| Introduction
Pocket Music has been around for little under a year
now, but has suffered from both poor press coverage
and a very limited release. It was always considered
a bold project--while music creation packages have been
a huge hit on both home computers and consoles, a handheld
version was deemed incredibly ambitious.
Two things struck me before I even opened the box:
first, all the samples would have to be on the cart
unlike other versions where they'd simply be pulled
from the disk when needed, and secondly, I wondered
whether there are many GameBoy owners who are at all
interested in creative tools. Obviously the developers
and publishers considered this too, but is it worth
seeking out and should it be given a more widespread
release? Read on and see what we thought, and heard.
GamePlay
Pocket Music is divided into two very different sections
- the Track Editor and the Riff Editor. The Track Editor
is probably where most people should start, as it's
far more forgiving and user friendly than the Riff Editor.
Here, it's a simple task of laying down the various
riffs (from the library or your own creations) in any
one of the six tracks to create a song.
It really is that simple, and once you've laid down
your new track, a quick press of the shoulder button
will play either the whole song or a section of it depending
on where your cursor is. You can then alter it again
by speeding up or slowing down the BPM (Beats Per Minute)
at the base of the screen. This can have a remarkable
effect on your composition and can actually change the
whole style of the music, say from Garage to Reggae.
The Riff Editor though, is the basis of everything
you create, and if you're going to compose something
entirely unique, you really need to have a sound knowledge
of how to manipulate samples and create riffs. What
this section allows you to do is take a sample and treat
it in a number of different ways--lengthen it, shorten
it, or add a whole range of distortions to change its
sound completely.
You may then want to join a collection of samples
to produce a riff, which can be used later for your
master composition. This section does take a lot of
trial and error, because to be honest, it can take hours
to get a pleasing-sounding riff just as you want it.
Your music can then be saved in one of 10 slots to impress
your friends or simply to store and work on at a later
time.
Finally, as with most Rage products, there's also
a separate GBC version, and while it in no way compares
with the more powerful audio available on the GBA, it's
still the same product, and a great fun to play.
Controls
The controls are initially quite difficult, and to
combat this steep learning curve you can try two things.
Firstly, load the demo songs that come with the package
to see how they are constructed in terms of riffs and
samples. Then, read the manual (yes, I know you usually
don't), and work through the 'quick start' sections
in order to familiarize yourself with the various controls.
A little perseverance will pay off and you'll be switching
through the various editors in no time; remember that
Pocket Music is in no way a 'pick-up-and-play' type
of affair, so patience is required.
Graphics
Let's face it, we shouldn't be looking for exceptional
visuals here, but rather a level of clarity so you can
actually compose something with reasonable ease. That
said, the developers have managed to incorporate a handful
of different skins, available via the options menu,
allowing you to change the look of your new handheld
recording studio. Overall though it's more functional
than anything, but considering the title's genre, that's
no bad thing.
Sound & Music
Now if this wasn't the highlight of this title it
really would be a complete waste of time purchasing
it, or even creating it in the first place. In addition
to the Pocket Music version of ‘My Name Is' by Eminem,
you get over 600 samples, which are of incredible quality.
Many of these have then been mixed into riffs, which
again feature the same high audio standards. It may
seem a little abstract at first, but loading up some
of the demo songs really manages to illustrate exactly
how good your creations can be once you've managed to
get your head around the various studios. Headphones
really are a must with this title, as you don't want
any outside noise pollution hampering your creativity,
and what's more they'll make your music sound an awful
lot better.
Final Comments
Pocket Music demands time and effort, and if you're
not prepared to give it, then this title is really not
for you. You don't actually have to be musical though;
placing a few random riffs in the sequencer will usually
produce a quite pleasing tune (although possibly not
during your first attempt). What Rage and developer
Jester have produced here is both ambitious and remarkable,
and while maybe limited in the types of 'songs' you
can produce, you're only creatively constrained by your
imagination. If you're sick and tired of all the movie/TV
inspired titles that are flooding the GBA market, Pocket
Music could be the one cart that brings your creative
side back to life.
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