It's so catchy! (Wii delight #003)

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Dec 5th 2006 at 7:25PM }

Only until we managed to force Nintendo's ingenious concoction of beeps and boops out of our heads, did we realize how shockingly hollow life was without it. The masterful music emanating from the Wii Shop Channel is quite obviously the greatest composition in the history of the universe, its infectious melody gripping you like a malfunctioning elevator door. Though you may be sprawled across a couch with a limp wrist interacting with the screen, this tantalizing tune will transfer you to a store populated by charming 8-bit sprites that move about in an eerie, staccato manner.

Just moments after entering, the song will have wormed its way into your brain and taken control of your vocal chords. You're humming along, you're bobbing your head and you are happy. The happiest you've ever been in your entire life. Why not spread the joy and ~~infect~~ delight others with it? Refer them to this Youtube video (depicting the infamous browser hack) and tell them to shut up. Shut up and listen.

(By the way, could we have some remixes?)

PS3 delights vs. PS3 annoyances
Wii delights vs. Wii annoyances
Xbox 360 delights vs. Xbox 360 annoyances

Tags: N64, NES, SNES, VC, Virtual Console, VirtualConsole, Wii Shop, Wii Shop Channel, wiidelight, WiiShop, WiiShopChannel

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Rubang @ Dec 5th 2006 7:32PM

Seriously. Between that music, the Mii Channel music, and the music from the Wii Sports menus, I'm euphoric. It sounds like the future should sound.

Thundercizzle @ Jun 30th 2007 12:47PM

You're crazy. heh heh

jax sedrin @ Dec 5th 2006 7:40PM

Yes! But like Rubang said, it's not just the Wii Shop channel... it's all of the Nintendo interface musical riffs. They're all just great. I could listen to them for hours.

Kinda like the loop that plays when you die in Geometry Wars... I've actually played a quick game of that before bed and fallen asleep to that music. It's just great.

Wargazm @ Dec 5th 2006 7:40PM

hahahahahahaha that music RULES. oh man, I almost want a Wii JUST for that.

hahahahahaha this is killing me.

Agent_4187 @ Dec 5th 2006 8:23PM

Wow, that sounds so much like Mario Paint, which is a very good thing; I feel there are few games (Let alone system menus) that have as catchy music as Mario Paint had, as well as could make. Well done Nintendo.

moominsean @ Dec 5th 2006 8:30PM

reminds me of the easy listening tunes from pilot wings on the n64. completely cheesy and so catchy they burn into your skull. i can instantly recall the cloudy weather hang glider music at any time. great relaxation levels. wonder if there is any relation in terms of composer?

blaine @ Dec 6th 2006 11:13AM

For some reason it reminds me of Napoleon Dynamite.

Brett @ Dec 5th 2006 7:56PM

It's video golf music. I hate video golf music. The only thing worse than video golf music is video poker music.

Reeve @ Dec 5th 2006 8:00PM

Yes, the Wii Shop Channel is some of the best department store music *ever*, but it's the Mii Channel music that I can't get out of my head!

Eligio J Rosa @ Dec 5th 2006 8:25PM

I think Nintendo hired the guy that made the after the race music from the original F-zero. Which is awesome!!!

Eek @ Dec 5th 2006 8:07PM

I would pay Nintendo so much money if they would just NOT have that music going constantly. Ugh!

Miguel @ Dec 5th 2006 8:09PM

YEAH!!! when i read this article, i remembered that I was humming this song while I was walking to class. Its so simple but yet so catchy. Unfortunately, I kept humming the song and my professor told me to shut up.

Tykin @ Dec 5th 2006 8:44PM

It's so good to have you doing something other than the Japanese Hardware sales, Ludwig. I was worried that you would only do those from now on.

PhillyRampage @ Dec 5th 2006 8:21PM

HAHA after so many complaints coming in that you guys wrote too many Wii complaints and you guys come up with a stupid beat? Jeez.

Thrawn @ Dec 6th 2006 5:31PM

Please don't be the "don't get the bit" guy, people.

The Wii music, and in particular the Wii shop channel music is just a little bit of Nintendo comic genius. What music would be the most cliche, trite yet resultantly funny music to shop to? Why, cliche, trite department store/elevator music of course.

Bravo, Nintendo.

Bob @ Dec 5th 2006 8:27PM

I have a confession. Sometimes I go into the Mii parade and up the speed so I can hear the music upbeat.

I'm so ashamed... sob...

Shogan @ Dec 5th 2006 8:44PM

I was walking around humming that music yesterday... and I never hum music. I have no idea how long I'd been doing it, but once I noticed, I just kinda smiled. The interface could use some tweaking, but the music is absolutely classic. :)

Reilly @ Dec 5th 2006 11:52PM

It's good, but it's nowhere near as catchy as the Malo Mart song in Twilight Princess.

Capt. Castellanos @ Dec 5th 2006 8:47PM

does this really count as a wii delight?
yes, i know, i too am guilty of humming wii music..
eh eh eh, well it IS catchy.
but does this really count as a delight,
because there ARE some people who don't like it.
(see a few posts above my own)

oh well, whatever floats your boat, joystiq.

seamonkey420 @ Dec 5th 2006 8:54PM

i also love the wii menu music.. gets in my head..

however! i've realized that i know why i love the sound so much..

the song is a somewhat remixed version of the super mario first level background music.. or at least this stoned monkey thinks so! hehe.. i'll prob whip up a quick remix tonight.. could be a sweet ringer! :P

Beans @ Dec 5th 2006 9:33PM

All other comparisons pail in comparison to this one. What the UI Wii music really sounds like is as if it was taken right from the next Animal Crossing! Very easy going, very catchy (very cheesy) and I've gotten the impression that the same sounds or instruments(?) are the same as well. Completely inspired from it, I would say.

Intangible 360 @ Dec 5th 2006 9:15PM

Am I the only one who finds it very reminiscent of Animal Crossing?

JBGUY2K @ Dec 5th 2006 9:28PM

hahaha, the first thing that came to mind when I heard this was "Mario Paint"

Baba @ Dec 5th 2006 9:22PM

"you may be sprawled across a couch with a limp wrist"

That's how I spent my time before the Wii.

LuigiHann @ Dec 5th 2006 11:25PM

The only thing that would be better would be if you could choose to hear the Zelda 64 shop music instead.
Cha cha cha!

ill trooper @ Dec 5th 2006 9:36PM

It's really awesome, and more of a commitment than companies usually make for things like menus, where, for instance, Microsoft and Sony have a simple 'audio logo' at start-up (I know these start-up sounds involve a lot of time and thought, I'm just calling them 'simple' compared to Nintendo busting out a full-time song/loop that just noodles along).

It sounds like late 50's/early 60's 'roller-rink' organ music, the kind that was played live by an organist, if the owner of the roller-rink didn't like the young kids getting corrupted by vinyl records of the then-new devil's music, rock and roll. Mix that with a vaguely close (but still far enough away to prevent infringement) melody to 'Girl From Ipanema' and you are in the house!

Nice one Nintendo!

Now please... A redesign of the menus so they feel consistant?

ill trooper @ Dec 5th 2006 9:30PM

ill trooper @ Dec 5th 2006 9:39PM

Hey, WTF? Sorry about that double post!

I'm realizing it reminds me of the 'menu' music from the N64' WaveRace64.'

mmxzero @ Dec 5th 2006 10:02PM

lol, at least Im not alone. I love the Wii Shop channel music! When I first went on that channel and went off it, I went back on again for the music, I thought damn I like this tune! Yeah it like old department store music or something. But only the 3rd Wii delight?

Matt Rix @ Dec 7th 2006 11:03AM

I'm realizing it reminds me of the 'menu' music from the N64' WaveRace64.'

If you listen to all the Wii Sports music, it's VERY similar to Wave Race 64... And the announcer's voice is the same in it too!

UserDoesNotExist @ Dec 5th 2006 11:13PM

I must admit, I do turn on the Wii and park it at one of the channels just to listen to the music while I'm working on my senior project. Very, very catchy.

Whoever said it sounds like Mario Paint was right. SimCity for the SNES is another great game for background music.

When's Mario Paint coming out for the Wiimote?!

ttr @ Dec 5th 2006 10:35PM

So elevator music is cool now? I'll have to write that down.

Skyler Jermyn @ Dec 5th 2006 11:03PM

I'll bet Koji Kondo has something to do with the great wii music.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koji_Kondo

Miguel @ Dec 5th 2006 11:17PM

#12,

HA HA HA. I do that when im bored too!!

Uchendu Nwachukwu @ Dec 6th 2006 6:48AM

It sounds like someone at Nintendo took one of those Casio keyboards from the 80s, put it on the Bossa Nova 2 beat setting, played 16 bars and pressed Repeat.

Which is not necessarily a bad thing.

Tamago @ Dec 5th 2006 11:25PM

Are you kidding me.........

dgsr2002 @ Dec 6th 2006 12:02AM

it definitely reminds me of the adult swim "breaks" where they show what is coming up next...I kept looking for aqua teen in pandora whatever number they put after it

Pince @ Dec 6th 2006 2:17AM

I think their sound design altogether is pretty nice.

The Wii shop music has that kind of catchy bouncy beat that reminds me of the chocobo theme from some FF games, or something else like that that I love having stuck in my head.

Overall, I like all of the Wii sounds. Every beep, bloop, tone, ring, and song. I even like the little loading sound. It is pleasing.