Oh yay, more plastic instruments

Publisher Valcon Games has announced that they'll be bringing Game Life's new music game Easy Piano to the DS, complete with a 13-key, full-octave keyboard peripheral.

The game hopes to be an introductory teaching tool for playing the real piano, similar to how Art Academy wants to teach you how to draw fruit bowls. There's also a mode that prompts you to hit certain keys "similar to other popular music games currently on the market that also have external peripherals."

DSi and DSi XL owners need not apply as the peripheral plugs into the GBA port, similar to Activision's guitar grip peripheral.

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We are now officially one step closer to Rock Band: Little Richard and, more importantly, Keytar Hero. North America can look forward to plink-plonking on the go come early 2010; check out the press release below to tide you over in the meantime.

VALCON GAMES PRESENTS EASY PIANO FOR NINTENDO DS™ TO NORTH AMERICA

First‐Ever Nintendo DS™ Piano Game to Include Groundbreaking External Peripheral Keyboard

Redmond, WA (November 4, 2009) – VALCON GAMES today announced that it is the North American publisher and distributor for EASY PIANO. Created by the production company Game Life, Easy Piano is a new innovative piano music game for the Nintendo DS™ system that lets players enjoy a realistic piano experience, thanks to a 13‐note, full‐octave external keyboard peripheral that exponentially amps up the fun. With Easy Piano, players can learn how to play the piano, or simply play a quick game where the Easy Piano display prompts you to hit certain keys, similar to other popular music games currently on the market that also have external peripherals. This product will be available in North America in early 2010.

“No matter what age, Easy Piano makes playing and learning the piano a wildly fun experience, and Valcon Games is excited to bring it to the North American market.” said Glenn Halseth, CEO of Valcon Games. ”We truly believe in this exceptionally fun product, and once players get their fingers on the keyboard they will understand why.”

Would‐be pianists have the choice to play using a virtual 8‐octave, 13‐note keyboard on the Nintendo DS™ touchscreen, or using a real external 13‐note keyboard peripheral specially made to work with Nintendo DS™. Whether taking piano involving lessons or selecting a quick game, all players will be tutored in the correct finger movements and skills required to become a mobile virtuoso.

With 2 difficulty modes, everyone can have fun testing and improving their keyboard skills. The game’s track listing contains some of the world’s most famous songs, spanning time and genres, to offer something for everyone. A creation mode also allows players to record up to four 3‐minute‐long masterpieces. Players can choose from piano, or a number of other instruments included with the game, to create their musical opus.

Easy Piano’s lesson mode is specifically designed for people discovering the wonders of piano for the first time. With a series of 10 lessons and a host of mini‐games to teach the basics, any player, old or young, would learn and be entertained at the same time with this product.