Ultimate Band

Ultimate Band for Nintendo Wii

Disney is right on the beat with this fun-filled music game that’s custom built for Wii.

The joy we expected to find playing Wii Music has emerged instead in the form of a Rock Band / Guitar Hero copycat from Disney. Teenagers will almost certainly scoff at the Ultimate Band premise, which only uses the standard Wii remote and nunchuck set up to whack and wail instead of replica guitars and drums. Younger kids and their families however are in for an uplifting experience with Disney’s latest offering for Nintendo Wii. No expensive add-ons are required; all you need is the Wii remote and nunchuck arrangement to enjoy. You really feel the music, you’ll have loads of fun, and that’s usually more than fine where we’re concerned.

Ultimate Band is presented as Rock Band Lite if you will. The familiar downward-scrolling prompts to strum or drum appear as with Rock Band and Guitar Hero (and a whole bunch of great Rhythm Action games from Konami before that). However, instead of using a plastic guitar or pint-size set of drums to join in, you just waggle the Wii Remote and / or Nunchuck to play your part.

If you come to Ultimate Band expecting the ‘authentic’ performance aesthetic of Rock Band you’ll be blue. But if you’re prepared to loosen up in the name of music miming pure and simple you’ll have a ball. The game enthusiastically sets the ultimate stage for your ultimate band with venues that have outlandish special effects kicking off in the background while speaker columns throb to the beat.

Sadly the majority of songs are not performed by the original artists, but the cover versions of tracks by Pink, Blondie, Kasabian and The White Stripes to name a few out of around 35 are better than we expected. And because they’re covers you can choose between male or female vocals – a clever idea that can inspire wannabe Avril Lavignes as much as the Jack Whites.

It’s all fun-time party anthems here, the kind of thing your Mum would approve of. According to our Disney representative if there are any dubious lyrics they’ve been tamed for the game. Ultimate Band is painstakingly kid friendly, cut a long one short.

The game’s extensive customisation options would seem out of place in Rock Band or Guitar Hero. You really can spend a very long time changing hairstyles, skin tones, clothing and countless accessories – including amazing guitars – to get the ideal look for your rock ’n’ roll alter ego. It’s possible that your kids will spend an afternoon getting this part alone exactly as they like it before moving on to perform.

Performance itself is honestly a joy striking a balance between some serious rockin’ and downright silliness. The Wii remote / nunchuck set-up adapts really well to becoming a solo, rhythm or bass guitar – the latter requiring exaggerated wrist turns to hold down the notes on an imaginary fret board, contrasting with fussier button presses for soloing and faster riffs on lead. It’s a bit of a shame that you can’t sing into the Wii remote as front man / woman. But your role here is to keep the crowd on its feet by clapping your hands and striking cool poses.

Ultimate Band doesn’t punish anyone for missing a beat, instead it emphasises when you get it right. So the music continues for everybody’s enjoyment even if you’re not so good (yet) at following the prompts. However you’ll hear cool harmonies and thunderous percussion sound effects as your skill improves. You’re also free to improvise, and if you can keep your additional strums or strikes vaguely in time your score improves. Generally the freedom from failure is very refreshing.

There are three main game modes: Practice Jam, Band Story and Battle. You can take the Battles online with Nintendo Wi-Fi and see how you compare to other bands in the world. The only downside is that each player needs a Wii remote and nunchuck, but tucking these in your coat pocket to visit a friend’s house one rainy afternoon is no real hardship.

Again, don’t come to Ultimate Band expecting a serious take on rock and roll. It’s a kids’ party game and as such works terrifically well. Highly recommended!

4 out of 5