- DrumMania (Bemani โ 1999)
Beat it up. When I hear a song, the first thing I do is move my arms like I’m playing drums with two sticks in my hands. While I always think I’m going to tempo, DrumMania is one of those titles that let you know that never in your life could you be up on stage keeping the rhythm of a song. A set of electronic battery patches forms the percussion instrument that we must hit following a vertical scroll that tells us when to hit the pump pedal, the toms, the hi-hat, or the saucer. The good thing is that you can hit it with energy so that the neighbors won’t complain.
- DJ Hero (FreeStyleGames โ 2009)
The party just started. Turn the plates of vinyl records (or turntable) into the art of composing music by mixing sound effects and pre-recorded pieces. The dance Revolution came full of colors, lights, and thousands of people dancing until the sun rises. DJ Hero is an ideal workout for those who want to scratch records and put some flavor into the night. Merge the songs, hit the rotating plate hard, and press the keys without losing sight of the two main tracks and the effects track. And relax there’s no penalty if you’re wrong. Do you miss so much freedom? You’ve never been to an electronic party!
- Dance Dance Revolution (Konami โ 1998)
Moving your feet. A pioneer of rhythm video games, DDR (as we say to those who know how to wiggle their hips) presented a dance platform in which the user had to press four buttons containing pressure sensors capable of calculating the synchronicity level of the dancer on duty. A visual pattern (always in scroll) indicated choreography while a series of catchy tracks gave dynamism and musical emotion to each game. Neon lights, speakers and panels for two players (which sometimes included more buttons) provided a visual spectacle rarely seen in a recreation room. And if you don’t believe me, look at these two little boys and then tell me.
- Karaoke Revolution (Harmonix Music โ 2003)
Words that take away the wind. The important thing is to chant; it doesn’t matter if you know the lyrics of the song or not. This is the philosophy of Karaoke Revolution, the cross-platform franchise designed for those who dream of singing as Pavarotti (in its most pop stage, of course). Stay in the appropriate tone, while the game adapts to the octave that is most comfortable for your vocal record. Get rid of the stage fright and dedicate yourself to singing covers of the best-known themes feeling a stranger (with a lot of will) singing melodies in a bar. Pay attention to the tone in which you should bark and don’t be intimidated by the public… they must all be drunk anyway!
- Patapon (Pyramid โ 2007)
The war of sound. All the battles develop at a certain rate. The melody of the struggle is administered between moments of attack and moments of Defense. The drum beatings of a supreme God guide the Patapon tribe to the ends of the Earth while fighting the evil people of Zigoton. Combine sequences of sounds to get into musical Synchrony, increase the pace of your advancement and thus make your warriors deadlier. Do not make any detours as confuse your troops and never forget that chant to the war that says โPata-Pata-Pata-Pon…โ.
- Audiosurf (Dylan Fitterer โ 2008)
Travel through the music. Audiosurf is a management video game in which the user travels a kind of roller coaster consisting of a series of tracks generated from the piece of music that you choose to tour. The rhythm of the song features a series of colored blocks distributed along three main lanes and two auxiliaries that must be collected by a craft that levitates to the ground. In addition to providing us with the possibility to enjoy good music in each game, Audiosurf allows us to experience the true aesthetic and emotional vaulting that this beautiful and unique art offers. The pleasure of rhythm, harmony, and melody in its maximum splendor.
- SingStar (London Studio โ 2004)
The star vocal. Wireless or wired microphones will accompany you in this great karaoke game where you must imitate the most famous musical artists. Try to tune in to be categorized as a true “SingStar โ(no one will want to run out of points and wear theโ heartless” nickname for life) and, if you’re not embarrassed, record the videos of your own performances and share them with your audience. Adapted to each territory to offer local hits, SingStar allows us to become song stars based on the official number one recording and videos. Who says that maybe one of your videos will surprise some producer and become the new Justin Bieber.
- Pump it up (Amdamiro โ 1999)
Pest. I admit I’ve lost the love of a lot of girls for not being able to coordinate my legs with the rhythms of this game. At the beginning of the new millennium, The Pump it up franchise became an arcade plague, with hundreds of jumping boys and girls who, panting, were hitting Dance Duels. Meanwhile, the less gifted, we were stunned to see their legs move by pressing those five buttons arranged at the ends of a dance floor, in front of flickering images and neon tubes unfit for photosensitive beings. Synchrony and rhythm in this special video game for free-style lovers. No, I do not look at that or for that serve.
- Guitar Hero (Harmonix โ 2005)
Fingers like spikes. A guitar-shaped gamepad is all that needed this franchise so that each user could become the rock star he always dreamed of being. Respecting all the techniques used in string instruments, Guitar Hero opened the way to a new genre that revolutionized the digital entertainment market with a novel and exciting experience. Sharpen your tuning fork that the audience hopes to roar with those covers, special versions or official recordings played by the world’s greatest rock artists. And if you’re not up to Slash’s galley, unplug the console, so no one will know how bad a guitar player you are!
- Rock Band (Harmonix Music Systems โ 2007)
The dream fulfilled. Rock Band expanded the possibilities of their competition by allowing up to seven players to simultaneously play guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, and sing (including choirs) many of the songs that marked the history of rock. Separate paragraph for the game The Beatles: Rock Band, in which the Liverpool four-handed their art (after a millionaire deal) to the world of video games with a title that, from the beginning, was doomed to success. With 13 million copies sold in total, more than 2000 songs available as downloadable content and 70 million tracks purchased, this gold mine certainly deserves top of the list.