Tag: Rhythm

Music pattern-matching games like Guitar Hero owe a lot to the early electronic games of the 1970s like Simon and Merlin. Now Mattel is back with a brand new music game which feels like a modern homage to the classics.

Activision has a real obsession with heroes… at least, the musical kind. They’ve just filed a trademark for Drum Hero. But can’t we pound on plastic drums already? In several different ways? I guess it really needs its own brand.

Forget all those plastic instruments and the problem of strumming or drumming or prancing around with a microphone–it’s time to get ready for the next iteration with DJ Hero, Activision Blizzard’s new franchise, due out at the end of this month.

Looking to be a rock star on the go? Take heart–Rock Band is headed to mobile phones… just not the iPhone (or iPod Touch). The mobile version of the popular music game will hit the Verizon network the middle of this month.

The gamers among us have all had those nights of long hours and dry eyes, the mutters of “just a little further,” and the bleary post-victory mornings when there is just not enough coffee in the world.

Looking for a nice little time-waster this weekend? PixelPop is a quirky little Flash game that should burn at least 5 minutes of your spare time. The objective of PixelPop is simple. You just stand there in your hot pink Japanese super hero leotard, gyrating your hips to the music.

The Guitar Hero franchise has now grown to epic proportions, but I think they’re not quite up to 22 games… yet. But 22 new songs have been revealed from the forthcoming Guitar Hero 5. Need more numbers?

It sounded like something from a Penny Arcade panel, but in reality, it’s the newest Rock Band game: LEGO Rock Band, complete with minifig musicians with blocky little instruments. The toyed-up version is due this holiday season, not long after The Beatles: Rock Band.

Let’s just put it on the table: Let’s Tap is a game about beating out a rhythm on a cardboard box. It’s dashboard drumming tuned to a purpose; you tap, and (weird, psychedelic) things happen on screen.

You know, I was just thinking that what I needed was another extra piece of hardware to go with my gaming consoles, because even with Balance Boards and fake plastic instruments, there are still a few square inches of space in my living room.

Do you linger in the corner at parties when people whip out their fake plastic instruments? Do you long to take the mic, not for Metallica, but for a couple of show tunes? Then the latest from Andrew Lloyd Webber will thrill you down to the tips of your little toes: Webber’s Really Useful Group is apparently looking to turn some of the world’s most popular musicals into video games.

Aspiring musicians: If you’re having trouble keeping the beat while your trying to jam, look no further than this newfangled spin on the classic metronome. The BodyBeat is an electronic metronome that clips onto your fingertip and lets you feel the beat of the music rather than listen to it.

This little yellow robot does one thing really well. He likes to play drums. What’s funny about the little guy is that he likes to play music on just about any surface other than an actual drum.

This music sequencer takes the same basic interface concept as the ball bearing sequencer I recently showed you, and makes it deliciously chewable. Instead of shiny metal spheres, this sequencer uses a bunch of colorful candy-coated gumballs to make a beat you can dance to.

If you’re a fan of the classic rhythm game Parappa the Rapper, you’re in for a treat. Sony today released free digital MP3 downloads of the game’s catchy soundtrack. Some of my favorites include “Cheap Cheap the Cooking Chicken’s Rap” and “Instructor Mooselini’s Rap” So what are you waiting for?

My favorite watch company is at it once more. Tokyoflash has rolled out their latest creation, the BPM watch. The digital timepiece is designed for aspiring musicians, DJs and anyone else who wants to know how many beats per minute are in a rhythm.