Beloved Game's Update Scratches an Itch
The indie rhythm game "Scratchin’ Melodii" debuts a new and improved demo.
By E. Cortese
The indie rhythm game "Scratchin’ Melodii" debuts a new and improved demo.
By E. Cortese
The SAGE 2022 demo for the up and coming rhythm indie game, “Scratchin’ Melodii,” was updated by LJ LephemStar this year on PC, adding an additional two songs to the soundtrack, each with their own stage.
In the game, you play as Melodii, a kid who after being caught by the government for the oh-so horrific crime of vandalism, has to atone for their crimes by doing community service. However, Melodii encounters their rap battling friends before they do so and where Melodii encounters the new songs added in the 2022 demo update.
One of the new songs is “Stir And Mix,” a sugary sweet song about Melodii helping their friend, Jamtine, bake cookies for her crush. The song is upbeat and cutesy, taking influence from kawaii culture and 8-bit soundfonts. This song uses Vocaloid, a Japanese voice synthesizer, to create the vocals for Jamtine, which contributes to the anime-esque aesthetic excellently. “Stir and Mix” is one of the best songs to come from this game’s soundtrack and I'm hoping to hear more from it.
The second new song, “Navi.wav,” is a chill vaporwave song about Melodii and their friend, Navi practicing meditation at the beach.
The lyrics of this song are what I love the most about it, due to the metaphoric lines, such as “waves of the water break down the tension,” that contribute to the calming aesthetic. Unlike the rest of the songs in this version of the game, Navi is voiced by Elise Meggie instead of a voice synthesizer, giving a refreshing twist on the game’s soundtrack. Overall, “Navi.Wav” is a great song for relaxation.
The groovy gameplay of Scratchin’ Melodii is easy to comprehend, especially after completing the tutorial. After the player’s rival sings, the player can either remix the rival’s tunes by pressing the buttons given or sing at the same time as the rival by pressing the buttons given, depending on whether or not the line is blue or pink. This gameplay gives a nostalgic reminder of other amazing rhythm games, such as “PaRappa the Rapper” made by studio NanaOn-Sha.
Despite the best parts of this game shining through, there are a few minor flaws this game has. One of which being the amount of glitches. For example, at the beach where Melodii sings with Navi, there is a palm tree halfway in the water coming on shore. Another glitch that occurs is when you speed up the intro of a song, the camera seems to move in the wrong direction. These glitches, however, are merely visual and do not affect the gameplay.
Despite its minor flaws, Scratchin’ Melodii is a wonderful game that is bursting with potential. The groovy characters and the fun wacky storyline make its personality shine through.
In the game, you play as Melodii, a kid who after being caught by the government for the oh-so horrific crime of vandalism, has to atone for their crimes by doing community service. However, Melodii encounters their rap battling friends before they do so and where Melodii encounters the new songs added in the 2022 demo update.
One of the new songs is “Stir And Mix,” a sugary sweet song about Melodii helping their friend, Jamtine, bake cookies for her crush. The song is upbeat and cutesy, taking influence from kawaii culture and 8-bit soundfonts. This song uses Vocaloid, a Japanese voice synthesizer, to create the vocals for Jamtine, which contributes to the anime-esque aesthetic excellently. “Stir and Mix” is one of the best songs to come from this game’s soundtrack and I'm hoping to hear more from it.
The second new song, “Navi.wav,” is a chill vaporwave song about Melodii and their friend, Navi practicing meditation at the beach.
The lyrics of this song are what I love the most about it, due to the metaphoric lines, such as “waves of the water break down the tension,” that contribute to the calming aesthetic. Unlike the rest of the songs in this version of the game, Navi is voiced by Elise Meggie instead of a voice synthesizer, giving a refreshing twist on the game’s soundtrack. Overall, “Navi.Wav” is a great song for relaxation.
The groovy gameplay of Scratchin’ Melodii is easy to comprehend, especially after completing the tutorial. After the player’s rival sings, the player can either remix the rival’s tunes by pressing the buttons given or sing at the same time as the rival by pressing the buttons given, depending on whether or not the line is blue or pink. This gameplay gives a nostalgic reminder of other amazing rhythm games, such as “PaRappa the Rapper” made by studio NanaOn-Sha.
Despite the best parts of this game shining through, there are a few minor flaws this game has. One of which being the amount of glitches. For example, at the beach where Melodii sings with Navi, there is a palm tree halfway in the water coming on shore. Another glitch that occurs is when you speed up the intro of a song, the camera seems to move in the wrong direction. These glitches, however, are merely visual and do not affect the gameplay.
Despite its minor flaws, Scratchin’ Melodii is a wonderful game that is bursting with potential. The groovy characters and the fun wacky storyline make its personality shine through.