Jam with the Band (NDS) Review - Australian Nintendo 3DS, Wii & DS Reviews

(This is a review of the Japanese version, not the 2010 release for Europe)

This was the surprise title of the Japanese launch. It was announced for the first time in 2001 as “GB Music”. Nintendo probably decided that the game would suit its dual screen portable better and it was redesigned to fit the Nintendo DS.

Daigasso! Is a great entry in the Rhythm and music genre, in which the company has been experimenting with titles like Donkey Konga. This game is similar to others of the genre like Beatmania from Konami. But in this case the use of the portable’s unique features makes Daigasso! another perfect sample of what the DS can do.

Graphics: the game doesn’tt- push the DS’s graphical engine to the limit. The reason behind this is that it was originally designed for the GBA. But it is very stylish and has lots of personality. All the menus and the screens where you interact with Barbara Bat (character that will be remembered by her… um… talent) are very well designed and a "Daigasso" felling is all over the game. During the actual gameplay both screen don’t display anything besides a music sheet and the icons of the buttons that must be executed. Another very neat detail is its packaging. If you can get hold of the original box, it will include a set of headphones! All boxes also include 3 posters, one for each mode, with the instructions. This is a great example to other publishers on how to deliver a great game with a great presentation.

Sound: Even though all the songs a multi-channel midi files, it is a bit disappointing that Nintendo didn’t try voice samples in some of the songs. Daigasso! has songs for everybody: Deep Purple, Glay, Exile, Morning Musume, L’arc en Ciel and Nintendo classics like Zelda, Mario and Kirby are some examples. J-Pop and Anime lovers will be enchanted with this game.

Gameplay: In "Single Play" you’ll find more than 30 songs to play. When you pick up the game for the first time, 2 colors represent all the notes: Red & Blue, depending on which buttons you have to press (the d-pad or the action buttons). Within "Single Play" you’ll find "Special Event". Here is where Barbara the Bat tests your skills and unlocks the "real" notes of the songs when you pass: you have to play 3 songs in a row and a limited amount of mistakes to make. The touch screen is only used to activate short auto-play section. This feature will no longer be available in the following mode.

Once you unlock the notes on all the songs, pro-mode becomes available. This one is similar to the normal one, but you also have to perform flat and sharp notes by pressing the console’s triggers.

But what makes this game very interesting are its editing modes. In the first one the player can hum a song to the Nintendo DS. This is a neat but limited feature. It is more like a technology demo than anything else. The second one, which unlocks when you beat normal mode, is a fully featured midi composer. Once your creations are finished, you can play them like any other song on the game or send them wirelessly to your friends.

Multiplayer value: This is another place where this game shines. With just one cart up to 8 friends can play a single song, each one handling a different instrument. This experience as close to a real band as it gets with out the real instruments. The only big issue with this mode is that, as with real music, not all the parts are fun to play. Drums are hard but very rewarding, and if the player screws this part it will probably mess up the other players’ rhythm ruining the whole song. If a song is performed almost flawlessly, it will be an amazing experience.

Replay value: Thanks to the different editors and the multiplayer mode the replay value on this game is practically endless. For those with the patience to create their own songs on the pro-edit mode, these can be replayed with friends and even transferred via the consoles wireless capabilities.

The single player mode has a steep learning curve turning the later stages into an impossible task. But as with music, practice is the key and you’ll need lots of time with most of the songs until you are good enough to pass Barbara’s tests.

Graphics	Gameplay	Sound	Value	Tilt	Overall
7.0	9.0	9.0	6.0	9.0	8.0