Yet another rhythm based music game, Ultimate Band, has arrived. With this genre in particular in danger of becoming overcrowded this could be seen as a brave move by Disney of all people, but could Ultimate Band offer the charm boasted by countless Disney animated films?

No! There is very little about Ultimate Band that can be considered as charming, cute, adorable or anything that you could ever associate with the Disney animated films. Well, perhaps with the exception of colorful, because that is certainly something you can not say Ultimate Band fails to deliver - but to be honest, we have come to expect nothing less from a game of this type with the likes of Guitar Hero and Rock Band boasting huge stage settings in which we rock out.

The basic principles of Ultimate Band are pretty much the same as those two particular more recognised rhythm music games, but like others that have attempted to cash in on the surge in their popularity, it fails to deliver on every necessary front and certainly does not live up to either Guitar Hero or Rock Band game series’. Whether or not Disney ever intended to match the genres giants in another question altogether, and the answer is hard to make out - and not because of fog machines left switched on - but because there is plenty of evidence that a lot of effort has been put into the games presentation and the all important gameplay.

However there is also plenty of evidence that other parts of the game have not been fully thought through, or at least were not developed to their full potential such as the fact you are forced to re-play certain songs if you screw them up the first time around. That may sound like a minor flaw, but believe me, it gets frustrating in absolutely no time at all.

Another strange difference in Ultimate Band when compared to other title in the genre is the fact that if you miss a note, the song will still play audibly exactly the same. Instead of hearing a bum note you will simply be marked down for going a little wrong - or of course a lot wrong. This more than anything else suggests that Disney have not set out to compete directly with the likes of Rock Band and Guitar Hero, but perhaps have instead tried to create a similar game for those slightly younger gamers out there who are not quite as capable of mastering the complex control of heavy-duty songs.

This is supported by the cut-scenes that pop up every now and then throughout the game as your music career progresses. They are colorful, well animated and have dialogue to match - you would expect nothing less from Disney - but again they are clearly directed at a younger audience than anything you see in Rock Band or Guitar Hero. This could perhaps make Ultimate Band a relatively good seller, particular when you take into account that with this title there is no need to buy an expensive guitar shaped peripheral as well as the game in order to play it properly, everythin can be done with your Wii remote and nunchuk and the controls are largely effective, with only the odd snag here and there with tricky instruments such as bass.

If you tire of the story mode, the career mode see’s you performing three-song sets, playable at a number of different venues and as your performances improve you will receive awards, but your progress will at times feel slow however many awards you get your hands on simply because you will be playing the same songs again and again, only with different instruments each time. You can of course bring in a few friends to your band, with each of you playing an instrument - with lead guitar, bass guitar, drums and the all important frontman. Playing as the frontman will bore you very quickly, as you have very little to do so, grab another role before you buddies!

There is a decent range of songs in Ultimate Band, but none are officially licenced. Instead you are treated to covers of around 40 songs, performed by the same two singers, which for older gamers will put you off immediately, but those youngers that Ultimate Band appears to be aimed at are unlikely to mind one bit - most of the songs probably were not even around when they were born after all.

If you are a hardcore rhythm music game fan, stick to your Guitar Hero and Rock Band games. Ultimate Band is a good introduction to the genre though for younger gamers with an interest in music or rhythm games in general such as those crazy, colorful dance-mat games.

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