You've got to hand it to Fresh Games first for being so off-the-wall cool, and second to Eidos for going out on a limb and backing games like Mr. Mosquito and Mad Maestro. Where the visuals and the idea of the former game could conceivably appeal to some niche gamers out in the world, the latter is so oddball it just has to be experienced. Imagine the excitement of a rhythm game coupled with the world of great Western Classical music. 'But wait,' you say, 'Western Classical music usually puts me to sleep.' And you'd be correct. The music, divorced from the visuals, is the kind of stuff your dad plays in the car on the way to school or that you'll hear in an elevator. But the visuals are excellent, zany goodness that is 'laugh out loud' funny. The people of your town are planning to tear down the old concert hall, and you will have to use your conducting skills to stop them and save the hall. During many short episodes, each accompanied by a famous piece of music from most of the great names in 18th and 19th Century classical music, you'll use your conducting ability to help events play out in a way that will save the concert hall. Honestly, very few of the scenes are what you might think of as 'storytelling,' but they are lots of fun to watch and the cut-scenes between each conducting segment pull the story together. Sort of. Anyway, you'll find that Mad Maestro is as much fun to watch as it is to play, and so much action appears on screen that you'll often be distracted from your conducting duties. And, if you go in for the classical music, some of the big names here include Mozart, Brahms, Strauss, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Schubert and Wagner. Maybe you can tell your folks it's educational software...

So, what did you think of when you saw the word 'conducting?' In real life, conducting is about holding a baton and leading a band or orchestra through its paces. Most people don't realize how much real-life conductors do in a concert. Conducting isn't just about keeping the beat. Back in the day, Mozart offered very little detail on things like dynamics (loud and soft) or tempo (speed). So, modern musical scholars are constantly debating how fast and loud this music should be played. The other challenge is in the nuances, including the fact that most people improvised (made things up) back in the day, a largely discontinued practice. Think Classical music is stodgy and dull? It may be in your town tonight, but all the heavyweights like Beethoven, Brahms and Bach (the big B's) improvised like a bunch of Jazz musicians. Mad Maestro does an amazing job of simulating the experience of conducting this music, right down to the frustration you feel when it just - isn't - right!

The easiest way to jump into Mad Maestro is to select Child Mode from the main menu. This mode takes away some of the more challenging aspects of conducting, focusing on just keeping the beat. You'll always get the chance to play through the entire scene, even if you're not doing a great job. And, you have the chance to select scenes out of sequence instead of having to earn them. The Training Mode is a must. It walks you through the mechanics of playing, and prepares you for the challenge of Mad Maestro. Honestly, I had to take some time in Child Mode just to get the feel for the game before really being able to hang in the main story mode. The Story Mode is only one piece of the total offering, because with each scene you beat you'll be able to Free Play that scene later or go to the Music Room and just listen to the great tunes. Bonus Games you've earned can be played later and Replay Mode lets you watch the high points of your performance in Free Play Mode.

The experience of Mad Maestro really varies from piece to piece, but the inclusion of the pressure sensitive analog buttons used for controlling dynamics reminded me of the novel use of the analog sticks in Ape Escape. Instead of using combos built out of all the buttons in different sequences, Mad Maestro asks you to keep a steady rhythm on the top buttons and chime in with the D-Pad from time to time when necessary. Sounds easy, doesn't it? The thing is, tempos change during songs and the strength of each button press influences the audience perception of your performance and amounts to a win or lose proposition for each scene. Much of Classical music contains tempo and dynamics ranging all over the map, so conducting becomes a matter of anticipating the highs and lows of the piece and leading with passion. There is even a Tension Meter to gauge the dramatic quality of the performance and you'll see the audience reacting differently depending on how well you work your band. If you fail to please you'll have to replay the scene until you get applause, at which point you can move on to the next round. Sometimes, if you really do a stellar job, you'll have the chance to play Medley Mode, which involves tacking a second piece onto the first you conducted. Usually, there is a greater challenge and more flexibility to conduct freely (and in an interpretive way) through Medley Mode. Finally, by clearing each scene you'll have a chance to play a concert and then do it all over again for improved points or just to see alternate animations.

Part of the reason many 'cool' and alternative games aren't brought over from Japan may be that we in the West don't always have the patience to endure a long learning curve. And, we aren't as interested in niche titles that appeal to a quirky sense of fun as 'chip off the block' games that exploit the same tired, old genres. And Mad Maestro is certainly unusual, niche and difficult. Child Mode is fun for all, since it lets you go through an entire scene, but non-Child Mode will cut you off as soon as you've played poorly for too long. It is frustrating playing the same scene over and over, but fans of timing and rhythm games won't have too much difficulty mastering this. Where things get interesting is in the pressure differences required to bring out the full emotion of a piece and the subtly changing tempos in this style of music. This isn't your daddy's 'four on the floor' dance music. Get ready to Rossini, baby!

A complex control scheme there isn't, but understanding how to correctly adjust to the music can be challenging. Feedback from the screen tells you everything you need to know about pressing the buttons, and remember that unlike Parappa the Rapper or similar games that demanded you watch the screen like a hawk to deliver button combos in rhythm, Mad Maestro is constant button pressing. The changes are in how hard you press the buttons and other combos you bring in with the D-Pad. Tempo is tracked easily enough with a little, white bouncing ball. The Tension Meter is similar to the feedback we see in most rhythm games, and you'll watch your progress after good conducting rise or fall after bad conducting. Each 'bar' (3 or 4 beats of music) has to be completed with a certain number of correct beats, and you're scored after each bar according to the number of correct beats. Even when you match tempo, other feedback will come your way. Press too hard, and you'll see feedback, just as you will for tempo mistakes. A meter will show you the strength you should use while pressing buttons, adjusting color to match loud/soft variation. Finally, you'll have the chance to adjust tempo on the fly and even cue special parts with the D-Pad. Missing these parts makes the piece of music sound like crap, but nailing them scores big points. Once you start to rack up the perfect score, you'll enter Angel Mode and really impress the audience. Foul up consistently and you'll enter Devil Mode. Only a series of perfect beats can take you out of Devil Mode. It may sound formulaic, but start playing and you'll realize how much control you have over the progress of each piece. Bring a fan of any Classical style in to play, and they'll be grabbing the controller yelling, 'No it goes much slower there!'

Mad Maestro will probably not win the accolades it deserves here in the US. I've already seen it billed as a rental, which I don't think is fair. Nothing out there really compares to the experience of playing a great, inventive rhythm game with the sounds of some very brilliant music. Sure, we could have another Parappa copy or some weak Disney production, but the reason to go out and buy your copy of Mad Maestro is simple. Unless we want games to devolve into a big haze of homogeneity with no focus on 'art' and an endless string of sequels, creative fare like this must be recognized. Maybe you think Classical music won't be your thing, but if there was ever a great way to be introduced to Mozart and Beethoven, here it is.