I never played the original

In fact, I was most intrigued by that flexibility to change the song and make it your own. Each song has a backing track carrying a beat and a melody throughout, but when you play, your ship travels along one of several different lanes.

Each of these lanes corresponds to a different part of the song, such as drum fills, vocals, or bass. When you do well, your lane autofills and continues to play that instrument, freeing you up to move to a different instrument of your choice. This creates memorable moments when vocals swell and dominate the song, the bass thumps especially strongly in your ears, or a driving drum section takes over. It doesn't seem like much, but this creativity allows each song to feel a little different every time you play it.

I had no idea how Amplitude would play. I have none of the nostalgia for the original that drove so many Kickstarter donations. In Amplitude, however, I found an enjoyable game that scratched an itch I didn't even know I had. It gave me the sort of personal rhythm experience that I've been longing for, and enough freedom of expression to make me feel like I was a part of making the song.