Tails and the Music Maker is an education game for the Sega Pico starring Miles "Tails" Prower, who uses this game to teach children about music. The object of the game is to learn scales, tempo, rhythm, and about instruments, and then match the music to the instruments. The player may also create their own music. This educational concept is similar to games like Sonic's Schoolhouse.
In Japan, it was released under the Hirameki Mirai Kids label as Unou Kaihatsu Series 7 Tails and the Music Maker (右脳開発シリーズ7 Tails and the Music Maker).
As with all Sega Pico games, the player uses the Magic Pen and directional buttons to solve different puzzles or play mini-games depending on the active Storyware page. In Tails and the Music Maker, there are six pages available.
Page 1
Animated title screen. The main theme plays as black, red, and yellow notes float around Tails. Clicking on the black note will display the credits.
Activity 1 - "Travels With Tails": Directing Tails to the waterfall on the left leads to a simple platforming activity through Green Hill Zone in the summer, fall, and winter. At the top of the screen is a box that shows the player what action they are performing. Tails can stop, tiptoe, jump, or run to avoid falling coconuts from trees, collapsing bridges, and pits that spring him back up. The background music changes depending on the action Tails is performing. Unlike the original and more familiar Green Hill Zone, there are no Badniks, loop-de-loops, slopes, Rings, or spikes. The activity is also fairly slow-paced, and the stage is designed more like that of a more basic platformer.
Activity 2: Dragging Tails to the right where the frogs are leads to a game of musical chairs. The player must leap from lily pad to lily pad avoiding the one that is glowing orange. When the music stops, the glowing lily pad disappears.
Page 3
Tails stands in front of a set of platforms that lead up to some sort of musical pinball machine as Dr. Eggman can be seen in his Egg Mobile in the background.
Activity 1 - "Percussion Pinball": Percussion Pinball is a music-themed pinball game in which Tails acts as the ball, much like in Casino Night Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The bumpers are shaped like percussion instruments, and upon being hit, they emit the sound of the instrument they represent.
Activity 2: This activity emphasizes drawing shapes with the Magic Pen. The player must draw proper circles around the notes slowly bouncing around the clef. When a note bounces, the letter of its key is displayed on the bar at the right side of the screen. When a note is circled, its letter will glow green. To complete the activity, the player must circle all of the notes.
Page 4
Tails stands in front of a wall of music. Coyotes stand atop the nearby hill and howl if touched, and Eggman can be seen if the player knocks on the door.
Activity 1 - "The Great Wall of Music": This is a music-themed block breaker game similar to Arkanoid and Breakout. Each block the player hits will play a corresponding note. The game starts off with one row of blocks, and each time the screen is cleared it moves on to a new screen with an additional row.
Page 5
Tails stands on a large music keyboard. The keys are labelled and an image with lots of instruments can be seen. The player can change the tempo of the music.
Activity 1 - "Making A Musical Match": The player will be shown pictures of instruments and their corresponding tune. The instruments will then be jumbled up. When the player clicks on the instrument, it will play the tune from another instrument. The player must match the sound to the correct instrument.
Activity 2 - "Match That Tone": The player can choose from a range of tunes such as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Old McDonald Had a Farm and Three Blind Mice. The game will play a few notes, which the player must then repeat.
Page 6
Tails and Sonic stand next to some trees. Clicking on Sonic will cause him to Spin Dash away and back.
Activity 1 - "Draw System": The player can draw whatever they want. Colours can be selected by pressing the corresponding icon on the book. Clicking on the character on the left side will add them to the image, and animated scenes can be made.
Activity 2 - "The Recording Studio": The player can listen to musical themes associated with each instrument, or listen to tunes from nursery rhymes.
Manuals
This instruction manual requires additional or replacement scans.