How an unlikely music game saved my Vita

We cleaned out our closet a couple of weekends ago. This meant bagging up all of my Rock Band gear to make room for a makeshift home studio (the wife is starting a voice over career, don't you know). It sadly sat in a sack with its plastic frets protruding, drumsticks akimbo. Though it resided in a trash bag soon to to be stored, I took a moment to ponder on fond memories.

The first night I brought it home we played until 2am, when our neighbor finally came over, pounding on the door.

"The drums, man. I can't take it."

We played often and with passion. We gained sore shoulders and forearms from strumming and thwacking false instruments. And now, nothing. The instruments now reside in our garage, and it saddens me a little. Gathering folks together to play Rock Band was the last bastion of non-gamer gaming. It was considerably more inclusive than Dance Central or Just Dance. Not that I won't play those games, I do play those games. I am just less likely to play those games with friends who will ridicule me for my hot dance moves. And they are so hot. Like lava.

But something happened several weeks ago that made me reconsider the definition of a music game. At a point where I was considering ditching my PS Vita, I decided to give an indie game a shot, a last effort to redeem the doldrums of Sony's new handheld. That game was Sound Shapes. This game has brought a new definition to music games and music in games. It moved me emotionally, and while it never was particularly challenging, I enjoyed every bit of the journey.

Sound Shapes is odd, and explaining the game accurately has proven a challenge. Not because I can't merely say, " It is a platformer where you are a blob who collects stuff." How it affected me is wholly different. The blob-like avatar does collect stuff, but this stuff makes you an affective participant in the music of the game. You could  avoid collecting the floating orbs that hang in the attractive and creative scenes, but you are compelled to create music. You are the instrument of creativity. Once I finished the game, I made sure to look at the level creator, sketching levels on notepads during meetings at work. Playing out beats and themes in my head as I walked around downtown. Music became more visceral for me again, and it was through the medium of video games.

Sound Shapes saved my Vita boredom

Suffice to say I am back on track with my PS Vita. Though not every game is going to have a profound effect on me, it has been nice to use this fine piece of hardware. In fact I recently took up a news writing gig at PSNFans.com, writing primarily about the Vita. Keep an eye out for my articles.