|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Platform: Playstation 2 Genre: Music Publisher: Eidos Developer: Sony ESRB: E (Everyone) Released: Q2 2002
Support AE! Buy Games Here:
Be notified of site updates. Sign-up for the Newsletter sent out twice weekly. Enter E-Mail Address Below: |
Mad MaestroScore: 7.0 / 10
|
||
|
Pros: - Nice mix of music - Just plain fun
|
Cons: - Tempo ball feels off - Mediocre visuals - Too easy for those who know their classical music
|
Related Links: Review: PaRappa the Rapper 2 (Playstation 2)
|
|
|
"At the very least this is a game to take for a spin once or twice."
|
|||
|
Music
games have been around for a while now, PaRappa and friends are busily
doing their monkey-see monkey-do thing, then there’s the whole DDR
dance pad phenomenon, but for those seeking a more classical vibe, there
is now Mad Maestro. While
it is a tad disappointing that the game doesn’t have a conductor’s
staff, the overall selection of music encountered and execution makes
for a refreshing departure from the status quo in the genre.
The whole point of the game is to rally enough musicians to be able to put on a big performance at the local music hall in order to raise enough money to prevent the building from being torn down. It’s a very easy going, fun-loving premise and it doesn’t try to be anything more. The whole process is entertaining enough, but it can feel a little bit childish, but that is largely due to the voice of the little sprite/elf/pixie-thingie that talks to the player before each level. Nonetheless the delivery of the plot is done well enough to keep one’s interest throughout the game.
|
|||
|
The controls and execution of the gameplay take a little getting used to, but for the most part are straightforward. Basically you’ll see four circles positioned into a diamond, a glowing orb flowing from circle to circle to the tempo of the music. Not only will you have to keep in time though, dynamics are also a factor, so hitting the button at the right velocity is also necessary in order for the orchestra to adjust their volume accordingly. Lastly the tempos will often change a number of times during the course of the musical piece, which can sometimes feel awkward. More or less this all works well, but |
Advertisement
|
||
|
sometimes the glowing ball
that players are supposed to use a guide to the tempo feels off, as I
found it much easier to lead the tempo from memory of recorded versions
of the music that I’ve heard from my own CD collection. This
causes some more trouble if you are a somewhat avid classical music fan
as you will likely be quite familiar with at least a few of the pieces
featured in the game, so it can feel like you’re going through the
paces, and not much like a game. It’s
still fun, but the familiarity takes the edge off a bit.
On the other hand, if you’re completely new to these pieces
getting used to the tempo changes and the different volumes may prove
somewhat frustrating as you tackle the learning curve, especially
dealing with the repetition of going through a song over and over until
you get a part right. The
musical selection isn’t too bad either though.
I was expecting it to be a lot of very popular pieces and
that’s it, but what I found was a very interesting mix of tunes that
really help expose players to this genre of music.
Everyone from Beethoven to Wagner have some of their works
featured, so there’s a little something for everybody.
The only major downside to the music is that it has a somewhat
MIDI-like quality to it. This
is to be expected since the player is largely in control of the music,
but some higher quality instrumentation would have been most welcome. Don’t
expect much from the visuals however.
They are fairly simplistic, cartoon-like fair, but there really
isn’t any flare or soul or bite to the game’s visual aesthetic that
will win gamers over. The
frame rate is good, and there are cute little animation sequences that
play out with the music, but it won’t take any steps to redefine game
graphics in our era. The
game’s challenge largely hinges on the player’s familiarity with
classical music. I listen
to quite a bit of music in the genre in my spare time so a lot of the
pieces in the game were ones I have heard on several occasions, and as
such the game was a bit of a cakewalk.
Nonetheless it makes for a fun little rental.
If you are new to classical music you will likely get a lot more
out of this game. Sure,
there is no conductor’s baton peripheral in packed with the game to
truly feel like you’re leading the orchestra, but it is still just as
fun as many PaRappa-like games out there, and the classical sensibility
definitely adds a fun little twist to the equation.
At the very least this is a game to take for a spin once or
twice. - Mr. Nash (June 15, 2002)
Search for Related Topics:
...More Playstation 2 Game Reviews...
...More Reviews of Games Developed by Sony...
|
|||
|
|
|||
