DS Guitar M-06 hits Japan

I've tried and I've tried, I've plucked and I've strummed, but I'll just have to admit that the guitar is not an instrument compatible with my operating system. There. Happily, though, as of last Thursday I've been tuning up with a software guitar that runs perfectly fine on OS Jonti.

It's called DS Guitar M-06, developed by Plato Corp, and it was released here in Japan last week.

The concept of this software is as simple as Status Quo's chord patterns: M-06 displays six strings on the DS' touchscreen that will resonate, producing a sound, when you twang them with a stylus/ thumb/ plectrum. And the D-pad can be used in conjunction with the touchscreen to achieve chords and key changes.

Hook the DS up to a Fender guitar amp (note: that's a personal recommendation, any old amp will do) with a headphone-to-mic lead (aka, a 'little-to-big') and the results are surprisingly axe-ish.

The warmth of the sound is impressive, but it's also cool that you can hear exactly what you're expecting to hear. Strum as though your arm's connected to a winch (à la Noel Gallagher) and you'll hear nothing more than a plodding electric, but attempt some Tom Verlaine-esque articulation and you'll find that M-06 produces a very decent rendition.

In fact, you can see a video of Real Japanese People (pictured) enjoying DS Guitar in these and other ways on Plato's website.

DS Guitar M-06 isn't a game, really – it's more of a groovy piece of music software to complement the wonderful 2004 DS classic Daigasso Band Brothers, which Nintendo still hasn't released in the video game Third World that is Europe. (Poor you.)

It's quirky little things such as these, as much as Nintendo's triple-A games, which have turned the DS into a cultural phenomenon in Japan. And there's much more to come.

Meanwhile, over on mobile, with the Agito part of SquareEnix' forthcoming Final Fantasy XIII trilogy (how's that for overkill?) set to provide an invisible link between PS3 and phone, it's clear that the world's biggest RPG factory is at ease with mobile technology.

And if you want more proof of just how keen SquareEnix is to attract Japan's 'legions' (that's an RPG word) of commuters, check out Seiken Densetsu: Final Fantasy Gaiden, released last week as a Y525 download for KDDI phones in Japan, which successfully blends two legendary Square RPG series (Mana and FF) in glorious style.

What's more, Friends of Mana, a networked game (for Softbank phones) in the main line of Mana, has been expanded too, with three completely new worlds and quests.

Until next week, then. (またらいしゅうね！Mata raishuu ne!)