Okay, so Disney's Ultimate Band will eternally be overshadowed by the multi-instrumental extravaganza Guitar Hero: World Tour, and even by the irritating Wii version of Rock Band. And it's true that Ultimate Band suffers from a case of miserable cover songs. But Disney and Fall Line Studios have impressed us with smart design that plays to the Wii controllers' strengths.
Rather than merely simulating the experience of having a guitar or drum controller, producer Manferd Naber explains that Ultimate Band takes an impressionistic approach to simulating the act of playing music. You play notes in time to music as usual, but there's also an emphasis on rock-star gestures like the Pete Townshend windmill maneuver or "a belt buckle spin a la ZZ Top."
The lack of actual singing is also turned into an interestingly bizarre gameplay mechanic. As the "Frontman," players wave around with the controllers representing their hands, to "pump up the crowd." Ultimate Band may turn out less than great, but at least it's going for something original.
