E3 2008: Wii Music Impressions

To wrap up Nintendo's E3 press conference, Shigeru Miyamoto, the man behind Mario, Donkey Kong, and Zelda, came out to demonstrate a new game for the Wii titled Wii Music. Through the smoky haze added for effect, a large screen with a drum set came up, along with a drummer, Ravi Drums, sitting off to the side of the stage, drumming away with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk and tapping his feet on the Wii balance board. Drumming to his own beat, he looked as though he was actually playing the drums, not just a virtual one.

Miyamoto stepped out to join him, holding the Wii Remote like a clarinet but playing a virtual saxophone, swaying to the music and the beat. With the hypnotic sound of the sax, their performance sounded like something you'd hear in a jazz lounge.

Miyamoto explained that Wii Music has been in the works since Wii Play, Wii Sports, and Wii Fit when they were finalizing the plans for the Wii system. Currently music games rely heavily on pushing buttons and keeping the beat, but Nintendo has decided to take a new approach and encourage people to perform music, rather than focusing on the right notes. It's a game that is meant for everyone, regardless of age and gender because music is a universal language.

The way the game seems to work is with you moving your body and pushing the buttons whenever you want, almost improvising the music as you go. The game will adjust the sound accordingly, so there is no evaluation or score involved. Miyamoto swayed to a ditty from F-Zero and said that there will be over 50 different instruments to play, including the piano, violin, guitar, and various forms of percussion. Using the Wii controller, Miyamoto waved his hands up and down to play the piano and used the Wii Remote as a bow to play the violin. The guitar mimics playing an actual guitar, with the ability to strum and pluck (except without strings.)

There will also be the ability to record a video of your performance and even though a band consists of six parts, it will be a four-player game. To finish off the demo, Miyamoto was joined by others to play the classic Super Mario Bros. theme. The screen behind them showed their virtual counterparts as they moved with the music.

The demo looked very much like the Wii commercials that we've seen, where family and friends gather around the television and look like they're having a blast. Wii Music seems to be a fun party game for music lovers of all backgrounds to enjoy together. No date has been announced but be sure to check back for more information when the time comes.