Regardless of the video game device, you are using, there are thousands of different games available to play. It does not matter whether you are playing on a retro console such as the Xbox 360 or on one of the latest handheld devices such as the Nintendo Switch, the options are seemingly endless. Thankfully, it is easy to breakdown video games into different categories such as role-playing, adventure, racing, first-person shooter, and sports.
In recent years, one of the most popular types of video games are those based on music. There have been plenty of games winning awards for their soundtracks but some gaming developers have taken things one step further to produce games solely based on playing music. The question is, what are the best music-inspired games out there?
Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero is without doubt one of the greatest ever music-inspired video games. It was released in 2005 and has been made widely available across a huge number of platforms including PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Nintendo DS, Mobile phone, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox One, and iOS. The fact Guitar Hero has been released across so many different platforms tells you everything you need to know about the popularity of this music-inspired video game.
The original Guitar Hero game was released on the PlayStation 2 in 2005. It was different from many of the other video games available at the time due to the inclusion of a controller peripheral designed on the black Gibson SG guitar. The idea is that the included controller replaced a standard gamepad to give the player the feeling they were playing a real guitar throughout the game. Following the initial success of Guitar Hero, there were additional releases of the game including Guitar Hero II, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, Guitar Hero World Tour, Guitar Hero 5, and Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock.
One of the most recent additions to the franchise is Guitar Hero Live And this was released in 2015. Using live footage of a real rock concert, the gameplay is from the perspective of the lead guitarist and that adds another dimension to the game.
PaRappa the Rapper
Going even further back in time and we come to the next game in our list of best music-inspired video games. PaRappa the Rapper was developed by NanaOn-Sha, released on the PlayStation in Japan in 1996 and worldwide the following year. Boasting a unique visual design and rap-based gameplay, it was created by music producer Masaya Matsuura and artist Rodney Greenblat. It is considered to be the first true rhythm video game and has since been released for PlayStation 4 in 2017 as part of its twentieth-anniversary celebrations.
The format of PaRappa the Rapper is quite simple and involves the player tapping the relevant buttons of the controller in time with the rhythm of the song on the screen. The player can monitor their performance using the U Rappin meter and the rankings are Awful, Bad, Good, or Cool.
DJ Hero
Moving on and for all the inspiring club DJ’s out there, the release of DJ Hero in 2009 was massive. This game featured Joel Thomas Zimmerman, known on stage as Deadmau5, as a playable character. Developed by FreeStyleGames and published by Activision, DJ Hero hands players the task of mixing two songs using turntables and their controller. There are plenty of different modes to choose from including career mode, co-op mode, and competitive multiplayer modes. Much like the Guitar Hero games, DJ Hero came complete with a turntable controller, and not only was the game fun to play but it also had a great learning element.
Interestingly, Deadmau5, who was featured in DJ Hero, has gone on to release his own slots game. The Deadmau5 Slot is predicted by many to become one of the top slot games available, especially in the music genre. Due to release in November 2020, the Deadmau5 Slot is going to be an electronic music style game and the man himself has been involved in the creation of the slot, which is extremely exciting.
Dance Dance Revolution
Moving back to the greatest music inspired video games and we come to Dance Dance Revolution. Originally released back in 1998, The current version of the game entitled ‘Dance Dance Revolution A20 Plus’ was made available in June 2020. Produced by Ross Tanner and first introduced in Japan, Dance Dance Revolution requires players to stand on a dance platform and use their feet to hit musical prompts displayed on the screen. Timing is of the essence in this game and players are rewarded for dancing the perfect rhythm and in doing so can progress to the next song.
Not only has Dance Dance Revolution gathered a passionate following, but it has also become a competitive game with tournaments played throughout the world. You will also find versions of the Dance Dance Revolution video game available in arcades across the globe.
Did we miss any major music-inspired games? Let us know what your favorite music game was back in the day in the comment section below.
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