If the characters on the front of Major Minor’s Majestic March look familiar in any way, that is due to the fact that the group that was behind the classic PaRappa the Rapper franchise (Rodney Greenblat and Masaya Matsuura) has joined up to make a music game for the Nintendo Wii. This Majesco title turns the Wii Remote as a music director’s baton, which is then used to keep all members of Major Minor’s band in time and tune.
The game itself surrounds the creation of the best music possible, all while avoiding pitfalls and perils that are laid out through one of seven distinct locales. The game itself pushes the Wii processer to the limit, as Major Minor’s band can consist of up to 30 distinct members, all with particular strengths and weaknesses that have to be catered to, lest the player get a lower score than is possible. The music that can be created with Major Minor’s band is virtually limitless; a number of colorfully-animated characters (think Richard Scarry at points) bring saxophones, French horns, clarinets and the like to the table. The music created, despite the number of distinct instruments, works well at all points. Players will find the tunes that they create bouncing through their heads at inopportune times, for sure.
After a player gets done with the single-player mode, Majesco has graciously created two other modes – the Contest and Cooperative Multiplayer Modes – to keep the game play fresh. The Contest Multiplayer Mode pits two characters against each other in the pursuit of the ighest score, while the Cooperative Multiplayer mode allows two players to build a solid band. The addition of a number of unlockables, including levels of difficulty and different characters, makes this game even more attractive. Majesco has made this title into something truly special, and I have a feeling that Major Minor’s Majestic March will be just one of many in the game’s series. Purchase your copy today and see exactly how fun a game this is and how well the Wii Remote works in this configuration.
Rating: 9.0/10
Major Minor’s Majestic March (Nintendo Wii) / 2009 Majesco / http://www.majescoentertainment.com