Battle of the Bands (Wii)

Hoping to strike the same success as Guitar Hero and Rock Band, THQ unveils BATTLE OF THE BANDS, a clever rhythm game best enjoyed in brief sessions. Players choose between 11 bands representing five styles of music: Rock, Hip-Hop, Country, Marching Band, and Ranchero.

Instead of relying on instruments, Battle of the Bands requires you to time flourishes of the Nintendo Wii's remote with notes traveling down a vertical track. For example, you'll flick left for notes on the left, and tap down for notes in the middle. The goal is to outscore your opponent. An intriguing twist is the ability to launch attacks at opposing bands. When you play a set of notes consecutively, an attack will travel down the track. Time the note properly and you'll fire lightning bolts, fire, and other attacks. You can also block oncoming attacks, preventing your opponent from scoring major points.

As you duel, portions of each song flip between genres. Don't be surprised to hear the marching band and country group perform alternate interpretations of a hip-hop song. Players can choose between a Versus Mode or an Adventure Mode (a short and simple single-player effort.) While the tunes are varied, the visuals are incredibly bland. There's little color, and attacks are often performed with small explosions and little fanfare. Also, because most songs only require the same three or four movements throughout, the action can grow repetitive, unless you're playing in short chunks.