I’m a big fan of Nerdcore artists, a subgenre in the Hip-Hop community. So, when I heard that Creative Mind Frame was developing a playable rap album, I was intrigued. I reached out and got a review code for the game, and once I booted the game up, I couldn’t put it down until I finished it. How cool is it to play through a conceptual music album? Well, let’s dive in and find out.
Creative Mind Frame
Let’s give a bit of background before diving into the actual game and album itself. I did some interviews with friends from the Nerdcore Community – with some even featuring on the album (and game) you are currently reading about. So here’s my interview with Mega Ran (who is featured on the album and ingame) and my interview with both Ultraklystron and Techno Mage – both known in the same community and known to dabble into videogame music as well (and more). I describe the genre Creative Mind Frame dabbles in pretty extensive in these interviews, so check those out before reading further. So, up to speed?
Level Up: The Playable Rap Album is a dynamic 2D side-scrolling adventure that merges the fun of a 90s side-scroller video game with the vibes of a hip-hop album. It was created by a multifaceted first-time developer — a two-time Ninja Warrior, Nerdcore Rapper, and an Operational Excellence leader named Creative Mind Frame. His website states: “By day, Aouad is a process optimization program manager passionate about Lean Six Sigma and organizational efficiency. By night, he’s an up‐and‐coming rapper and Nerdcore artist named Creative Mind Frame, writing and performing original songs about anything and everything that interests him.”
When asked what his music is about, his too go-to answer is: “My art spans topics of Nerdcore, inspiration, and education. My goal is to empower listeners to believe in themselves and to strive for their very best every day. I spent over a decade performing at video game, anime, and pop culture conventions, providing joy to as many people as I could reach and delivering unique thought-provoking panels along the way (I am a founding member of the Nerdy People of Color Collective). Most recently, I’ve begun learning game development to begin blending gameplay into music and attempt a new style of art inspiration.”
It shows that this game is a unique way to experience the hip-hop album Level Up, featuring the talented artists Substantial, Mega Ran, Kadesh Flow, Mc Ohm-I, and Oso Cinco, with masterful audio engineering by K-Murdock. It was brought to life by a successful Kickstarter campaign, and Level Up promises to open a new frontier in music experience. You can check out all the artists on the website, including links to their various social media platforms and musical outlets.
Level Up:
So, what do we get when we look past all the incredible musical collaborations? It’s a dynamic 2D side-scrolling rap album that merges the fun of a 90s side-scroller video game with hip-hop vibes! It felt like playing Mega Man with fantastic platforming elements from Metroidvania and other 90s sidescrollers. The story plays out through five different levels (and a few boss fights) in which Creative Mind Frame himself is the main character. He gets help from the people featured on the tracks that define the tone and setting on each level, with some of the characters playable for small segments of the level. Mega Ran must have been over the moon that he became a Mega Man in this game. While you traverse through classic 16-bit landscapes where each level unfolds in sync with the tracks from a lyrically masterful album, you uncover bits and pieces from the message Creative Mind Frame wants to tell you. The whole point about Level Up: The Playable Rap Album is not just about reaching the end; it’s about flowing with the beat, becoming one with the music, and experiencing music in a new way.
While playing through the game and beating the levels along the way, you get to unlock songs and access game-only versions of the album as you progress. Each level introduces a new track, with lyrics that narratively tie into the game’s journey, enhancing the experience and connection between the gameplay and the music, which was a first for me and something I want to experience more often. It comes with a total of three different modes for you to enjoy. Whether you’re in it for the story, the beats, or the challenge, the game meets you where you want by offering:
- Story Mode: Play through the album side by side with lyrical mastery.
- Freestyle Mode: Play and vibe out to the instrumentals only.
- Challenge Mode: Increase the difficulty with stronger enemies and stricter boss battles.
I did encounter some bugs, and my character got stuck on some ledges – or it was a bit frustrating to hit certain boxes to progress – but overall, the music to the platforming is the main goal here. And that’s reached – which once again proves that you don’t need a multimillion-dollar company to create a game that’s fun, looks good (I love 16-bit), and features great music. I encourage you to pick this up for the musical element (or if you are into Mega Man-likes).
Conclusion
So, to conclude! Level Up: The Playable Rap Album shows what a conceptual album can be turned into. It’s a great attempt at creating something different and shows so much promise for the Nerdcore Community. Their songs are stories in their own right, so please encourage your fellow songwriters to make games out of them. I can’t wait to see what Creative Mind Frame will crank out next, so be sure to give this a spin at Steam and their respective musical outlets.
7/10
Tested on the Steamdeck 256GB version.
