members who have Wii Music so that they can bask in your musical
mastery. After they’ve had a listen, they can take your arrangement and add
their own flavour to it with new instruments or a different tempo and send it
back to you. This allows you to jam together even if you are miles apart.
Finally, Wii Music includes a variety of mini-games that let players
create music videos, conduct an orchestra, play in a handbell choir, test
their musical ears or even rock out on a virtual drum set. Drum Mode lets you
use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers as drumsticks to play like you have
a real-life drum set. Drummers who purchase Wii Fit separately also can use
the Wii Balance Board(TM) accessory as virtual pedals for the bass drum and
the hi-hat cymbal. But the basic Wii Music experience does not require any
extra accessories. All 60+ instruments and 50+ songs are included at an MSRP
of just $49.95.
Remember that the Wii console features parental controls that let
adults manage the content their children can access. For more information
about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com.
For more information about Wii Music, visit www.wiimusic.com.
