Chiptune Champion

I know this game is an older one, but being a rhythm game fanatic and lover of chiptunes I got excited and bought it. The game, however, is way too sensitive on when to hit a note. I can play other rhythm games just fine, but this one is giving me trouble, so I don't enjoy it at all.

It's alright. There's some good chiptune music on it. I feel like 14.99 is too much for what a repetitive game it is - this feels like a mobile game. Maybe a mobile version of this game would be better. Like if it was 7.99 at the app store or something like that - it'd be really reasonable for a phone or tablet, actually.

There only seems to be a mild to moderate correlation between the hitting the keys right and the songs themselves playing correctly. I guess I just don't get the point of playing a musical rhythm game with a keyboard, either. It never feels satisfying to hit keys correctly. The keyboard causes a huge disconnect between myself and the music, personally. That's personal preference, but it's one you should keep in mind if you've never played a rhythm game on a computer before.

The novelty of 'chiptune' music also gets old fast.

It's not poorly made, there just isn't much to it. I rarely found myself playing more than five or ten minutes at a time. I only recommend checking it out when it's on sale. The music is nice. I really enjoy the design. I just couldn't get into it.

the controls are easy to get used to n its fun to play when ur bored. the music makes me feel like ive been cast into an 8 bit film. AND OH GOD the way plingonberries resurrects my soul...MMM. please get it.

The main thing that Chiptune Champion has going for it is that there aren't really many rhythm games of its type on Steam. But how does it stand as a rhythm game in general and is it worth getting...?

I'll start at what you're first confronted with - a simple-looking program in terms of presentation that honestly quite suits the chiptune theme to the game quite nicely. Off the bat, however, you will notice two flaws that I feel are probably the biggest in the game. The first is that there's no native controller support (we'll get into why that's a big deal for me in a bit). The second is that the latency offset configuration is *extremely* basic - you get a text box to put a number in and an explanation of what range of number to put in there. And that's about it. And as someone who even found Deemo's latency config a little tough to work with, Chiptune Champion's really doesn't cut it.

So... back to the controls. Yes, you're going to be using a (computer) keyboard for this game. And yes, there are 5 buttons. Good luck finding a comfortable configuration that works well for you. Now granted I will say that as someone who plays piano, muscle memory and the urge to move around as though playing a full-size piano make this game extra difficult for me to pick up. If you don't play piano, you might find it easier to say play with 2 hands or something. But I found that the only way to not completely loose my place on the keyboard entirely is to stick with one hand and one finger per note. And therein lies the reason I've only gotten 47 minutes in with my first try at the game. It is not very comfortable to play that way, and my hand is not happy. And yes, I've tried multiple button layouts.

So... why have I recommended this game...? Well... for starters, the music is fantastic. And the ability to make custom tracks is also fantastic. And the gameplay certainly is challenging. It is fun... once you actually find a way to play it comfortably. I still prefer Deemo, but it's also nice to have a rhythm game with more than two main inputs. Even if 5 is a little too many.

So yeah, if you want a rhythm game that's basically a hand version of DDR, Chiptune Champion is a decent enough option. Not the best, not the worst.

I had this game on my wishlist for a LONG time because it seemed like something I'd like given that I am a big fan of GH2 and 3, but I wasn't sure if this was for me. Turns out, it certainly was. It has the same natural-feeling vibe to GH, and has optional strumming. I was quickly able to transfer my GH experience after about 3 songs. My only gripe is that strum timing seems a bit unforgiving, but it's not a dealbreaker by any means. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys rhythm games. It feels solid, and the tunes are a blast.

Guitar Hero for chiptunes. Audio and video is well synced, it has workshop support for custom songs, includes an editor for creating such customs. Using 3rd party software it also works well with GH controllers. What more do you want? 10/10

Overall, the game is really fun. Even if you don't have a wired keyboard and have a laptop like I do, there's still tap mode. What's better is that you can download custom songs / tracks to play! The developers listen to problems and such, so it's nice to know they care.

Chiptune Champion is a great game, I'm glad I bought it on release. I feel there's a lack of Guitar Hero/Rock Band-like games on Steam and this one delivers. All the official songs are chiptune music as you would imagine, but you can find some "normal" songs on the workshop. I feel the game still lacks a few relevant features, like a countdown timer after you unpause and controller support (you can use Xpadder for that, though), but overall it's a pretty fun experience.

I really enjoyed games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band but I really didn't like a lot of the songs in their titles. Out of the entire games they released I would only really like 3 or 4 songs. In This game I really enjoy a majority of the tracks they have, and having your own track editor and workshop to download user made songs and such is really great. I did play StepMania a bit before this so I was used to how tap mode works, however this game seems to be a bit more unforgiving, and you have to be a bit more precise with your taps (maybe? I could be paranoid). Over all I really enjoy the game, still trying to get the last achievement for 75k score, and I highly recommend it.

This game is really awesome! definatlly buy if you had fun with the original guitar hero youll have fun here! i'd like to see people add some rock songs to the game like metallica and acdc etc. but im currently looking into buying an old xbox 360 controller to play the game with

I always wanted a Guitar Hero game on PC, but we got something even better. The level editor and workshop support is great. I play with a 360 Guitar Hero controller using Xpadder and it works flawlessly.

If you like Guitar Hero, get this game. Even better if you have a Guitar Hero controller.

Note: I originally posted this review as "not recommended" but immediately decided that isn't fair to the developers. The game, for whatever reason, gave me a horrible headache and had the room literally spinning for about 20 minutes, after an hour of gameplay. This issue doesn't seem to be widespread, but keep it in mind if you have any motion sickness issues with games. Text review continues below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoDQKi6RlDk

This is basically Chiptune Guitar Hero, played with your keyboard. The music is great, and the interface (while extremely limited) works well. The controls are customizable, but on default you're using 1-5 (1-4 on easy) for what would be the colored buttons on the guitar if you were playing GH. It took some getting used to, and I found it difficult to get back on track when I flubbed once, but I don't think the controls could be any better. With more playtime I'm sure it would feel 100% natural.

Unfortunately I won't be playing the game anymore, but if you aren't sensitive to visual issues like I discussed in the opening, then give the game a shot.

Good idea, poor execution.

There is no actual fullscreen. You can only scale it up 2 or 3 times and then there is a giant black border around the entire game.

There is no automatic sound/monitor syncing, you have to exit out to the main menu, go into settings, and manually enter a number between -100 and 100, then go back into a level and try again.

The game uses prerecorded audio tracks rather than playing the notes live as they are pressed. Better for low-end computers, but it causes the gameplay to suffer. If you miss a note, the music continues to play, you just hear an annoying sound that the note was missed. It should not play the music if you miss the note. Worse yet, the music and the notes occasionally desync, because the notes were just placed there by someone who thinks that is where the music plays at, not EXACTLY where the music plays at.

There does not seem to be any progression, not even a tutorial. You can pick any song and the difficulty does not go up as you play the next song available. The next song is sometimes MUCH easier than the previous.

There probably should be 4 difficulty levels, not 3.

Difficulty level 1 would be 3 notes playable and few notes of the song show up.
Difficulty level 2 would be 4 notes playable.
Difficulty level 3 would be 5 notes playable.
Difficulty level 4 would be 5 notes playable and all the notes of the song show up.

That would be better for personal progression of getting better at the game. Those who have never played a music rythm game like this will most likely be overwhelmed by 4 notes at the current easiest difficulty.

Ive been a VSRG (Vertical Scrolling Rhythm Game) player for almost two years now, loving the genre more than any other. I routinely practice on games like O2jam, SM5, LR2 and others, so i was extremely hyped to see a VSRG on the Steam market for the first time ever!

Let me start off by saying that the music is absolutely awesome. Great Production quality and sounds are fantastic. Fourty songs at release is also pretty good, and the best thing is the Workshop implementation, that is crucial!

Annnnd Its completely unplayable for me because of the strumming mechanic. I get why games such as RockBand and Guitar Hero would implement that, because on a guitar you STRUM the notes. You dont do that for pixel Chiptune music, and even less on a keyboard, no matter what type of instrument we are supossed to be playing.

Im refunding the game until a No-Strum mode will be added, as the Dev so said in the Discussions tab for the game.

I really, really hope that this game is going to go big. Our genre is dying, and seeing a VSRG on the Steam market just let my jaw drop instantly. For the current state of the game, I really cannot recommend it, but I will anyways because I have faith in the game and hope that this will be a popular game, sparking other Devs and Companies to finally try to produce more Rhythm Games and attract the crowd.

As a retro gaming fan, chiptune fan (including gameless originals by e.g. Disasterpeace, Anamanaguchi), and rhythm gaming fan (including GH/Rock Band), I feel like I'm squarely the target audience for this game.

This game isn't terrible, but I don't enjoy it and can't recommend it.

Feeling which keys your fingers are on is a little confusing. The timing is clunky, and it feels like I missed notes I should've hit, even on beginner. And worst of all, the songs are just boring. For $10 I would've hoped they got licenses for at least one or two famous, memorable tunes, even if from indie games like Fez or VVVVVV, but nope, not as far as I can tell. (Although to be fair I stopped scrolling through after my fourth song because the game just felt boring already.)

If you're looking for rhythm on your PC, try Osu, which is free, unique, and fun. If you're looking for a Guitar Hero clone on PC you can try Frets on Fire which is also free, though I can't vouch for it personally. Just... whatever you do, you probably want to skip this game and keep your $10. Even on sale it's tough to recommend since the songs are boring and the controls feel unresponsive.

Note: The developer updated the game to address the two biggest complaints I had with this game. I have updated this review to reflect this.

I'll start off with the negative. Often when I read reviews about a game, I want to know what's wrong with it first and foremost, so that's what i'll provide.

This game has a few technical problems. There is only one lag compensation setting, forcing you to synch the game to line up visually or line up audibly, just like the original Guitar Hero game on the PS2. Guitar Hero 2, a game released in 2006, had a separate compensation value for the video and audio to account for each device having separate latencies. It's frustrating that a rhythm game released this year has overlooked a problem that its influences have already solved. Additionally, on Windows 10, closing the game crashes it. Some process related to the game remains open, causing steam to track additional playtime for it. If you're on the fence about keeping this game and are a part of the 30%+ people on Steam that use Windows 10, be aware that this bug may cause you to run over the 2 hour window for returns.

The interface isn't perfect. Many rhythm games will give you a preview of the song you've selected when you highlight it in the track list, but this game keeps playing the menu music for you. It can make it a little harder to find the songs you like.

On to what's good!

The developers read my review and took into consideration my feedback, as well as the feedback of others. A patch came out addressing some major issues within 36 hours of this review, which buys them a lot of respect in my book. It's a sign that they care and weren't just looking to dump a game on Steam and never touch it again, as some other Indie devs often do. To be perfectly honest, I am waiting for another patch or two before I personally re-invest in this title. But the soundtrack is quite nice (i've listened to it outside of the game), and reports from other users suggest that the changes to note timing have made the game much more fun to play. I think this warrants a purchase and would recommend this title if you like rhythm games and chiptunes.

I fully anticipate that i'll have to continue to update this review to reflect changes made by the developer. When I re-invest in the title myself, i'll be able to talk more objectively about what I enjoy in the game.

Very fun game with built in workshop and level editor support :thumbs: - I swapped the default note keys out from 1 2 3 4 5 to Z X C V B.

Oh and also awesome music :D

Ok...love the chiptunes, and I had been looking for an old school button style rhythm for a while to satisfy my beatmania cravings. This is more like guitar hero, hit the strum button while keeping the highlighted notes pressed, but the game throws a curveball with the notes that have the white dot, which you just hit the note without pressing the strum button. Developer, if you're reading this please allow a way to customize the play styles so that players can choose whether they want to include the strumming, or strum-less keys. For what it's worth, it's still good, has lots of tracks, custom track feature, etc, but could use some more options on the player side to customize play style. Also doesn't let you change things like note drop speed, which would be a nice addition. Also, the graphics aren't flashy like the beatmania arcade games. Developer, I suggest possibly adding some fireworks, light shows, and a streak counter that's placed a little more towards the center for visibility. Also the ability to change how tracks are sorted in the list, as well as a track audio preview so we can hear the song before we decide to play it. Please treat this current version of the game as an alpha, and keep updating it! Please take cues from the beatmania arcade game! Otherwise, love it!

edit: recent updates have added tap-style play mode (awesome!) and song previews (awesome!) Now we just need more songs and some fireworks! Oh, one other thing, a way to adjust note tolerance would be nice, as the game sometimes destroys my whole combo from a minor misfire, where other games might keep the streak going with a "good" instead of "great!" hit

As someone who has an MP3 player full of chiptunes, this game immediately grabbed my interest. After doing a little digging around (there are only like... 3 youtube reviews; the game released today), I decided to take the plunge and purchase the game.

So what is it?

Chiptune Champion is a Guitar Hero clone that exclusively uses chiptunes for the tracks you play to. Being a kid from the 80s, the music definitely brought back memories of summer vacations spent on the NES and Gameboy. There's a wide selection of music to choose from the outset, and the ability to create your own tracks in the track editor or download tracks from the Steam Workshop gives this game the huge potential for massive replayability.

So that's the good part.

The bad part is the control scheme. What Chiptune Champion wants you to do is take your keyboard and hold it like a guitar. The 1-5 buttons are used for the "strings" while the enter and shift are used for the strum bar. Holy smokes is that unintuitive.
It took my wife asking me what I was doing to the keyboard to convince me to go down into the basement looking for one of my old Guitar Hero controllers. And surprisingly, it worked.
While there is no ability to use a guitar controller from inside the game, downloading a free program like JoyToKey will allow you to map the game's controls to the buttons on your guitar, making the control scheme infinitely better and nearly identical to playing Guitar Hero or Rockband.

So do I recommend the game? Yeah, but only if you have a guitar controller that is compatible with your PC. The game is pretty fun and the music is great. The controls could use a little work and hopefully the game will eventually support an in-game guitar control scheme instead of players needing to use a third party.

A fun game with tons of great songs. I wish there was more rhythm based games on steam.

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Something thats annoying is that the margin of error is so small, even if it looks like you are hitting the notes, you get a miss, there should be an option to change that margin but kick you from using the leaderboard.