Ultimate Band

Ultimate Band Review

I mainly bought Ultimate Band because of the price and because there was nothing extra needed to play the game. As much as I'm intrigued by all the Guitar Hero/Rock Band games, I've never really desired them because of the space the peripherals take up plus the extra cost, so when I saw Ultimate Band and read a little more about it, I thought it was worth a shot. Turns out I was right.

I beat the game on Easy in a couple of hours, but doing so on Normal and Hard is taking a bit longer because I'm a bit of a perfectionist and the controls can be a little finicky, especially when having to tilt the nunchuck just so to catch the right note. Also, the repetition can be a bit on the mundane side now and then, especially when a song is not to your tastes. But that aside, the game is realistic enough and certainly family friendly.

As for gameplay, I do miss having a bass drum pedal and find my foot going with the bass beat for the drums out of instinct (as I have played drums for the last 10 years of my life). However, the guitar strumming can be both fun and tiring, especially when really getting into a song. The harder the difficulty, the more of a challenge with the lead guitar in particular and the bass control of tilting the nunchuk is a bit annoying when you're trying to do a flourish and it reads the movement wrong. The tutorials only seem to go so far and the quickest way to learn is to just practice or jump in and play the songs.

The cut scenes are pretty short and super kid friendly, which basically describes the game, but in terms of family fun, you can't go wrong. Younger kids will still get a challenge on some of the songs on easy and older ones (including adults) will find plenty to do with the harder difficulties. And the song list is pretty fun and well rounded too spanning some classic rock entries to current pop faves. I give a four out of five because of the simplicity/repetition of the game.

Ultimate Band Feature

• Eight Imaginative and invocative venues, including 'Jamhalla,' 'Aztec Palace,' and 'Dome Debut' come to life during gameplay and react to how well players perform.
• Take on - drums, lead guitar, bass guitar and a band front man - all with unique motion mechanics using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk.
• Follow a unique narrative story mode or stand up and jam to any songs and venues they've already unlocked.
• 30+ songs made famous by artists such as The White Stripes, The Who, The Jonas Brothers, Weezer and more.
• Players can customize their bands by creating characters that look just like them, or by selecting from different character genres.

Ultimate Band Overview

Rock and roll comes in all shapes, sizes, flavors and colors, but there is one truism. All great bands don't just play their music, they live it. And now you can do the same as you play and perform moves just like a rock star with Ultimate Band for Wii. Ultimate Band puts players on the track to Rock n' Roll stardom by advancing their music careers and popularity from playing in a neighborhood garage to performing in front of an international audience at a world famous venue. But this isn't your typical rhythm game.

Start in the basement & clubs. View larger.

Take your act to the top . View larger.

The Wii-Mote makes rockin' easy. View larger.

Unlike other games in the music genre, Ultimate Band utilizes the innovative Wii Remote and Nunchuk that players already have to provide the ability to play the drums, bass guitar, lead guitar, or take on the role of the front man, without the extra cost of music-mimicking peripherals. Players also use the familiar, intuitive controls of their Wii Remote and Nunchucks to create and customize characters that reflect their own unique personalities and attributes. Along the way, players unlock new songs, venues, and accessories that can be used to customize their band members as they experience a new type of musical gaming experience that will take them where they have never been before.

Join the "Ultimate Band"

Key Game Features: Choose Your Instrument: In Ultimate Band, there are four band roles that players can take on - drums, lead guitar, bass guitar and a band front man - all with unique motion mechanics using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. Multiple Game Modes: Players can either follow a unique narrative story mode or stand up and jam to any songs and venues they've already unlocked. In addition Ultimate Band offers group and family entertainment through multiplayer modes that include head-to-head competition or cooperative play. Extensive Song List: 30+ songs made famous by artists such as The White Stripes, The Who, The Jonas Brothers, Weezer and more. Gender-Specific Detail: Although there is no singing in Ultimate Band, all of the songs in Ultimate Band are re-mastered so they are performed in the gender of each band's front man and include added attention to age-appropriate lyrics. Character Customization: Players can customize their bands by creating characters that look just like them, or by selecting from different character genres. Eight Varied Gameplay Environments: Eight Imaginative and invocative venues, including 'Jamhalla,' 'Aztec Palace,' and 'Dome Debut' come to life during gameplay and react to how well players perform.

Gameplay: Out of the Garage and on to 'Stage Breaks'
Although there are many ways to play Ultimate Band, one of the most exciting is through its compelling storyline, told via cutscenes. Players begin by choosing the gender of their character, crafting their image with a wide variety of clothing accessories and choosing a band name. Once the other members are added in a similar way, the touring cycle begins that will lift player's bands out of the garage, into the clubs and possibly on to the biggest stages in the world; but the story doesn't end there. Once players have hit the big-time there is the challenge of 'Stage Breaks.' These are special events that only happen when musicians are in their groove and are in context with the theme of each game environment. For example, in 'Jamhalla,' a Viking-themed Rock n' Roll fortress, a dragon punctuates the performance of your song. Just make it through the song, and he just makes an appearance. But rock the house and he blasts flames. Now that Rocks!

Nintendo Wii/DS Connectivity
If you have Ultimate Band for the Nintendo DS you can sit in with players on the Wii version. Simply set your DS to search Wii versions of Ultimate Band in range and you can join in the fun. While the Wii gamers roam from gig to gig and in and out of the studio, you have the ability to play VJ by altering the color of the lights, as well as turning on and off stage effects among other things.

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 03, 2010 19:20:11

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