Every now and then, a quirky little Indie game will make the rounds online. For games like Undertale and Stardew Valley, this extreme level of publicity can make it an overnight success, but for games going viral for all the wrong reasons, it can be a death sentence. Thankfully, the internet's latest craze, Trombone Champ, definitely belongs to the former category, offering some of the most absurd, tongue-in-cheek gameplay of any video game this year.
Released just a week ago, Trombone Champ fuses together Wii Sports and Guitar Hero, creating one of the most bizarre gaming experiences of the year. Players take control of the titular brass instrument as they attempt to play along to 20 iconic classical music tracks, but due to some deliberately obtuse controls, the whole experience can end up being laughably bad. But that's a deliberate design choice, and with some other tongue-in-cheek references thrown in throughout, Trombone Champ is far from a serious game, and it's a breath of fresh air right now.
Trombone Champ Is Absurd From Start to Finish
From the very get-go, Trombone Champ wears its absurdity on its sleeve. The game starts out with players being thrust straight into the action, told that they need to perform and become the greatest trombone player in the universe in order to earn the affection of a baboon. Baboons are one of Trombone Champ's running themes, appearing in just about every song and collectible the game has to offer. There's no real rhyme or reason to this, but it sets the tone perfectly for the rest of the game.
The actual gameplay of Trombone Champ sees players control a particularly expressive Mii-like character as they attempt to play a classic piece of music. As the notes travel from the right side of the screen, players need to hit a key to play the note and move their mouse up and down with the corresponding note line to sustain the melody. However, unlike rhythm games like Rock Band or Guitar Hero, Trombone Champ lets players play any note, no matter where their mouse is. Naturally, this leads to a lot of flat or sharp notes, and wiggling the mouse in desperation only serves to make the sound even funnier. Off-key music is always funny, and Trombone Champ thrives on it.
As the game progresses, players start to unlock a range of collectibles called Tromboner cards. This name itself will already illicit a giggle from most, but it's the card's contents that get the real laugh for this Indie game. These Tromboner card achievements include famous artists, musical notes, and instruments, as well as some more eccentric elements, like a terrifying red-eyed baboon. Each card has its own description, some of which are short and sweet, others of which are mini essays, but all are bizarre and hilarious. One of the best examples of this is the Trumpet card, whose description simply reads, "The Coward's Trombone." The backgrounds of certain songs are also littered with wacky visual gags. A great example of this is the "Old Gray Mare" stage, which sees more and more awkward horse images appear as the song goes on, which begin to shake and rotate erratically.
The Tromboner cards, the actual gameplay itself, and the absurd backgrounds of some musical stages make Trombone Champ one of the funniest games of the year. Trombone Champ doesn't once take itself seriously, and that's exactly what some gamers need right now. For every depressingly deep experience like The Last of Us and God of War, a Trombone Champ is always welcome.
Trombone Champ is available now on PC.