Fret Nice Review

But this downloadable title is so far removed from the rhythm genre that you'll probably be taken aback by its unique control system. Even though it's (sadly) best played with a traditional controller, it's still a sweet concept that will appeal to platforming fans looking for something quirky.

Click the image above to check out all Fret Nice screens.

When you first start up Fret Nice, prepare to be confused. The game's visual style, cutesy characters, and collectible-driven platforming is reminiscent of other Sony strongholds like LocoRoco and Patapon, but its unique combat turns it into something else entirely. Instead of hopping atop your adversaries (or using traditional weapons to make them explode), your character "attacks" by strumming improvisational melodies that correspond to the facial features of the enemy at hand.

See something floating by with six eyes? Strum the Green fret six times. How about that feisty little bugger with an eye, horn, and mouth? Hold down three frets, and strum away. You'll learn the various combinations through button spamming and practice, but there's one little caveat: you have to jump (by tilting your guitar upwards).

As a guy who's no stranger to control systems that take some time getting used to, the incessant jumping in Fret Nice makes it feel immediately broken. In order to make things a bit more manageable, you can opt to use the Red and Blue buttons as "jump" and "action" buttons respectively, but that doesn't exactly obviate the fact that your character's movement and multiple chord elements use the exact same buttons. You'll often end up falling off objects or running back and forth while trying to move, jump, and attack at the same time.

Click the image above to check out all Fret Nice screens.

Once you put down the guitar and pick up the controller, however, you'll discover that Fret Nice is a quirky platformer with an awesome aesthetic, a humorous story, and a ton of collectibles. Each stage has eight medals that you win for successful speed runs, total enemy annihilation, and unearthing enemies and newspaper clippings hidden in the damnedest of places. On top of unlocking new levels, the medals let you open secret levels, earn new outfits, and unlock screamin' new guitars, too.

Fret Nice reminds me of LocoRoco in the way its stages aren't terribly difficult to plow through, but finding all of the enemy locations, music notes, and little extras will take a lot of time. Still, I wouldn't advise picking up Fret Nice unless you're okay with abandoning its peripheral-centric gimmick to get down to the game underneath.

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