The original Jam Sessions was the first musical program to turn the DS into a realistic-sounding virtual acoustic guitar. It let players create their own music by strumming a string on the touch screen and changing chords on the fly. While Jam Sessions 2 is packed with even more guitar sounds and music-making functionality, it also adds a new rhythm game element to the mix that offers a different way to play.
Jam Session 2's new Song Book mode gradually teaches the basics of strumming and chord changes before introducing more advanced techniques. You'll play along to a wide range of popular rock cover songs by rhythmically strumming chords that travel down a colorful note runway, much like you would in Guitar Hero or Rock Band. Each performance is graded, and earning medals unlocks new tunes, additional guitars, extra effects, and a ton of other content that can be accessed in Free Play mode. The difficulty for each song starts out on basic, and tougher difficulties are unlocked as you go.
Jam Sessions 2 isn't a terrible game, but it seems to be a huge step in the wrong direction for the series. The original's emphasis on making your own music now splits time with the lackluster Guitar Hero-esque Songbook mode, and you have to play through that mode in order to unlock most of the tools for the Song Creator. Unless you're crazy about games with decent song creators in them, you're better off leaving this game behind and picking up a more polished rhythm game.
GameZone writes: "When Jam Sessions made its debut several years ago, guitar enthusiasts were thrilled by its authenticity as a musical instrument simulator. Obviously nothing can fully replicate the form and functionality of an actual guitar, but Jam Sessions did an impressive job for a DS title. Jam Sessions 2 attempts to build upon this success, expanding into new gameplay modes and offering a somewhat more accessible package – though the results may disappoint some of its core audience."
Gamervision writes: "Prior to putting Jam Sessions 2 into my DSi, I hadn't touched a single music game on the handheld. Games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero have always been more multiplayer focused, and even though Jam Sessions 2 is based around the guitar only, I just never understood the appeal of trying to play an instrument with a system as tiny as the DS. Sadly, after playing the game for a few hours, my opinion remains unchanged, and despite some pretty interesting creation tools, Jam Sessions 2 isn't very fun to play."
