Wii Music ,falls flat as random noise session

Nintendo's "Wii Music" invites players to pick up their wireless remotes and strum, toot, bang and drum their way through improvisational jam sessions using more than 60 virtual instruments on which there can be no wrong notes, no mistakes.

But soon after strolling into this supposed happy, feel-good musical world of personal interpretation, my family and I found the experience felt more like a random noise session powered by excessive flailing motions.

"Wii Music" is rated "E" for "Everyone," and many of the game's publicity shots show adults having a blast. But I can't see anyone older than nine deciding to cosy up to it for an extended period of time.

The biggest problem is - well - the music.

The song selection is horrid, bouncing between childhood classics such as "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and "Yankee Doodle" and Nintendo game themes from "The Legend of Zelda" and "Super Mario Bros." And when you finally open up some more modern tunes such as "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" or "Every Breath You Take," the arrangements don't come close to doing the songs justice.

Instruments are played using four control styles.

Jam out on keyboards and drum sets by banging the remote and nunchuk in a downward motion. Guitars, banjos and the like can be strummed with the remote while hitting buttons on the nunchuk. Horns are played by holding a Wii remote up to the mouth while pressing buttons, and stringed instruments involve mimicking the movement of a bow.

The instrument selection is solid, peppered with some ridiculous items such as a dog suit that annoys with barks of various pitches. You can play songs in differing musical styles, and Mii characters from your console will sit in on various instruments if you don't have other humans to join your band.

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