[gameinfo title=”Game Info” game_name=”” developers=”Frima Studio” publishers=”505 Games” platforms=”” genres=”” release_date=”March 28, 2012″]
Since the bursting of the music game genre bubble, plastic instruments have been gathering dust for most gamers. Developer Zivix wants to remedy the problem and they might have with Jam Live Music Arcade… at least for those that like to get deeper into the inner workings of music. Jam Live is not a game like Guitar Hero or Rock Band in the traditional sense and it is a game for those that like blending pieces of music into remixes.
Jam Live takes several real world tracks and breaks them down into their individual components of instruments and vocals. They then take these bits and pieces and offer at least 5 variations/remixes of those tracks. It is then up to you to mix these tracks into your work of music. There is a mode in the game just for doing this without any type of gameplay type hindrances of goals or time limits. This jam mode is the highlight of the title and is really a playground for the mixers. Unfortunately Zivix included another mode with Jam Live.
Arcade mode tries to turn the system from Jam mode into a Guitar Hero clone. The controls don’t translate well into that timed button press gameplay due to the complexity of having different parts of the guitar like the strum or whammy bar as modifiers to the color buttons. It gives the mode a frantic feeling of hit this but hold this down too and then transition to this with this other thing held down.
You are able to create tracks in Jam mode and play them in Arcade mode but there is no way to share the tracks with your friends. Though it is probably due to licensing issues, it is unfortunate to not have this feature because that is one of the first things creative types like to do is show off their work.
Score: 6/10
Jam Live Music Arcade would have been perfect if all effort would have been put in to keep the gameplay targeted towards it’s core audience. The arcade mode feels tacked on and not well thought out with the controls that are used in the Jam mode. If this title was re-released sans the arcade mode and more creation options with the ability to share then it would it’s niche perfectly.
