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This thread has been linked to the game 'Battle of the Bands'.
Music games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band seem to have fallen out of favour recently, possibly because they weren't really going anywhere gameplay wise. After all, there's only so much you can do with a a game where you play the same tracks over and over again, even if you throw in some other instruments as Rock Band did.
Or is there? Because there's one music game out there that dares to do something different, and that game is Battle of the Bands on the Wii. Battle of the Bands can be played in either one or two player mode and has you playing a selection of songs - there are thirty in total - as you compete to beat another band. What's original about Battle of the Bands is that each band has its own unique musical style - Rock/Metal, Funk/Hip-Hop, Country Western, Latin, and Marching Band.
So rather than the game containing thirty tracks performed by the original artist, there are five versions of each track, as performed by a cover band. If you're currently winning a band battle the music is played in the style of your own band, and if you're losing, the song's played in the style of the other band. Control of a song can switch between bands during each battle, which makes for an interesting mix of musical styles. My one gripe here would be that the song just jumps, whereas having the songs cross-fade would be less jarring.
Even though the songs aren't performed by the original artists, they're still pretty damn good. My favourite track in the game has to be 'Dum Diddly' by the Black Eyed Peas, performed by the in-game goth band. The graphics are also pretty good, and have a cartoon style that works really well. You can play through the game in campaign mode or choose to play any song at your leisure. So far, so good.
Except that Battle of the Bands has one huge flaw that pretty much sinks the game, especially when you compare it to the likes of Guitar Hero and so forth. The Guitar Hero games and their ilk use a guitar controller. On the Wii, you insert your Wiimote into the guitar controller and use the note and strum button in time with the music. Of course, it's nowhere near as complicated as playing a real guitar, and you're not really playing a guitar. But it's close enough to sort of make you think you are.
Battle of the Bands, on the other hand, doesn't make use of the Guitar Hero or Rock Band controllers, nor does it come with its own guitar controller. Instead, you have to waggle the Wii-mote in your hand in time with a series of lines and notes that scroll down the screen. This introduces a huge disconnect between you and the on-screen action and means that actually playing the game is a fairly boring affair. And given that the options menu allows you to play any song in any of the styles and just listen to them means you have no real reason to play the game.
It's a real shame that the makers of Battle of the Bands didn't think to make use of a proper guitar controller because Battle of the Band's premise is a sound one. But without letting you use a game controller, Battle of the Bands just falls flat and it's no real surprise there's been no sequel to the game. A good idea, poorly executed.
3 out of 10.
Or is there? Because there's one music game out there that dares to do something different, and that game is Battle of the Bands on the Wii. Battle of the Bands can be played in either one or two player mode and has you playing a selection of songs - there are thirty in total - as you compete to beat another band. What's original about Battle of the Bands is that each band has its own unique musical style - Rock/Metal, Funk/Hip-Hop, Country Western, Latin, and Marching Band.
So rather than the game containing thirty tracks performed by the original artist, there are five versions of each track, as performed by a cover band. If you're currently winning a band battle the music is played in the style of your own band, and if you're losing, the song's played in the style of the other band. Control of a song can switch between bands during each battle, which makes for an interesting mix of musical styles. My one gripe here would be that the song just jumps, whereas having the songs cross-fade would be less jarring.
Even though the songs aren't performed by the original artists, they're still pretty damn good. My favourite track in the game has to be 'Dum Diddly' by the Black Eyed Peas, performed by the in-game goth band. The graphics are also pretty good, and have a cartoon style that works really well. You can play through the game in campaign mode or choose to play any song at your leisure. So far, so good.
Except that Battle of the Bands has one huge flaw that pretty much sinks the game, especially when you compare it to the likes of Guitar Hero and so forth. The Guitar Hero games and their ilk use a guitar controller. On the Wii, you insert your Wiimote into the guitar controller and use the note and strum button in time with the music. Of course, it's nowhere near as complicated as playing a real guitar, and you're not really playing a guitar. But it's close enough to sort of make you think you are.
Battle of the Bands, on the other hand, doesn't make use of the Guitar Hero or Rock Band controllers, nor does it come with its own guitar controller. Instead, you have to waggle the Wii-mote in your hand in time with a series of lines and notes that scroll down the screen. This introduces a huge disconnect between you and the on-screen action and means that actually playing the game is a fairly boring affair. And given that the options menu allows you to play any song in any of the styles and just listen to them means you have no real reason to play the game.
It's a real shame that the makers of Battle of the Bands didn't think to make use of a proper guitar controller because Battle of the Band's premise is a sound one. But without letting you use a game controller, Battle of the Bands just falls flat and it's no real surprise there's been no sequel to the game. A good idea, poorly executed.
3 out of 10.
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Music games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band seem to have fallen out of favour recently, possibly because they weren't really going anywhere gameplay wise. After all, there's only so much you can do with a a game where you play the same tracks over and over again, even if you throw in some other instruments as Rock Band did.
Or is there? Because there's one music game out there that dares to do something different, and that game is Battle of the Bands on the Wii. Battle of the Bands can be played in either one or two player mode and has you playing a selection of songs - there are thirty in total - as you compete to beat another band. What's original about Battle of the Bands is that each band has its own unique musical style - Rock/Metal, Funk/Hip-Hop, Country Western, Latin, and Marching Band.
So rather than the game containing thirty tracks performed by the original artist, there are five versions of each track, as performed by a cover band. If you're currently winning a band battle the music is played in the style of your own band, and if you're losing, the song's played in the style of the other band. Control of a song can switch between bands during each battle, which makes for an interesting mix of musical styles. My one gripe here would be that the song just jumps, whereas having the songs cross-fade would be less jarring.
Even though the songs aren't performed by the original artists, they're still pretty damn good. My favourite track in the game has to be 'Dum Diddly' by the Black Eyed Peas, performed by the in-game goth band. The graphics are also pretty good, and have a cartoon style that works really well. You can play through the game in campaign mode or choose to play any song at your leisure. So far, so good.
Except that Battle of the Bands has one huge flaw that pretty much sinks the game, especially when you compare it to the likes of Guitar Hero and so forth. The Guitar Hero games and their ilk use a guitar controller. On the Wii, you insert your Wiimote into the guitar controller and use the note and strum button in time with the music. Of course, it's nowhere near as complicated as playing a real guitar, and you're not really playing a guitar. But it's close enough to sort of make you think you are.
Battle of the Bands, on the other hand, doesn't make use of the Guitar Hero or Rock Band controllers, nor does it come with its own guitar controller. Instead, you have to waggle the Wii-mote in your hand in time with a series of lines and notes that scroll down the screen. This introduces a huge disconnect between you and the on-screen action and means that actually playing the game is a fairly boring affair. And given that the options menu allows you to play any song in any of the styles and just listen to them means you have no real reason to play the game.
It's a real shame that the makers of Battle of the Bands didn't think to make use of a proper guitar controller because Battle of the Band's premise is a sound one. But without letting you use a game controller, Battle of the Bands just falls flat and it's no real surprise there's been no sequel to the game. A good idea, poorly executed.
3 out of 10.
Or is there? Because there's one music game out there that dares to do something different, and that game is Battle of the Bands on the Wii. Battle of the Bands can be played in either one or two player mode and has you playing a selection of songs - there are thirty in total - as you compete to beat another band. What's original about Battle of the Bands is that each band has its own unique musical style - Rock/Metal, Funk/Hip-Hop, Country Western, Latin, and Marching Band.
So rather than the game containing thirty tracks performed by the original artist, there are five versions of each track, as performed by a cover band. If you're currently winning a band battle the music is played in the style of your own band, and if you're losing, the song's played in the style of the other band. Control of a song can switch between bands during each battle, which makes for an interesting mix of musical styles. My one gripe here would be that the song just jumps, whereas having the songs cross-fade would be less jarring.
Even though the songs aren't performed by the original artists, they're still pretty damn good. My favourite track in the game has to be 'Dum Diddly' by the Black Eyed Peas, performed by the in-game goth band. The graphics are also pretty good, and have a cartoon style that works really well. You can play through the game in campaign mode or choose to play any song at your leisure. So far, so good.
Except that Battle of the Bands has one huge flaw that pretty much sinks the game, especially when you compare it to the likes of Guitar Hero and so forth. The Guitar Hero games and their ilk use a guitar controller. On the Wii, you insert your Wiimote into the guitar controller and use the note and strum button in time with the music. Of course, it's nowhere near as complicated as playing a real guitar, and you're not really playing a guitar. But it's close enough to sort of make you think you are.
Battle of the Bands, on the other hand, doesn't make use of the Guitar Hero or Rock Band controllers, nor does it come with its own guitar controller. Instead, you have to waggle the Wii-mote in your hand in time with a series of lines and notes that scroll down the screen. This introduces a huge disconnect between you and the on-screen action and means that actually playing the game is a fairly boring affair. And given that the options menu allows you to play any song in any of the styles and just listen to them means you have no real reason to play the game.
It's a real shame that the makers of Battle of the Bands didn't think to make use of a proper guitar controller because Battle of the Band's premise is a sound one. But without letting you use a game controller, Battle of the Bands just falls flat and it's no real surprise there's been no sequel to the game. A good idea, poorly executed.
3 out of 10.