Battle of the Bands, Wii - Review

Battle Of The Bands, Wii - £12.99 delivered

If you spend over £20, apply voucher "newsiteplay08" for £2 off

Review by Herby



Battle of the Bands is a rarity in today’s gaming world: a music/rhythm game that does not require some type of peripheral like a guitar, microphone, dance pad or electric tuba. Played solely with the Wii Remote, Battle of the Bands simplifies the genre by requiring only simple gestures in your attempt to destroy your opponent. But does Battle of the Bands win the battle for your cash?

The gameplay at the heart of Battle of the Bands is simple – a series of directional arrows runs along the screen similar to Guitar Hero or Rock Band. Swipe the remote in the direction shown at the correct time and you get points; get more points than your opponent by the end of the song and you win. During the battle, if you get enough notes in a row you can launch attacks at your opponent. Of course, your opponent can do the same so you must watch for attacks and block them before they hit your side of the screen.

Sounds simple, right? Unfortunately no – the controls of Battle of the Bands are actually its biggest weakness. The game is the victim of some very spotty movement recognition. Often you wave in one direction and the system seems completely impervious to your attempts to actually play the game. It’s frankly amazing that other games can sense the slightly movement with pinpoint accuracy but this title can’t get the basic four movements of up, down, left and right to register reliably. By playing long enough, you may find some adjustments will improve the recognition – small sharp movements seem to work best – but in a game where you are judged solely on accuracy it’s a huge obstacle to overcome.



Battle of the Bands almost manages to overcome its control weakness by having a brilliant soundtrack. Each of the game’s songs is presented in five musical styles – country, marching band and rock to name a few. The first time you hear the country-fried version of 'Man of Constant Sorrow' or the marching band starts playing 'Insane in the Brain' you will come very close to forgetting the wonky controls. Including a music player that allows you to switch genres at will was a very nice move and you may find yourself playing with that as much as the actual game itself.

Graphically, what the game lacks in polygon count it makes up for in style. The character designs are easily the visual highlight of the game. Characters would fit right in with PC classic Grim Fandango or the DS’s Touch Detective. They are clever and stylized and due to the large number of genres, nicely varied as well. Unfortunately, the great characters are weakened by some unpolished menus and the still shots of the characters that accompany the banter prior to battles are nothing short of painful.

If you frequent this site, it seems a safe assumption that you are a frugal gamer, one who thinks long and hard about each purchase, especially those at full retail price. At a full retail price Battle of the Bands would be very hard to recommend. While the music is amazing and the style is wonderful they just can’t overcome the flawed gameplay. However, at the low price of £17, fans of the music/rhythm genre should really consider picking this one up as the genre bending music really is something unique, that deserves to be experienced.



Battle Of The Bands, Wii - £12.99 delivered

If you spend over £20, apply voucher "newsiteplay08" for £2 off