Old School Musical
- December 10, 2019
- Plug In Digital
With a combination of amazing chiptunes and retro goodness Old School Musical should be the game to convert you if you’ve never considered Rhythm Action before.
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Get on Apple Store"Old School Musical" is a rhythm game that follows the adventures of Tib and Rob, two video game-obsessed brothers. They embark on a journey through various parodied retro gaming worlds, battling against glitches and viruses to save their sister. The game features over 50 stages with catchy chiptune music and engaging gameplay mechanics. It's a nostalgic and entertaining experience for fans of classic gaming and rhythm games.
iPad
iPhone
Nintendo Switch
PC
Phone
Steam Deck
Windows
Mobile Platform
Tablet
Reviews
- The game features an incredibly catchy and diverse chiptune soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- It offers a humorous and engaging story filled with references to classic video games, making it a nostalgic trip for many players.
- The gameplay is accessible for newcomers while still providing challenging content for experienced rhythm game players.
- The difficulty balance can be problematic, with some players finding normal mode too easy and hard mode excessively challenging.
- Visual distractions in the post-game content can make it difficult to read notes, leading to frustration during gameplay.
- The humor and story can feel forced or fall flat at times, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- music306 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The music in "Old School Musical" is widely praised for its fantastic chiptune soundtrack, which features a variety of catchy and nostalgic tracks that resonate with fans of retro gaming. While many players find the music engaging and enjoyable, some critiques mention occasional mismatches between the gameplay and the rhythm, leading to frustration. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, enhancing the game's fun and quirky atmosphere.
“The music in this game is excellent.”
“Fantastic soundtrack, flexible difficulty settings, captivating artstyle—absolutely adored it all!”
“Banging soundtrack, couldn't stop bopping to it.”
“The most important aspect of music/rhythmic games is done average/badly; you wouldn't come back to these tracks or even remember them.”
“The soundtrack is not always rhythmic, meaning you can't really feel out a lot of the arrows and have to look at the screen's visuals instead.”
“Furthermore, a few songs are not really in sync.”
- story146 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story in the game is a lighthearted and humorous journey filled with nostalgic references to classic video games, featuring quirky characters and a mix of silly and serious moments. While some players found the narrative engaging and funny, others felt it lacked depth and served primarily as a vehicle for gameplay. Overall, the story is generally well-received for its charm and comedic elements, complemented by a vibrant chiptune soundtrack and additional post-game content that expands the experience.
“The story is interesting and has plenty of easter eggs, references, and simple comedy, which I enjoy a lot.”
“The story is very funny and complements the gameplay that will bring you so much nostalgia!”
“Old School Musical is one of the few rhythm games I absolutely adore, from its comedic and fun story mode to its utterly endless (and terrifying) Chicken Republic DLC.”
“The story was not that great or interesting though and most of the comedy did fall completely flat for me, besides a few chuckles.”
“The main storyline is just bizarre and mixes something occasionally serious among a bunch of silly, awkward attempts at humor.”
“The plot is a bit boring, but the references do help make the game more fun.”
- gameplay59 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its simple yet addictive rhythm mechanics, utilizing four directional inputs that align well with a catchy soundtrack. While it may not evolve significantly throughout the game, players appreciate the nostalgic references and the engaging arcade mode that allows for pure gameplay without distractions. Overall, the combination of fun music, satisfying mechanics, and a humorous story creates an enjoyable experience, though some players express a desire for more variety in song selection.
“The gameplay is so satisfying it's hard to stop once you start playing, especially when you start mixing different playstyles.”
“Cool beat, fun mood, nice gameplay, good replayability; overall I had a blast playing it!”
“The gameplay is sound and visually satisfying; it definitely gets trickier the further you go, and the soundtrack and the aesthetic are golden.”
“The characters are funny and the music is amazing, but the gameplay was just awful.”
“Gameplay does not evolve one bit but it's okay and can be easy.”
“I really love the gameplay, the only thing is that I'm a little bit bored to play the same songs and just try to be perfect every time; it's also pretty frustrating.”
- humor54 mentions
- 96 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mix of nostalgic references and quirky dialogue, often drawing from retro gaming culture, which many players find entertaining. While some appreciate the clever parodies and charming characters, others feel the humor can be hit-or-miss, with occasional awkwardness and self-referential jokes that may not resonate with everyone. Overall, the game is seen as fun and engaging, with a lighthearted tone that complements its rhythm-based gameplay.
“Combine this with the banger tunes and funny story, and you have something pretty much anyone can enjoy.”
“It's a funny rhythm game; I liked it a lot, even though I had already watched a longplay before.”
“The story is very funny and complements the gameplay that will bring you so much nostalgia!”
“Basic rhythm game buried under a ton of deeply unfunny writing.”
- graphics39 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming pixel art style and nostalgic references to older game franchises, creating a visually engaging experience. Many reviewers highlight the captivating art and fun visuals that complement the gameplay, although some note that the humor can be hit or miss. Overall, the visuals are described as enjoyable and well-executed, enhancing the overall appeal of the game.
“Fantastic soundtrack, flexible difficulty settings, captivating art style—absolutely adored it all!”
“A charming pixel art rhythm game, with visuals that make you smile and say 'what the heck' at the same time.”
“The gameplay is sound and visually satisfying; it definitely gets trickier the further you go, and the soundtrack and the aesthetic are golden.”
“The visuals are cute enough, plenty harking back to older games which made me roll my eyes, yet sometimes smile with what they picked.”
“The soundtrack is not always rhythmic, meaning you can't really feel out a lot of the arrows and have to look at the screen's visuals instead.”
“The game has a bit too much dialog for my liking, I'm sure most would agree, especially during songs, where the game will stop for a moment to give you a dialog message about the background visuals you weren't paying much attention to.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability through its arcade and Chicken Republic modes, despite the main campaign being relatively short at under two hours. Players appreciate the level design and additional content that enhance replay value, along with the potential of multiplayer features. Overall, the combination of modes and extra content provides enough incentive for players to return.
“Fantastic soundtrack, tons of replayability in the arcade and Chicken Republic modes.”
“The game is just a little bit too short for my liking, being able to beat the main campaign in under 2 hours, but the addition of multiplayer (which I haven't gotten to try but will assume is good) and arcade add enough replayability to appease me.”
“The levels have a good length, perfect for replayability, and there's extra content after the main story.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is hindered by shared screen mechanics in multiplayer mode, which can obscure individual performance feedback amidst chaotic on-screen action. While the pixel art and clever dialogue are praised, the overwhelming visuals can detract from the player's ability to fully engage with their performance metrics.
“Sometimes there's a lot going on on the screen, so you can't really appreciate the fact that what's happening is tied to your performance. The pixel art is amazing, and the dialogue and action are very clever.”
“Your performance here is rated, and there’s also multiplayer; however, the screen is shared, so the feedback is messed up.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players express that the grinding in the game is excessively time-consuming, suggesting that it requires an unrealistic commitment akin to having a second life to fully engage with it.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express frustration with the lack of feedback on button presses, which diminishes the emotional engagement and connection to the game, making interactions feel insubstantial and disconnected.
Critic Reviews
Old School Musical Nintendo Switch Review – Nostalgia Trip
Old School Musical is a fun and engaging rhythm game that offers a great throwback to a host of retro titles. As well as looking great (when you can watch the background!), the soundtrack is one of the best you'll have heard from such a small developer in a long time - featuring 50 original chiptunes tracks that will inevitably remind you of other titles. A perfect game for on-the-go gaming on the Nintendo Switch and still enjoyable to simply sit down with, the only problem being that some of the comedy can feel too forced, random or just fall flat. Still a title that's more than worth your time.
70%Old School Musical Review
Old School Musical wear it's inspirations on its sleeves, but manages to find its own path. There's a lot to do beyond the main story, and with different difficulty modes (which you can change at the start of each level) there's a lot of game to see here. While it isn't without its faults, Old School Musical is absurdly fun, and worthy of a place in any Switch owners library who fancies themselves a fan of music.
90%Old School Musical Review
There just aren’t enough good old-fashioned rhythm games these days. Old School Musical, just released on Nintendo Switch and PC, hopes to change that.
80%
