Gamer Discovers Way To Play Music On Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons
Over the years, we've seen some weird and wonderful controllers and peripherals, with Nintendo arguably showcasing the best. From the Duck Hunt Zapper to playing DK Bongos as part of Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, the mythical NES Power Glove to Game Boy Printer, we've seen it all. Even the most recent release of the Nintendo Switch came with the creative (if impractical) Labo, proving that just when we think the house that Mario built has run out of tricks, there's a new peripheral to shock and surprise.
Following in the footsteps of pioneering controllers for the likes of N64, GameCube, and Wii, the Nintendo Switch has become synonymous with the Joy-Con controllers. Combining the best of being a fixed and portable controller that homages the controllers of old, Joy-Cons are the adorable little addition that makes the Switch what it is. Yes, there are other more traditional controllers that probably work better for competitive play, but what would the Switch be without the Joy-Con? Now, one fan has made their Joy-Cons even better and made them play music.
How do you play music through your Switch Joy-Cons?
Remembering how the Nintendo Wii had speakers in its Wii Remote, this Joy-Con mod sadly doesn't work the same. We used to love playing Super Mario Galaxy with the sounds blaring out of the Wii Remote every time you nabbed a star. However, with the Joy-Cons boasting no speakers, getting them to play music is a little harder (but not impossible), Here, Reddit user u/Sarossilli used the Joy-Con's HD Rumble capabilities to play the iconic Mario theme. Using a custom-built programme, Sarossilli plays MIDI files via the Joy-Con's rumble feature.
If you're sold, Sarossilli explains that you simply need to download and extract a ZIP file, then connect your Joy-Cons to PC through Bluetooth. A couple more steps and voilà, play all the rumble music you need. There's a warning that the Windows version is "really early and buggy", while there are also some limitations in terms of what notes the rumble pack can actually hit. Still, you can pretty easily tell what songs are being played.
What music can be played with your Switch Joy-Cons?
Considering all music is just a series of vibrations, the clever Joy-Con mod works in exactly this way - just without the usual strings and bass you might expect. This isn't the first time the Joy-Cons have been used in this way. If you play Super Mario Party, you'll remember the Joy-Con plays a little melody when it's your turn. Elsewhere, Kirby Star Allies has a similar feature that toots its own tune. The musical world is your oyster. Do you want to hear Saria's Song from Ocarina of Time, the Star Fox Corneria theme, or Mario Kart's Rainbow Road?
Clever modding of Joy-Cons is nothing new. Only recently, we covered how another crafty gamer hacked apart a classic Game Cube controller and turned it into a pair of purple Joy-Cons for the ages. Playing music using Joy-Cons looks like it's relatively easy as long as the song can be converted into a MIDI file. The thread's comment section soon filled with requests, and yes, we're happy to confirm your Joy-Cons can play DOOM!
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