Wii Music

You don't actually play any notes in Wii Music; rather you simply move the motion-sensitive Wii Remote or nunchuk controller to create musical riffs. Your movements create an improvisation to a song. There are five ways to play instruments: hold the Wii Remote and nunchuk like a guitar (with hands outstretched) and strum away; play the drums or piano by holding the two controllers like drumsticks (alternatively, you can play drums using the Wii Balance Board for your kick drum and hi-hats, but it's not an easy endeavor); a violin-like control scheme by pressing the B, C and Z buttons while moving the Wii Remote left and right; or trumpet- or flute-like control with the Wii Remote up to your lips and pressing the 1 and 2 buttons.

Admittedly, Wii Music is more fun with up to four friends or family members jamming together in front of the same TV (each handling a different instrument). Plus, the ability to send a composition electronically to friends and family members who have the game (and who can then tweak the composition by adding new sounds) is a good idea. You can also partake in various mini-games, though some are better than others (sorry, but the one in which you conduct just isn't fun). While Nintendo tried to create a mainstream music game that anyone could pick up and play, it missed greatness because the notes are all laid out for you in advance and the music is a cheesy selection of poor quality songs. We tried Wii Music out with a couple of kid-testers and the game held their interest for only a short while.