Battle of the Bands is a game of dueling musical acts. Two bands face off performing one of 30 licensed tracks, and the winner is the band scoring highest at song's end. The central idea that makes Battle of the Bands fun is that there are five different musical styles, and no battles are ever between two bands of the same type. Each song is a cover, so no original recordings are present, but it's been performed in each of the five musical styles of rock, marching band, hip hop, ranchero, and country. As you play through the music, it's constantly switching from one style to another as each band works to get the upper hand. There's something wonderfully bizarre about hearing One Thing Leads to Another switch from country to marching band and back again.
While the idea is great, the execution is haphazard at best. The low-budget graphics and lack of voice acting are tolerable, but the gameplay just isn't as engaging as it should be. Anyone who's played a music game or two will recognize the scrolling note chart that lets you know when to do what needs to be done, but Battle of the Bands only has a small number of things to do. The game is played with one Wii remote, and the full range of movements are left, right, down, and stab forward. There are three attacks to choose from that activate automatically when a certain number or notes are hit in a row, selectable with the d-pad, and landing attacks while defending your opponent's is the key to keeping the music playing in your band's style. You get more points while your band is playing, so it's important to be accurate in both hitting notes to launch attacks and tapping the B trigger to defend.
It's actually easier than it sounds, not only because the AI isn't that aggressive, but because there isn't as much to do. While one hand is following the simple instructions, the other is getting bored quick. The motion controls are fairly decent, once you get used to a few timing quirks, but only one small part of your body is getting to play with the music. Simple and easy aren't necessarily bad, but Battle of the Bands just doesn't offer enough to pull the player in.
Oddball quirkiness is a wonderful thing when done right, and Battle of the Bands almost manages it. The musical variety is a lot of fun, especially when applied to a song that should never be played in that style. The gameplay itself, however, is only slightly amusing, even when the notes are coming thick and fast. Battle of the Bands is close to being a good game, but unless you've got a personal fondness for musical oddities it's not close enough.
