Ultimate Band

Ultimate Band

Developer(s) Fall Line Studios
Publisher(s) Disney Interactive Studios
Distributor(s) EA Distribution
Platform(s) Nintendo DS, Wii
Release date(s)
  • NA November 25, 2008
  • EU April 9, 2009
  • AUS April 14, 2009
Genre(s) Music video game
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Ultimate Band is a music video game for the Nintendo DS & Wii. It is developed by Fall Line Studios, and published by Disney Interactive Studios.

Gameplay

Ultimate Band allows players to play guitar, drums, bass or be the front man or woman in a band (though vocals are not supported).[1] The Wii version follows the fortunes of an upstart rock band, with the player building the career of their customizable character, unlocking bonus songs, venues and accessories.[2]

Ultimate Band forgoes the use of specialized peripherals such as guitar and drum controllers, relying mainly on the Wii Remote and Nunchuk for the Wii version, and the touch screen and stylus for the DS version. For example, to play notes on guitar in the Wii version the player must press a button combination on the Nunchuk while strumming the Wii Remote up and down.[1] The DS version, based on Hannah Montana: Music Jam's code base,[3] will also allow players to create and record their own songs,[2] and have greater song customization options.[1]

Ultimate Band features support for Disney Interactive's DGamer community network.[4] The game will also feature connectivity between the Wii and DS versions, with DS players being able to control stage lighting and effects using the touch screen while a band performs on the Wii.[3]

Soundtrack

The Wii version of game features over 30 songs which comprise "a broad selection of current hits and all-time rock favorites" by "some of the biggest names in rock, alternative, popular, emo, and indie rock music".[2] The DS version only contains 15 songs, 10 from the Wii soundtrack and 5 exclusive to the DS.[3]

All songs are cover versions in order to better tweak the music to fit with the game, to self-censor explicit lyrics, and to allow both male and female vocalists.[5]

Song title Artist Wii DS
"All Day and All of the Night" The Kinks Green tick Green tick
"All Right Now" Free Green tick -
"All Star" Smash Mouth - Green tick
"Always Where I Need to Be" The Kooks Green tick -
"Anna Molly" Incubus Green tick -
"Beverly Hills" Weezer Green tick -
"Break on Through (To the Other Side)" The Doors Green tick Green tick
"Call Me" Blondie - Green tick
"Club Foot" Kasabian Green tick -
"Complicated" Avril Lavigne Green tick -
"Crushcrushcrush" Paramore Green tick -
"Dashboard" Modest Mouse Green tick -
"Debaser" Pixies Green tick -
"Fell in Love With a Girl" The White Stripes Green tick -
"First Date" Blink-182 Green tick Green tick
"Get the Party Started" Pink Green tick -
"Girl's Not Grey" AFI Green tick -
"Hanging on the Telephone" Blondie Green tick -
"Helena" My Chemical Romance Green tick -
"Hold On" Jonas Brothers Green tick Green tick
"I Want You To Want Me" Cheap Trick Green tick -
"In Too Deep" Sum 41 Green tick -
"Just" Radiohead Green tick -
"Just What I Needed" The Cars Green tick Green tick
"Move Along" The All-American Rejects Green tick Green tick
"My Generation" The Who Green tick Green tick
"Nine in the Afternoon" Panic! At The Disco - Green tick
"Our Time Now" Plain White T's Green tick Green tick
"Rock Lobster" The B-52's Green tick Green tick
"Somebody Told Me" The Killers Green tick -
"Song 2" Blur Green tick -
"Steady, As She Goes" The Raconteurs Green tick Green tick
"Stumble and Fall" Razorlight Green tick -
"The Take Over, the Breaks Over" Fall Out Boy Green tick Green tick
"Unconditional" The Bravery Green tick -
"When Did Your Heart Go Missing?" Rooney Green tick -
"Whip It" Devo Green tick Green tick
"Won't Go Home Without You" Maroon 5 Green tick -

Reception

1UP.com gave the game a D grade, believing the Remote-based controls felt "disconnected" and that the soundtrack was "anemic", with "generic, sometimes embarrassing vocalists".[6] GameSpot was more positive, scoring it a 6.0/10 and praising the game's family-friendly presentation and use of both male and female vocals being recorded for each song, yet were less impressed by its "finicky" controls and unreliable gesture recognition.[7]

See also

References

External links