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Wii Music

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4.3 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 43 critic reviews
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Based on 78 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Music

Genre(s): Music

Players: 4

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Release Date: October 20, 2008

Summary

Wii Music includes many other modes besides the main band jams, including several musical games and an enhanced video playback mode for recorded jams. Play it again: Use the playback mode to see your jam recordings brought to life with dramatic camera angles. Pick up the baton: Command an orchestra in the conducting game where you’ll wave the Wii Remote controller like a conductor’s baton to lead a Mii orchestra through orchestrated music. Make them play quickly, slowly, strongly or gently. Ring a bell? Play a handbells game where you’ll swing your Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers to play your two handbells as part of a larger ensemble. Everyone on the team has a job to do: Play one of your notes only when the tune demands it. An ear for music: Take a tone quiz that tests your musical ear by giving you challenges, like putting note-playing Miis in order from lowest to highest pitch. [Nintendo]

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

1UP

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.

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NGamer UK

Don't demand an orchestral "Guitar Hero" or instrument simlation and you'll be happy. [Christmas 2008, p.48]

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Games Master UK

While Wii Music is sure to divide gamers, it's just too fun for us to pass up on. [Christmas 2008, p.63]

3DJuegos

Videogame or not a videogame. That's not the question. Wii Music offers sensations, gives fun and helps us to understand the meaning of music. It doesn't matter if this title is so casual, as long as composing our own melodies is an easy process for everybody.

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Gameplayer

If Nintendo had either ponied up for some proper songs people would want to listen to or, preferably, found some way to allow you to make up your own tunes entirely, this could’ve been something even more special.

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Hardcore Gamer Magazine

There is no easier way to make music and play recognizable songs than by playing the Wii Music. [Dec 2008, p.42]

Zentendo

Give Wii Music a try if you're growing lethargic of repeating the same songs in the same way over and over -- you might learn something about how music composition works, and you may discover your more creative side. Compared to other games of the genre and casual games in general, Wii Music is really more of a basic creative canvas than a "melt-your-fingers-off" game, but it enables its players to do a lot with a little and to do it nearly however they want -- it pulls this all off with a relative amount of finesse, too.

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NZGamer

Wii Music is a novel and fun experience that will sweep away the hours while you're jamming with your buddies. Give it a chance and you're in for a good time.

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Official Nintendo Magazine UK

Bold, original and bizarre, it's better than we anticipated but ultimately too half-baked to fully endorse. [Dec 2008, p.62]

n-Revolution Magazine UK

Vastly more entertaining than expected and completely unique amongst a sea of me-too music games.

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Wii Brasil

Although Wii Music seems stupid, it really goes beyond a game. It's not perfect, naturally, as there are failures in the game's production, such as the lack of more Nintendo songs. But with Wii Music, what Miyamoto said about "musical teachings" really comes to mind.

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Gamer 2.0

While it hardly features a good wealth of modes and interactivity, Wii Music is an enjoyable experience through and through.

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Wired

Wii Music is Wii's "Nintendogs." It's not a traditional videogame with challenges and goals, it's an interactive playground. While some gamers will "get it" and have some fun with it, they'll likely abandon it after a little while. Most hard-core gamers will stay far away.

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GameSpy

Wii Music is an odd duck. 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.

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GamePro

Wii Music is probably Nintendo's most well-meaning game ever.

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NintendoWorldReport

The game is a great learning tool for the musically inexperienced. It teaches rhythm and music composition, and helps foster creativity. Its focus is totally different from the more typical rhythm games, and it accomplishes its goal. However, the game is not meant for solo play and isn't really suited for the more musically apt, either.

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games(TM)

Like Wii Sports before it, this game knows its audience and how to keep them entertained. [Christmas 2008, p.117]

Cubed3

Overall, it's a well-rounded package that demonstrates something new, tries to bring a realistic yet fun appeal to playing music, with playing around the basic tune being the main pulling factor.

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IGN UK

More than any other ‘Wii’-branded Nintendo offering, Wii Music truly demands an open mind to appreciate. Join the party with too many expectations – in either direction – and you’re likely to walk away either bewildered, disappointed or disgusted.

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Thunderbolt

Some might call Wii Music a waste of time, but in reality you need to understand what Nintendo was going for. It’s fun and basic. It’s not trying to be Guitar Hero or Rock Band, and really it does its own thing.

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Electronic Gaming Monthly

Wii Music's biggest downfall, oddly, is its music. [Dec 2008, p.64]

GameShark

A fantastic game for families and casual players who may be interested in a friendly, gentle ‘my first music lesson”.

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GameSpot

Wii Music is fun and charming, but it's also simple and shallow.

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Cheat Code Central

If you believe games are non-competitive ways to express yourself and where not much effort is required, then you will probably love Wii Music. However, if you believe games are all about skill, scores, and hard work, then you probably won’t enjoy this title at all.

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Gamervision

Old and young should have no problem finding joy in the game, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

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Game Positive

Ultimately, the longevity of the game depends on how much fun you can derive from improvising with a lackluster soundtrack.

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Meristation

Wii Music offers dozens of instruments and songs, but if you don't love playing music or have a great sense of rythm, it gets tiring after few hours. This title can't be considered a good videogame because it requires a lot of time and hard work to fully enjoy it. If you are able to pass all the lessons, you may have a great time with it, otherwise, we don't recommend it.

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Play.tm

This kind of open-ended, creative gameplay is theoretically what people want "these days", but I think many gamers will be disappointed and not really know what to do with the game. Wii Music has been crippled by a disappointing song selection (mostly nursery rhymes or Nintendo theme tunes) and will probably only appeal to much younger gamers or really musical types.

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GameTrailers

Using the note charts makes playing Wii Music tolerable, but if you try to free form it be prepared for disaster. It’s more of an educational experience for dedicated participants, but the poor sound samples, ancient song selection, and poor controls will have many players quitting the band before its first real gig.

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HellBored

All promise, no pay-off: In Wii Music, a great gaming idea hits the skids with a bum control scheme, weak song selection, and mediocre graphics.

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Games Radar (in-house)

Once this novelty wears off, there’s not a lot of longevity here.

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GameDaily

Pointless minigames failed to hold our interest, while a horrid MIDI-based soundtrack, comprised of "hits" like Happy Birthday and Jingle Bell Rock, had us reaching for Guitar Hero.

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Kombo

I just can't recommend this game to anyone but the youngest, most easily entertained gamers out there.

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IGN

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 both dated public domain songs rendered in equally dated MIDI.

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Eurogamer

Wii Music isn't very entertaining and it's not very educational. There aren't enough goals for it to work as a game, and there's not enough musicality for it to work as a toy. It's not clear what it is or who it's for. One thing's for sure: it's not worth forty quid.

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VideoGamer

It's hard to hate a game that doesn't do anything particularly badly, but Wii Music also fails to do anything especially well.

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Gameplanet

Ever wanted to wave your arms around to the polyphonic ringtones on your phone? Me neither. Welcome to the world of Wii Music.

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LEVEL (Czech Republic)

Midi soundtrack and painful playlist make no motivation for players to give this game a chance. Cool controls can’t save it all. [Issue#173]

Variety

While it is a good way for individuals to learn different musical styles, Wii Music lacks the simplicity and vicarious thrills of "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band," and likely won't attract nearly as many groupies.

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GameZone

Nintendo may have had the best intentions with Wii Music. Their aim to create software anyone can pick up and play is shared by most publishers within the game industry. But there are limits to how simple a game can be before it stops being fun.

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Game Informer

Thank God. Now I can stop pretending that I was having fun rocking out to Metallica and live my dream of playing backup cowbell in a cruise ship band version of “Yankee Doodle.”

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DarkZero

Ultimately, Wii Music is the equivalent of Leonardo da Vinci saying he’ll paint the Mona Lisa for you, but then deciding to challenge himself by using a Etch A Sketch. Yes, I am sure the clever old codger could work out something, but you’re sure as hell not going to take a vacation to Paris to view the end result.

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Game Revolution

But really, there’s no point to my taking Wii Music seriously as a game since Nintendo obviously doesn’t. If the game sells well, it probably has more to due with Nintendo’s tremendously effective marketing skills rather than anything inherent to Wii Music as a game. Even five-year-olds need some stimulation and sense of achievement. Wii Music provides neither.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 4.3 (out of 10) based on 78 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Danny H. gave it a0:
This is a disgrace to all games ever made. This game is the epitome of the Wii. A waste of time, a waste of space, and intended to undermine us from within. With this release, game developers (who haven't already turned to the dark side after having seen the Wii's sales numbers) realize that they don't actually have to develop games with content in order to make some stupid people happy. If you want to play an instrument, play an instrument. If you just want to mix a bunch of sounds together, find a mixing program for your computer. Please don't support Nintendo's butchering of our favorite form of entertainment.

Tom gave it a0:
Apparently Miyamoto made a deal with the devil. The devil would allow him to make a bunch of incredible gaming series but when the time was right he must make the worst game of all time. Congrats, your end of the deal is complete.

C B gave it an8:
Okay, they certainly could have had a better selection of music, but other than that this is quite good. I wouldn't consider it a game so much as musical learning that is great for families to play together. Younger children in particular will benefit from learning music basics. Its not Rock Band or Guitar Hero, but those dont' teach music. Wii Music does.

Chris B. gave it a9:
This game is massively underrated - but then, as has been widely reported, many reviewers have completely missed the point. Don't approach this like every other videogame - it's not even a game per se; instead it's more like a fun musical playground where you can learn about music theory and reconstruct songs in your own style. Many of the songs are terrible, but turning a bad song into something decent is often part of the fun. Look at the crazy ska remake of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star that comes with the game for evidence. And finally: if you've got a balance board then this is as close to a real drum simulator as it's possible to get. Absolutely incredible. If you have an open mind, a sense of rhythm and like the idea of making music then buy this now. If you're a bit creatively stifled, have no patience and just want to kill things then don't.

Caleb H. gave it a7:
Music lovers rejoice! We've got ourselves another music game and this one is for everyone! Wii Music is a wonderful and joyous experience that pumps as much happiness and love as it can into your ears. Musically inclined or not, Wii Music will give you a new perspective on improvisation. The thing this game does best is make you express yourself. With over 60 different kinds of instruments, albeit some more ridiculous and pointless than others, each time you play can be a different experience than the last. Wii Music sports a few fun extra modes and a functioning virtual drumset for those who have a Wii Balance Board. My only gripe is that there not enough modes. You have your standard jam session for up to four people and that's about it. However, the time you'll have with Jam Session just about makes up for that loss. Wii Music is another great music party game for those who can't even play music. No big plastic peripherals needed, just a couple of Wii Remotes and an open mind.

Russell C. gave it a10:
I'm not sure this game is a 10, but it comes about as close as a game can. I had swore off buying it after E3 and have watched in stunned silence as it was marketed, unsure of just what the point was. Playing the game has been something of a revelation, though my experience is quite unique. I make games for a living, I love being creative and WiiMusic allows me to do that in a way unlike any other game I've played. Working with multiple parts to try and nail the feeling I wanted out of the theme from The Legend of Zelda took me over an hour and I still wasn't satisfied. The song was the one you know, but completely personalized from instrumentation to frills during the music, it was what I made it...and I still need practice. The sensation though, of creation was fantastic. I've been enlightened by the lessons and feel the game delivers on both making my life better and being very enjoyable, though in a totally different way than what I expect out of a game. It's not for everyone, in fact, again, I think it's only for the creative, and it is hard to play in groups where everyone wants to be the star, but it is something both unique and wonderful that is being unfairly maligned. To those who are creative check it out. To those who aren't, go play something that doesn't take any mental ability, you'll be happier.

James D. gave it a3:
I deeply terribly wanted Wii Music to be amazing, so much so that I bought it on launch day. To my dismay, I feel sadly underwhelmed. I will give the game props, because it was indeed simple and very accessible, something that youngsters would love to play around with. Maybe this is because Wii Music is something akin to kids beating on pots and pans with cooking utensils. It is accessible but extremely minimalist and so very basic. To stress this last point, I will explain a few reasons why the game seems minimalistic. First off, my biggest disappointment with Wii Music. The game includes only seven Nintendo songs. Why in the name of Shigeru Miyamoto does this game not include more Nintendo classic songs? It would not be very difficult to import the MIDIs for the Nintendo theme songs into the game, but why didn't Nintendo do this? Instead, you are forced to play Oh Christmas Tree and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, among other "classics". Another thing, the gimmicky controls don't stay fresh long and most instruments ,like the brass and woodwind instruments, don't respond like you would like them to. You just end up looking like a tool holding a wii remote sensor side towards you to your mouth like a giant, silicone oral thermometer pressing buttons with hopes that you will catch up to the rhythm of the songs. Other instruments control better and are more fun, but all get old quickly because they mostly sound alike, horrible. As I previously stated, a child would probably love this game, but I, someone who is a part of Nintendo's target audience, think that Nintendo could have done so so much better. Come on Nintendo, add some more songs, reconstruct the gimmicky gameplay (maybe with support for the soon to be released Motion Plus+ Wiimote addon peripheral, which would make total sense given the way that the game relies solely on motion controls!), and stick it back in the oven cause this turkey ain't done yet, in fact it's frozen and pink in the middle. Sorry, Game Over, Wii Music, and that means try again, hopefully with Wii Music: Encore!

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