Maestro! Green Groove Review

RetroVertigo

July 18, 2010

here is a certain charm to Maestro! Green Groove (don't forget to include that exclamation mark in the title!) on the Nintendo DSi that is absent from other platforming-style games. Rather than attempt the millionth small-budgeted Mario clone, Neko did something quite different. They took the concept of a platformer and mixed it with a rhythm and music game. The result is actually quite enjoyable!

maestrogreengroove (36K) Unlike typical platformers where the player controls the main protagonist--who, in Maestro! Green Groove, is a fat penguin-like bird named Presto--the player instead helps direct Presto's path by strumming, running, and tapping various parts of the environment to help him collect items to create a symphony and, thusly, complete the level.

For example, in order to get Presto to jump, the player can strum up on the guitar string-like floor, or strum down to make him drop down a level. All the while, Presto does not stop walking. As Presto rhythmically jumps or falls to collect stars, familiar classical compositions from conductors Dvorak, Beethoven, and Chopin begin to unfold.

Perfection is almost critical to completing Maestro!, and even the tutorial levels expect you to collect practically every star and strum every golden note at the correct rhythm before allowing you to move on to the next section. Having been fed annual (and semi-annual) releases of Guitar Hero and Rock Band rhythm games, where each consecutive title becomes progressively more accessible to the casual gamer, the stricter completion requirements in Maestro! were a bit off-putting at first. To the game's benefit, the levels are much shorter than the typical three to four minute radio-friendly songs from the plastic instrument games, and a combination of being quick-handed, having a good memory, and a decent sense of rhythm, will have you mastering Maestro!'s levels without too much frustration. Plus, there is a free play mode that lets you play around without any restrictions.

Maestro! Green Groove is definitely a game you'll want to play with the sound up (or at the very least some headphones). It is priced perfectly at 500 Nintendo points (or $5 USD), and is available only via download through the Nintendo DSi Store.

If you're looking for an new and interesting take on the platforming genre, I'd highly recommend checking out Maestro! Green Groove.

This review copy was provided to GoozerNation.com by the developer.