I think ‘rhythm games’ are one of those games that doesn’t really depend on one’s taste. Moreover, it has been consistently released in various versions over the years regardless of platform. From ‘Rhythm Star’ played on feature phones, to ‘Tap Sonic’, which is unforgettable to those who have access to smartphones, to ‘Rhythm Hero’ played on the nostalgic Nintendo DS. Additionally, ‘Maple Story’ and Neowiz’s representative rhythm game ‘DJ Max Respect’ recently collaborated to release DLC.
To me, the rhythm game reminded me of the multiplication tables and four basic operations, which are the most basic things to learn before entering the main subject of mathematics. The multiplication table and four basic operations are both the most basic rules in mathematics, but depending on the problem, they can sometimes become complicated or easy. Besides, what greater comfort could there be than when you hit a perfect note the moment you press it?
Here is a rhythm game that breaks away from the typical rhythm game framework and lets you show off your own style. This is ‘Trombone Champ’, a rhythm game where you can play the representative wind instrument ‘trombone’. I’ll show you my appearance as a trombone player along with some music I’ve heard somewhere.
Game Name: Trombone Champ
Genre Name: Party, Music, Rhythm
Release date: 2022. 09.15
Developer: Holy WOW Studios
Service: Holy WOW Studios
Platform: PC, NSW
Was the trombone an instrument like this?
▲ You can choose one of many musicians to play.
The trombone, often seen in orchestras, is an instrument with a heavy and profound tone among many wind instruments. If we go a little deeper, the trombone is a brass instrument that makes sound by vibrating air exhaled through the mouth, and similar types include the ‘trumpet’ and the ‘French horn’. Among them, the trombone is characterized by adjusting the pitch by opening and closing the slide back and forth with the arm. As the saying goes, all brass instruments require a lot of stamina to play.
Playing the trombone, which requires a lot of patience, with Joy-Con? The trombone, which performers put so much effort into at various concerts, is in my hands at least here. There are four ways to control it: using the Joy-Con stick, IR motion camera, and moving the wrist and arm. Among them, the IR motion camera was a bit unfamiliar, but I was able to feel the realism of playing the trombone. However, it takes time to adjust to adjusting the pitch of the sound, so I mainly chose to use my wrist and arm. Everything from incredibly high treble to low bass is possible with just one Joy-Con.
▲ Of the four methods, the most interesting is the motion camera method.
▲ Surprisingly, he is playing the trombone right now.
After adjusting your position, press the L or R button toward the flying note and you will see your character playing the trombone. So you just have to keep pressing the button? If that happens, the combo gauge at the top left of the screen will not build up and you will not be able to get a high score. Worst of all, the character couldn’t play because he was out of breath.
In this strangely realistic game, you may need more courage than stomach. Moreover, the sound of the trombone in this game is stronger than expected, so it is easy to be misunderstood.
▲ The performer was out of breath and exhausted.
First of all, I would like to apologize to the composer who created the song.
There are over 40 different songs in this game. This is music in which the trombone can play an active part, from music you’ve heard before to unfamiliar music you’re hearing for the first time. There is only one difficult thing: fine control. In fact, the sound of a trombone’s note changes even if the position of the slide changes slightly.
This game can also be seen as making good use of these characteristics of the trombone. Is this the correct location? I tried pressing the button, but what actually came out was often the wrong pitch. Obviously, the song I chose was the familiar Chopstick March, but rather than the feeling of a march, I could see the chopsticks struggling due to exhaustion. In this game, it seems like you really need a lot of practice to finish with a perfect score.
▲ Composer Mozart’s angry eyes
It really felt like a game made by the trombone and for the trombone, and even in the game play waiting window, I could see a lot of knowledge related to the trombone. Also, when you play, you can see an angel stealing your attention with illustrations behind the character playing the trombone, a baguette flying away when you let your guard down, and a composer glaring at you, so you must not let your guard down until the end.
This game can be played alone or with up to four people. Even when I played it alone, it was such a mess. I thought it would be better if two people played together, but the song was even more messed up.
▲ Knowledge about the trombone provided great fun.
▲ Because it’s France’s national anthem, baguettes are flying.
▲ Doing it together is twice as crazy!
Card collection in a trombone rhythm game?
Looking at it this way, it doesn’t seem much different from other rhythm games. However, there is a lot of other hidden content in this game. As you play the game, you will be given a token called ‘Toot’, which you can use to purchase card packs in your collection. The card pack consists of characters related to the trombone, symbols for the instrument, and gag cards that have no relation whatsoever. Afterwards, the card can be turned into ‘poop’ or the card can be turned into poop. It’s really shit.
▲ Earn tokens to buy card packs
▲ Why do you turn the card into poop?
As you collect the cards little by little, you will notice a candle at the bottom right. When you press it, a little devil appears and threatens you by demanding the card you want. If you give a card, you will be given a new color trombone, which you can select before playing later. Also, if you press the R button after playing, you will be taken to a dark room with a strange machine. This is another content that opens when you get S rank number 4.
In addition to the main content of playing the trombone, there are other fun elements hidden there, such as various card collections and hidden content, so there was more to enjoy than expected. Additionally, this game had an interesting story line, whether I knew it or not.
▲ If you collect a certain number of cards, you can summon a demon.
▲ A demon that summons something when you give it the card it wants.
▲ A silver trombone was presented.
▲ This box can only be opened when you get S Rank 4, but it doesn’t look like you want to open it.
I am a shining soloist
If you want to see hidden content, you need to keep collecting tokens by earning high scores. Additionally, you can earn more tokens by switching to Turbo Mode, where the speed difficulty is harder than the default. If you practice consistently to some extent, you may be able to obtain a high score in Fever Time and receive an S grade. But the repetitive playing became boring as time went by. As a result, the pace of content progress naturally slowed down.
Besides, this game seems to be more fun with someone playing it than alone. Not only did playing together double the fun, but I couldn’t stop laughing just by listening to my messy performance.
▲ Still, you can still get a perfect score for relatively easy songs.
▲ Anyway, both of them are former trombone and trumpet players.
You can play the Steam version of Trombone Champ by adding your own songs if you watch all the ending content, but you cannot switch. On the other hand, Switch allows multiplayer with other people, but Steam has the disadvantage of requiring you to play alone from start to finish.
Still, the humorous elements hidden here and there seem to be the reason why I can’t put this game down. It may be boring at first, but once you get used to how to play, you’ll find it worth playing. I think it’s perfect for those who want to enjoy the game slowly and leisurely. Plus, if more instruments are added, wouldn’t you be able to form a great orchestra without a conductor with your friends?
