MYDS: "The DS has turned out to be a great platform for rhythm-based games. The Guitar Hero series, along with its GBA-slot "guitar grip", set a standard for music titles on the handheld. Not every music title has needed an external peripheral though, with the touch-screen acting as a great tool for realistic strumming and banging of guitars and drums respectively. Ultimate Band, a good albeit short music title, uses this technique successfully, giving you the opportunity to rock out with four different instruments to a decent yet limited track listing. Ultimate Band might play well, but does it have enough talent to stay at the top of the charts?"
MyWii writes: "One would think that after the success of music games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band, a new entry into the genre that didn't include some sort of instrument peripheral probably wouldn't be all that good. After all, we've seen the genre evolve from PaRappa the Rappa and early Beatmania titles in Japan, with most rhythm-based music games nowadays including an add-on so as to create a realistic music-creating experience. When it was announced that Ultimate Band would use only what came with the Wii console, gamers couldn't help but be skeptical – a guitar game with no guitar? A band game with no microphone or mock drums? How exactly would that work? "
GamersInfo writes: "As human beings, we like music. Actually, that's a bit of an understatement. We LOVE IT. No matter what a naysayer might say (like Steven Pinker who calls it "noise"), we spend hours of our lives listening to it. How many times has a bad soundtrack decreased the sensation of something great? How many times has an awesome soundtrack feel like its icing on a cake? Don't believe me? Go read Oliver Sacks' Musicophilia. Anyway, rhythm games need a strong soundtrack (and rhythm, of course), or part of the fun falls to the side. I got my hands on Ultimate Band, a rhythm game for the Nintendo DS. It may not live up to its namesake, but it's a solid game nevertheless."
GamesWeasel writes: "Although it's certainly not as fun as playing actual instrument peripherals, it's certainly an option if you or your kids fancy a rhythm game but don't want to hire a roadie to look after all your plastic guitars, microphones and drum kits".
