Playing a game with an instrument has been done before. It’s actually nothing new.
What’s different about MonotoneTim’s attempt, however, is the particular instrument used, an ocarina.
The biggest difference between most attempts at playing a video game with an instrument like a keyboard and an ocarina, a wind instrument, is that it requires a lot more than memory.
On a keyboard, for example, all you need do is remember which keys represent each action. Once that’s memorised, simply press the correct key when it’s required.
On the other hand, because ocarinas are wind instruments, you’ll need to use both tone and pitch if you want enough sound variations to map each individual action.
That means controlling your breath as well as having the stamina to keep it up throughout the ebb-and-flow of a game, particularly a game like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Once you’ve gotten the muscle memory and stamina required, it becomes a lot easier, but you’re in for a fairly difficult challenge until you do.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of these attempts by Monotone Tim is that it requires a much more patient approach.
You’re also going to have to memorise the entire game, from start to finish, otherwise you’ll have no idea what to expect from any particular situation, making the game impossible unless you’ve absolutely mastered playing the game with your instrument of choice.
We’re just waiting for someone to play Dark Souls on a Gibson. That’s the dream.
In other news
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There’s an unofficial Unreal Engine 4 remake of Metal Gear Solid; watch Konami pull the plug
Omikron is free in celebration of David Bowie, courtesy of Square Enix
