SimTunes

SimTunes
Developer(s)	Maxis
Publisher(s)	Maxis
Producer(s)	Michael Wyman
Designer(s)	Toshio Iwai
Programmer(s)	Heather Mace (lead)
Composer(s)	Toshio Iwai Benimaru Itoh UrumaDelvi Jerry Martin
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows
Release date(s)	1996
Genre(s)	Simulation

SimTunes is a children's software toy designed by Toshio Iwai and released by Maxis in 1996.^[1] It involves painting a picture using large pixels, where each color represents a musical note. The player places up to four different-colored Bugz, which represent musical instruments or vocal syllables, on this picture, and can change their starting directions and relative speeds. The Bugz crawl over the picture, playing notes corresponding with the colors; and they turn, move randomly, or jump in response to function symbols that can be added to the dots.^[2]

SimTunes was originally developed in the early 1990s by Iwai as a game titled Sound Fantasy for the Super NES/Super Famicom.^[1] Many of the ideas and elements in Sound Fantasy are present in SimTunes.

Electroplankton for the Nintendo DS was also designed by Iwai and is considered a spiritual sequel to SimTunes.

List of Bugz

Yellow Bugz

• Ivory - Piano (one octave higher than the other pianos)
• Thumbs - Kalimba
• Toot - Flute
• Chordelia - Electric Piano Loop Bug
• Benny - Clarinet
• Dizzy - Trumpet
• Twinkle - A Chime-like noise
• Plucks - Pizzicato strings
• Emcee - Loop Bug, vocal phrases
• Humbug - Humming
• Yellow Pings - Music Box
• Yellow Keys - Piano

Green Bugz

• Frets - Acoustic Guitar
• Xylo - Marimba/Xylophone
• Ace - Distorted Electric Guitar
• Strats - Electric Guitar Loop Bug
• Strings - Violin
• Jo - Banjo
• Twang - Referred to as an "intergalactic guitar", looks like a pipa but sounds more like a shamisen
• Decibelle - Orchestra hit
• Wordsworth - Vocal phrases
• Do-Bee - Vocal (doo)
• Green Pings - Music Box
• Green Keys - Piano

Blue Bugz

• Slaps - Electric Bass Guitar
• Caribe - Steel Drum
• Buzz - Synthesized Brass
• Bassie - Bass Guitar Loop Bug
• Yo-Yo Pa - Cello/Double bass
• Horatio - Baritone Saxophone
• Piper - Shakuhachi
• Octavius - Accordion/Organ
• Loopy - Phonograph Loop Bug (uses samples from Bassie, Raver, Strats, and Chordelia)
• Bumms - Vocal (bum)
• Blue Pings - Music Box
• Blue Keys - Piano

Red Bugz

• Sticks - Drum Set
• Tapper - Latin Drums
• Robo - Electronic drums
• Beats - Drum Set Loop Bug
• Comix - Sound Effects
• Soulfie - Solfege singing
• Boomer - Latin Drum Loop Bug
• Raver - Electronic Drum Loop Bug
• Zoundz - Animal sounds
• Wahler - Vocal (wah)
• Red Pings - Music Box
• Red Keys - Piano

References

1. "Pre-Cinema Toys Inspire Multimedia Artist Toshio Iwa". Retrieved 2006-09-25.
2. "SuperKids Software Review of SimTunes". Retrieved 2006-09-25.

External links

• SimTunes at MobyGames