Game Details

ESRB Rating: 

E10+ (Everyone 10+)

Number of Players: 

1-4 (via wireless multi-card)

If you're trying to decide between LEGO Rock Band for DS and Band Hero for DS, let me save you a lot of reading: buy Band Hero. While not superior in every way, it rises to the top more like oil over water than cream over milk. Well, you should probably read on, because we have a few caveats to that.

The DS version of Band Hero follows the pattern of previous Guitar Hero on Tour games to the point that it includes a "Guitar Hero On Tour"-labeled Guitar Grip and pick stylus, so players of the previous titles will find this collection familiar, but it departs from the previous series by adding drums and vocals. (An included paper insert with the Band Hero logo can be swapped via a removable cover to replace the On Tour logo in the Guitar Grip.) Note that the box reads, "Made exclusively for the DS Lite," which is the biggest caveat, but not necessarily a show-stopper. The previously mentioned Guitar Grip fits in the GBA slot, and since the DSi has no GBA slot, Band Hero does not allow guitar or bass play on the DSi. The box also includes a silicone Drum Grip that slips over a DS Lite, turning the left, down, B, and A buttons into the green, red, yellow, and blue drum pads. The Drum Grip only fits on the DS Lite, so while owners of the DSi or original DS can't use the Drum Grip, the game doesn't know it's not attached, so players can use any DS model for drumming, as long as they remember which button corresponds to which color, but this shouldn't pose a problem as it's intuitive. In addition to the button pressing, Band Hero for DS also includes vocals, which can also be used with any DS model. Just like the console versions, players sing into the microphone and get scored based on pitch. Players can also join others via multi-card wireless play to cover the entire band, and in multiplayer mode, like the console version, bands can have any combination of instruments, like all drums or three guitars or whatever you like.

So if you have a DSi, you can only play drums or vocals, while the original and Lite can use the full game, minus the Drum Grip on the original. This will probably make it not worthwhile for DSi owners unless you plan to share with your family or don't like the guitar anyway. (Note: The DS Lite will not fully close with the Drum Grip on, but players can peel it off easily enough when not in use.)

Like other Band Hero games, Beginner difficulty allows players to focus simply on the beat, not matching colors, which openes the game to a younger audience, around 8 or 9 years old, and when players struggle and fail a song, the music continues, allowing them to keep practicing instead of bringing the song to a halt. For those who want a quick jam session, all 30 included songs come unlocked from the start, but this lack of unlockables emphasizes the absence of a story/tour mode of any kind. Players can still use earned money to buy new clothing and instruments, which adds replay value, but the Guitar Hero franchise has never had the depth of the Rock Band management campaign, but if you're more interested in getting to the music than hiring staff, you won't care.

Band Hero DS also adds a unique feature: Stage Stunts. Using the stylus (or a fingernail), players can attempt a stage dive, body passing, or smashing an amp with a guitar.

In addition, players who own both the DS and Wii versions of Band Hero can combine the two for more features and modes. DS Party Play allows players to choose songs via the DS and rearrange the setlist. (Note: DS Party Play is already built into the Wii version and requires no cartridge, so it's not really integration with the DS game per se.) Roadie Battle pits two players, one on the Wii and one on the DS, against an equivalent team (or against the Wii NPC), creating a unique competitive experience as roadies sabotage each other's equipment while guitar players try to adapt. (Note: this mode also available as download, no cartridge required.) Fan Requests allow the DS to download 50 special challenges from the Wii that unlock DS characters and allow them to be played on the Wii. Finally, Mii Stage Effects allow DS players to control the stage effects during the Mii Freestyle mode on the Wii.

The E10+ rating indicates that the Band Hero song list skews more family-friendly, and the DS version offers a completely different setlist than the console version. In addition, the inappropriate lyrics that appear in some of the songs have been edited to remove the inappropriate content, so while all of the songs pass our criteria to be considered family-friendly, some still have caveats for content as noted in the list below.

• “All You Need” – Sublime (1994)
• “A-Punk” – Vampire Weekend (2008)
• “Believe” – The All-American Rejects (2008)
• “Boots of Chinese Plastic” – The Pretenders (2008)
• “Call Me When You’re Sober” – Evanescence (2006) (Subtle alcohol reference as in title)
  
• “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” – Queen (1979)
• “Everything About You” – Ugly Kid Joe (1991) (An entire verse was removed from this song to make it appropriate)
  
• “Excuse Me Mr.” – No Doubt (1995)
• “First Date” – Blink-182 (2001)
• “Get Free” – The Vines (2002)
• “Girlfriend” – Avril Lavigne (2007)
• “Hungry Like the Wolf” – Duran Duran (1982)
• “I Predict A Riot” – Kaiser Chiefs (2004)
• “In Too Deep” – Sum 41 (2001)
• “Let’s Get It Started” – Black Eyed Peas (2003)
• “Lump” – The Presidents of the USA (1995) (Innuendo)
  
• “Manhattan” – King of Leone (2008) (Alcohol reference, violent imagery)
  
• “Monkey Wrench” – Foo Fighters (1997)
• “No One Knows” – Queens of the Stone Age (2002) (Drug reference)
  
• “Our Truth” – Lacuna Coil (2006)
• “So What” – Pink (2008)
• “Spaceman” – The Killers (2008) (Somewhat graphic imagery)
  
• “Suddenly I See” – KT Tunstall (20005)
• “The Great Escape” – Boys Like Girls (2006)
• “Thnks Fr Th Mmrs” – Fall Out Boy (2007)
• “Troublemaker” – Weezer (2008)
• “Two Princes” – Spin Doctors (1991)
• “Under My Thumb (Live)” – The Rolling Stones (1966)
• “Wannabe in L.A.” – Eagles of Death Metal (2008)
• “You Better Pray” – The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (2008)

The model-specific caveats aside, Band Hero rocks the DS, and we highly recommend its purchase.