MORE: The definitive guide for Fuser Battle Mode

We spoke with Fuser fan and expert Nerdcorettv about his musical past, tips and advice for new Fuser players, and what new features he most looks forward to from Harmonix. We also collaborated with NerdCoreMMA on an advanced tips and tricks video embedded at the bottom of the Interview, check it out!

Hello, Nerdcorettv! Tell us a bit about your history as a gamer.

I have been gaming since I was about three, and my dad helped me and my brother learn to read through Legend of Zelda and the original Final Fantasy, so I've been gaming for about 30 ish years, and have owned every Nintendo, Xbox and Playstation console there's been. My absolute favorite games are music games like Fuser, Rock Band, and Crypt of the Necrodancer, closely followed by a slice of life sims like Stardew Valley and Harvest Moon and the granddaddy of 4x games, Civilization. I also play an absurd amount of Magic the Gathering, though I haven't been anywhere near the pro circuit since 2012's Theros set. 

What is your experience musically?   

I jokingly explain myself as having the musical instincts of a neanderthal, but, I'm a fairly accomplished choral vocalist. I have been in several national-level competitions in my high school and collegiate years and performed John Rutter's Requiem at Carnegie Hall. My biggest musical skill is sight-reading, which has paid off well in Fuser and other games. Beyond that, I'm not actually that musical at all. I know how to play bass guitar but haven't really gone anywhere with that. 

What first drew you to Fuser? Have you played any other Harmonix games before it?

I am a huge fan of mashups and Fuser's drag and drop gameplay was super attractive to engage with. It allows me to enjoy music in a way I have never done before. I have played all of the Rock Bands and even carried my Rock Band 1 set home from the store when my car broke down. My wife and I also met over a Rock Band meet as well! My two-year-old plays Drop Mix with me and really enjoys it. 


What do you think is the most common thing new Fuser players experience?

I think it's the step between interacting, beat matching, and actually creating music. Fuser is closer to the thing it's simulating than any music game before it (save for something like Rock Band Pro) which makes Fuser very foreign to a lot of players. You are looking to make something rather than match something. It's a bit of a learning curve, but that's why the campaign is such a handy tool in on-ramping to that mindset. 

What is your most practical piece of advice for a new Fuser player?

Get scoring out of your head and play the Campaign to learn the tools.

Again, I think a lot of people go into it expecting a Rock Band-like experience and, while there's some of that here, the real draw is creating and collaborating with other players in Freestyle. For that reason, you're better served learning how to use the different deck controls, effects, and timeline than you are 5-starring the entire campaign. Freestyle is what made me truly fall in love with the game and start streaming it, even if I appreciate and love the battle mode.

 

What do you think about Fusers gameplay and overall engine? Do you think there is potential for music creation outside of the game?

I absolutely adore it. The ease of picking up a few discs and putting them together to make something new and interesting isn't something that a lot of games do with this level of accessibility. I also don't think there's potential for music creation outside: I know there is.

A lot of the players that I love to follow on Fuser like UEG_Spartan and PoojaShenanigans either DJ'd in real-life prior to Fuser or started picking it up because of Fuser. There's also a massive collaboration going on right now called After Dark and the recent Dream the Beat competition that really shows how much people have put into this as a tool, rather than just a game.  


What are some improvements or key features you would like to see added to Fuser?

As much as I get and shout this isn't Rock Band, I'd still love to see a score attack mode, or porting the Puzzle mode from Drop Mix over to Fuser to give the game some other ways to explore and interact with music. The weekly events are great for this, but not everyone is confident enough to send up a mix to the heavens, so it'd be cool to see some other ways of interacting with the music.

I'd also love to see a party mode that you could set up and does some neat software tricks to swap the mix up if nobody's interacted with it for a bit that I could just set for a gathering of friends and let it roll.  Really, anything to help explore the music more and in different ways. Campaign and the Weekly Events help, but Battle and Freestyle are what cemented several new favorites in my head like Gravel Pit and Kings & Queens. 

For more detailed advice on how to get the most out of your Fuser mixes can check out our video above!