SimTunes is a children's software toy designed by Toshio Iwai and released by Maxis in 1996.^[1] It involves painting a picture with dots (large pixels), where each color (unless it was part of the backdrop, which was black or a bitmap) represents a musical note. The player places up to four different-coloured Bugz, which represent instruments or vocal syllables, on this picture, and can change their starting directions and relative speeds. The Bugz crawl over the picture, playing notes corresponding with the colours, and turning, moving randomly or jumping in response to function symbols that can be added to the dots.^[2]

SimTunes was originally developed by Iwai as a game for the Super NES/Super Famicom, known as Sound Fantasy, in the early 1990s.^[1] It is believed that Nintendo chose not to release the completed game because of its musical mechanics, which were unproven in home game consoles.^{[citation needed]} Many of the ideas and elements in Sound Fantasy are present in SimTunes.

Electroplankton, for the Nintendo DS, was also designed by Iwai and is considered a spiritual sequel to SimTunes.^{[citation needed]}

List of Bugz[link]

Yellow Bugz[link]

• Ivory - Piano (one octave higher than the other pianos)
• Thumbs - Kalimba
• Toot - Flute
• Chordelia - Electric Piano Loop Bug
• Benny - Clarinet
• Dizzy - Trumpet
• Twinkle - A Chime-like noise
• Plucks - Pizzicato strings
• Emcee - Loop Bug, vocal phrases
• Humbug - Humming
• Yellow Pings - Music Box
• Yellow Keys - Piano

Green Bugz[link]

• Frets - Acoustic Guitar
• Xylo - Marimba/Xylophone
• Ace - Distorted Electric Guitar
• Strats - Electric Guitar Loop Bug
• Strings - Violin
• Jo - Banjo
• Twang - Referred to as an "intergalactic guitar", looks like a pipa but sounds more like a shamisen
• Decibelle - Orchestra hit
• Wordsworth - Vocal phrases
• Do-Bee - Vocal (doo)
• Green Pings - Music Box
• Green Keys - Piano

Blue Bugz[link]

• Slaps - Electric Bass Guitar
• Caribe - Steel Drum
• Buzz - Synthesized Brass
• Bassie - Bass Guitar Loop Bug
• Yo-Yo Pa - Cello/Double bass
• Horatio - Baritone Saxophone
• Piper - Shakuhachi
• Octavius - Accordion/Organ
• Loopy - Phonograph Loop Bug (uses samples from Bassie, Raver, Strats, and Chordelia)
• Bumms - Vocal (bum)
• Blue Pings - Music Box
• Blue Keys - Piano

Red Bugz[link]

• Sticks - Drum Set
• Tapper - Latin Drums
• Robo - Electronic drums
• Beats - Drum Set Loop Bug
• Comix - Sound Effects
• Soulfie - Solfege singing
• Boomer - Latin Drum Loop Bug
• Raver - Electronic Drum Loop Bug
• Zoundz - Animal sounds
• Wahler - Vocal (wah)
• Red Pings - Music Box
• Red Keys - Piano

References[link]

External links[link]

• SimTunes at MobyGames

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