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Ultimate Band on DS: Hannah Montana-less Good Times
Posted by AJ Glasser at 1:00 PM on September 19, 2008
I doubt many of you played Hannah Montana: Music Jam on DS and if you did, you probably wouldn't admit to it here. But if you had, you would recognise the DS version of Ultimate Band right away because it's pretty much the same game - sans Hannah Montana.
Your guitar/bass fills up both screens of the DS and notes appear as little icons that fall down along the strings from the top screen to the touch screen. When they get there, you have to tap them while pressing the D-pad button specified in the icon. This setup comes with a lefty variation that uses the X, Y, A and B buttons on the right. The drums are a little different this time around - they've been tilted on the screen so there's more surface area for you to tap your stylus.
The Rhythm Play game mode allows you to try out all the instruments as you take your band across the city of Rockopolis (insert lol here), playing different venues to earn fans and work your way up to larger venues. There's a multiplayer mode that lets you jam head-to-head or cooperatively with other DS owners that actually bring themselves to buy this game. But by playing rhythm, you unlock backbeat loops to use in the recording studio mode, which was the star of the Hannah Montana game. These looped drum beats are like those old keyboard toys we had when we were kids - start up the back beat and then randomly press the other buttons and somehow it all comes out sounding like music. For the more hardcore, you can skip the backbeats and arrange your own music - and for the utterly clueless, you can actually sort loops by genre (punk, pop, rock, etc.) if you have no idea how to get going.
All of this impressed me only because Hannah Montana was nowhere to be found. Even the cover band that recorded the 15 songs for the DS version didn't make use of the mini megastar's vocals; and none of the skinny avatar choices resembled her.
Disney is infamous for whoring out a particular franchise to the point where you want to claw your eyes out of your skull every time another video game/toy/Halloween costume appears. This prevents decent games like Hannah Montana: Music Jam or Kim Possible from getting recognition - because it's Hannah Montana and most gamers wouldn't be caught dead having anything to do with her (Kim Possible is negotiable).
Well, it looks like they've sort of learned their lesson with Ultimate Band. The game comes out mid-November.
Now if only I could pry myself away from Guitar Hero: On Tour...
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
Dalren
Posted 1:34 PM 19/9/08
@Captain IceKong: No, you don't HAVE to upgrade to the new controllers to play the new game unless you're ultra competitive about scores.
Dalren
Captain IceKong
Posted 1:28 PM 19/9/08
@Karunamon:
Well, one example is the new Guitar Hero game. While you don't have to upgrade all the instruments (since drums and stuff weren't in the previous installments) you DO, in fact, have to upgrade your guitar controllers. This is because the new models have extra buttons/touchpad that will play a fairly vital role to gameplay I believe.
But whatever, I would just rather spend a few hundred dollars on a bunch of other games instead of the rest of the required controllers just to play one game.
Captain IceKong
Kaddisfly
Posted 1:25 PM 19/9/08
AJ... you're better than this, and you know it.
Kaddisfly
BlueWizard422
Posted 1:25 PM 19/9/08
I actually liked the mechanics behind the Hannah Montana game. I just hoped they would lose the license and create a sequel. Looks like they did just that.
BlueWizard422
Karunamon
Posted 1:19 PM 19/9/08
@Captain IceKong:
I guess I'm not getting what you're putting down. All of the music games instruments are compatible with their direct sequels.
(And NOT their competitors sequels, of course.)
Karunamon
Captain IceKong
Posted 1:13 PM 19/9/08
The only music game (if you can even call it that) that I am looking forward to is Korg DS-10.
Music games on consoles suck, because you have to spend hundreds of dollars on all of these toy instruments only to have to get them all over again when they come out with upgraded models and sequels.
Captain IceKong
Sandbox_Emperor
Posted 1:12 PM 19/9/08
@Kaizuden: I'm annoyed as well. And yeah, devs are going to be milking the virtual-band-game cow until its udders turn into to small lumps of dust
Sandbox_Emperor
CockroachMan
Posted 1:11 PM 19/9/08
OK.. we know that there's no Hannah Montana there.. but WHAT IS IN THERE THEN!?
CockroachMan
Kaizuden
Posted 1:06 PM 19/9/08
Ugh... I can't wait till the "Me too!" fad of Rock Band and Guitar Hero clones stop, and move onto something less annoying. However with the number of kids I see buying the game at work I doubt this cash cow isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
Kaizuden
Captain IceKong
Posted 1:52 PM 19/9/08
@Dalren:
I think music games are great fun , actually, but my point is that why spend so much money on one great game when you could be getting 3-4 great games for the same price? Maybe it is cool if you have extra money for stuff like that, but I don't really have a bottomless wallet.
However, I must admit, this does make music games for the DS much more appealing. All you need is the system and the game, just the way I like it.
Captain IceKong
Dalren
Posted 1:44 PM 19/9/08
@Captain IceKong: Might not be worth it if you're not very into these games.
Dalren
Captain IceKong
Posted 1:42 PM 19/9/08
@Dalren:
Really? Was this confirmed in an interview or something? I thought that you also needed it if you wanted to make songs in the game.
Oh well, doesn't matter. I am also talking about when a new console comes out. First you have to upgrade your console, then you have to upgrade your music controllers. Just isn't worth it in my opinion.
Captain IceKong
Mal-Content
Posted 2:22 PM 19/9/08
Rockopolis? I believe they actually built that city on both rock AND roll.
Mal-Content
AJ Glasser
Posted 2:18 PM 19/9/08
@Kaddisfly: Hey, pal. I go where they send me :)
AJ Glasser
AJ Glasser
Posted 2:18 PM 19/9/08
@Kaizuden: Amen.
AJ Glasser
AlienRopeBurn
Posted 2:10 PM 19/9/08
It's really hard to beat the Elite Beat Agents / Ouendan series for DS rhythm fun. Great use of the stylus, making stages that could never be mimicked on a d-pad and full of personality.
This seems more like something like Beats on the PSP - which was thoroughly average, save for the play-whatever-music gimmick. Hopefully it has some surprise to pull it beyond just that.
AlienRopeBurn
kosikutioner
Posted 4:25 PM 19/9/08
@Captain IceKong: Honestly, since RB came out, myself and my friends have played pretty much nothing else. Its totally worth 3-4 other games, because it gives pretty much unlimited re-playability if you like the game and music. I realize its expensive as well, and it sucks, but it IS an amazing game, and regardless of GH setup, RB instruments are fully compatible.
kosikutioner
Saxboy
Posted 11:41 PM 19/9/08
@Sandbox_Emperor: @Captain IceKong: I actually prefer the virtual rock games to most other games. Things like Halo, GTA, MGS just don't interest me. I'd rather just buy GH4 instead.
Saxboy
FancyRat
Posted 2:09 PM 20/9/08
I admit it, I played the Hanna Montana one. I didn't like it, and I didn't pay for it, but I played it.
FancyRat