Nodame Cantabile [PS2/JPN]

» Metro and Desert Productions developed the game for Banpresto. When their respective company logos are displayed on screen, listen to the fevered rantings of the girl who was hired to intonate their names.

» The title screen shows Megumi and Chiaki at a piano. Leave it alone and an introduction plays to Chopsticks or another song in the background as the camera slowly pans up Megumi's wiry seated frame or a scene of Megumi and Chiaki in reverie. The song and the images change upon each subsequent viewing.

» Press "START" and seven options appear as follows below. When you move down the list of options, the annoying girl from earlier will perform a one-tone sing-song as you move along the selections:

1) Start / Story Mode that begins with a lesson, a practice run, and then the main game where Chiaki goes through the Nodame Cantabile storyline.
2) Lesson Select / Resume saved lessons from Story Mode - note that each lesson starts at the very beginning.
3) Free Play / Enjoy a game of orchestral conducting without the strictures and introductory primers of the Story Mod.
4) Replay / Shaded and not selectable at the outset of the game.
5) Music Room / Listen to music selections with videos for songs you have already completed (opens up after 1 game).
6) Tutorial / View a demonstration and a tutorial accompanied by a voice-over on how to play the rhythm portion of the game.
7) Option / Set sound (stereo/mono) and Voice options.

How to Play the Rhythm Game
    A green line trails all over the screen and a pastel blue follower (that's you) trails after its movement and sharp ricocheting trajectory. Your job is to hit the thumbstick at the moment that the green line moves from ricochet to ricochet so that a little spot of light pops on the point of ricochet. It's not easy and pretty challenging since the green line can go anywhere on the screen and bounce in sharp angles in split second turns. One saving grace is that you don't have to match the direction of movement on the thumbstick - just hit it in time with the ricochet and the cues will accept any of the cardinal directions on the thumbstick.

   When the music is playing and Chiaki is conducting, the images on screen shift from him, to the audience, and to the orchestra as the line-action plays out on the foreground of the stage. Note that only Chiaki moves during the conducting and the other characters are static images. If you conduct poorly, the looks on the gaces of the orchestra will become mortified. The movement of your Dual Shock maneuvers affects the tempo and play of the orchestra. After each conducting session, you can review the music and listen to how the orchestra played without the line-trail cue on the foreground. In spots where you messed up, the music will become lower in volume or sound distorted. You'll also be able to revisit the pained expressions of the members of the orchestra and Chiaki's feeble movements as he realizes his folly.

   If you botch the cues, you'll be able to tell fairly quickly by the darkened expressions of the musicians on screen. If you're hitting the cues like a champ, hearts will eventually rise up on the screen along with sparkling gems.

Story Mode
    Start a NEW GAME and Chiaki goes through a short tutorial and a sample exercise. The first chapter is titled "Lesson 1" and subsequent stages follow the numbering and name scheme. In the next scene, he's sitting on the floor with a bunch of papers around him. He experiences a flash back where he's in front of a piano when his teacher hits him with a ream of paper. In the next scene, he's outside and encounters his former girlfriend Saiko Tagaya. The scene shifts into a golden-hued bar where their conversation continues. Following that, Megumi is slowly ascending the steps to the Sweet House and humming one bar with every step (that you initiate by pressing the "O" button). Once she gets inside, Chiaki may be seen slumped on the door as the sound of insects from outside still permeate the background. To wake him up, press any of the face buttons on the Dual Shock and Megumi will blow a blast of air from her mouth which sets off another flashback in Chiaki where he reminisces about the first time he saw Megumi play the piano and the events that followed. Voice acting accompanies the dialogue in the game.

   Chiaki gets to conduct a session and after that, "Lesson 2" begins where Megumi runs up to him yelling "Senpai" and holding a length of cord above her head with both hands. They go to a room with two pianos inside and greeted by a guy with squarish glasses and grayish hair. He's wearing a grey vest with white shirt underneath.

   The camera focuses on the piano keys and Megumi plays a little bit before Chiaki smacks her backwards with the effect of lightning exploding in the background. Megumi screams and can be seen falling backwards while lifting up her left arm in the background of the static image. Scene shifts to sunset behind buildings as Chiaki reminisces some more.

   In the next scene, Chiaki is outside the door where he was slumped over earlier. Press any of the face buttons or triggers to ring the doorbell and after a while, Megumi slams the door outwards cheerfully which smacks Chiaki in the face. Inside, he notices the mess around Megumi's piano and the unkempt condition of the room in general. Despite her slovenly manner, Megumi is ever cheerful against Chiaki's moody temperament. Help clean up the mess by hitting the face buttons and trigger buttons and the piano will soon be uncluttered and ready for play. Whenever a bit of mess is cleaned up, Megumi exclaims in the background as if a part of her was being snatched away. You're clear once the blue-striped sihrt above the piano disappears. The next interaction is where Chiaki washes Megumi's hair - press the buttons to wash out the shampoo. Now that she's clean , it's time for piano-playing where the two play side by side and the green-line rhythm game pops up. Occasionally, the green line turns invisible so you'll have to follow the trail of sparkles.

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