PlayStation Finds Its Groove with 2 Innovative Music Games

Two new PlayStation games are blurring the line between music software and video games. Sound Shapes, for the soon-to-be-released PlayStation Vita is like a Super Mario — if all of your actions in the classic game painted its unique soundtrack. PixelJunk 4am, for PlayStation 3, uses the gesture-based Move controller to let users loop beats, warp riffs and broadcast it all online.

Mashable got some hands-on time with both games at Sony's Holiday Showcase to give you the scoop on what makes them so interesting.

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Sound Shapes

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What It Is: Sound Shapes, from Queasy Games, places users as a little rolling ball which can jump and stick to surfaces. The game is simple: Move from left to right, don't touch enemies or dangerous red elements. It is organized as a set of albums (four to five in the final build) with individual levels called "tracks" (two to four tracks per album).

Why It's Cool: Every element and action in the game is synced to music. Moving left to right triggers different sections of song, advancing to a new screen within a level changes the chords, jumping on platforms or enemies trigger effects like a cymbal crash or synth riffs. Every screen feels like a physical representation of music because everything you see on it — including you — is making music in some way.

The game's level editor, which looks like a step sequencer, gives an even better demonstration of Sound Shapes musical roots. Placing these elements around the screen creates new pitches and patterns. For example, a traveling buzz-saw sounds like a rapid hi-hat with claps whenever it is forced to change direction. The sound can be modified by changing the size of the object (a cube, hill, etc.) on which it travels. Users can then upload and play user-created levels.

The game also uses some of the Vita's unique technology, such as a back touch screen that lets users expand, twist and rotate elements.

Details: Sound Shapes will be released sometime around the Vita's launch (possibly February 2012). Sony is bankrolling the project, so don't expect an iOS or Android version any time soon.

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PixelJunk 4am

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What It Is: PixelJunk 4am is more of a musical experience/experiment than a classical "game." It is the newest game in the bright, inventive PixelJunk series developed by Q-Games. It makes heavy use of the PlayStation Move peripheral to let users add and modify musical loops like a live DJ session, and there aren't "levels" so much as there are music soundscapes with their own palette of instruments and effects.

Why It's Cool: PixelJunk 4am is all about the Move controller and making the player feel like the game is an instrument. Every soundscape has four instruments — drums, bass, lead and rhythm — that can be triggered by Move gestures. Each of the four face buttons controls one of the instruments. Waving the controller creates a variety of single notes. Holding and releasing the face buttons alternately solos or mutes tracks. Users can also hold down a central move button to warp the selected instrument track. This feature turns the Move into an effects controller much like a Kaoss pad with effects and modifiers located on the X, Y and Z-axises.

PlayStation broadcasts your tracks online so your friends can listen in to your music session. The emphasis is on the live music experience, though it's impossible to load in your own samples or instruments.

Details: The game will launch over PSN for approximately $9.99, according to a spokesperson for the game. It is slated for a spring 2012 release.