Games of 2022 continues with a look at Trombone Champ!
Finally, 2022 has given us an answer to the age-old debate: who’s better, Mozart or Beethoven? The answer is of course Beethoven, and I can prove it. „Never liked the guy,“ says one achievement in Trombone Champ. Getting this achievement requires you to turd (destroy) one of the game’s collectible Mozart cards. I rest my trombone case.
When people think of classical music, their first instinct is usually to associate it with the snobby upper classes – not toots and turds. My mind goes to people in suits and evening gowns sat down to watch a recital, performed effortlessly by a lone musician, themselves clad in black, on the stage. The music is played note-for-note, dictated by the manuscript. It’s hard to get away from those connotations, even though I know they’re not true, because of the history of and attitudes towards classical music.
I’d forgive you for thinking that Trombone Champ would fall into that category. When you first load the game, the title is printed in a gothic font on a black and white background. A very solemn picture indeed. But as soon as you press start, a burst of colour floods the screen and you’re greeted with that jaunty tune at the main menu.
Classical music is the perfect space for Trombone Champ’s humour. Is there anything funnier than taking something associated with refinement and perfection, and then doing the exact opposite with it? Yes, we’ll play some of the most notable pieces in history but if you’re expecting a pitch perfect performance, you are in for a treat.
