Major Minor's Majestic March is an odd little game. I use the word little intentionally because it's a bit of a one-trick pony: you play as a drum major who marches through town inspiring the townsfolk to join up and follow you lead. I guess you could say you're The Music Man only a lot more honest.
It says a lot about the state of music education in the US when the person doing the demonstration for the game was more than two days in and calling the drum major a conductor and I was the first to correct him. I mean no disrespect to the demonstrator; I'm just saddened that something as fun as marching band (yes, I was a band geek) is missed out on by so many. Perhaps, if nothing else, Major Minor may inspire.
Created by the same creative mind that brought us PaRappa the Rapper, it has a bit of the same confusing appearance. The art exists in a nebulous space between childish and whimsical, leaning a bit towards the former. Unfortunately, games that go for this perfectly valid art style tend to alienate the very audience they're trying to attract: the pre-tween to tween. No longer a kid, they refuse any reminder that just last year they were holding mommy's hand.
As Major Mike Minor, you live in one of those really scary towns whose entire existence depends upon the success of failure of the local marching band. (If only this were fictional.) As the local drum major, with baton (Wii-mote) in hand, you'll march through town inspiring the various members to join up and follow. Hopefully, before you reach the end of the parade route you'll have a full brass band or some close facsimile.
Like any drum major worth his brass, your job is to keep the band in step. Lose the beat and not only does the tune start to falter but the color of the screen changes. Along the route are power-ups (think whistle commands for those who've ever actually done/seen this) and jellybeans. Jellybeans are what you feed the band members when they start to lose their enthusiasm because your two left feet have led them astray.
Features such as differing environments - underwater where the music sounds like bubbles - and multiplayer that allows you to call out formations are planned. I wouldn't call the game shallow, it's not. It is simple - not easy, just simple. It is a little game - with 7 environments and 30 songs. I have a 9-year old son who loves music, marching, dancing and anything that gets him moving to a beat. I imagine we'll spend hours marching around town with Major Minor. I'm just not sure if limiting the play to leading the band is enough to carry an entire game.
I'm a mother of two boys, ages 11 and 13 and live in the chaos that ensues. I've a permanent disability that keeps me homebound, so books, kids, games and books are my constant companions. Oh, and books, too. *grins*
My children both play games so I often play them first, getting to know exactly how something may effect my sensitive and easily stimulated older child vs. my stoic and imperturbable younger.
I like games for games; for the pure enjoyment of them and believe that no game is wholly bad, though some are real stinkers.
I also have the dexterity of a camel in mittens so find playing FPSs difficult (and I also don't like the gore) and RTSs at times can stump me. I just can't seem to move quickly enough to keep up with them. Some of my favorite games are arcade games and I'll spend 3-5 years on the same 5-6 levels because I just never get any better. But, I have fun.
