Daigasso! Band Brothers (Nintendo DS) Reader Review

Picture the scene: me, an absolute music nutball/geek/maniac... sees a game about playing multiplayer instruments. I went nuts, and only a huge amount of japanese text stopped me ordering at launch.

After this, my brother orders Super Mario 64; leaving me with no idea what to buy. I suddenly remember the music game! Soi Buy.

I pick up this thick GBA style cardboard box, open it..to find free earphones inside. Bonus. Instruction manuals on the backs of game posters...Bonus!

I dont speak Japanese let alone read it, so the initial wave of Japanese text was scary, but there is enough english smattered to at least make the menus accessible.

The game seems really simple,using just pad for one button and buttons for the other; but this is just easy mode... you can make it much harder by opening up all8 notes. The timing of the notes is perfect, and despite their midi-nature; they are so sharp and clear that they do the job brilliantly.

There are a few random J-pop tracks, but there is enough quality to satisfy us import gamers. Tracks ive remembered include:

The Entertainer
Vivaldis Four Seasons
The old Hovis ad classical piece
When the saints go marching in
Deep Purple - Smoke on the water (honestly)
Zelda mix
Kirby mix
Mario mix
FZero mix

You can select any part of the tune, including drums; with some parts being harder than others within one song.

The graphics arent magnificent, nothing the GBA couldnt handle for the most part. But thats not the point here.

One player is great fun, hitting a string of correct notes feels great with headphones on. You instinctively want to sing along to songs, but when you hum AND get the notes right; it feels so fulfilling.

But multiplayer is where this game goes from oddity to a should-be killer app. Download play is included, so you can send this to 7 other DS's, which takes about 15-20 seconds. But the beauty of midi is that once the game is sent; you dont have to wait more than a couple of seconds for the tracks to loadup.

There is absolutely no lag, so the multiplayer tunes fit perfectly, and every good note sounds great,and every bum note amusing.

I dare anyone with a sense of humour to play multiplayer on the Mario Bros tune and not laugh hysterically when their mate hits a duff note in an obvious place.

In fact the true joy of this game is hitting a sequence of notes exactly right, then getting the last one wrong, which then puts off your friend... who then messes up making it impossible for you to get the tune.

With good friends, this game becomes the ultimate portable party game. Fun, easy to use; simple but so very very enthralling.

If ever a game summed up why the Download Play option is worth a million polygons of graphic power, this is it.

The game on single player will last a while, dont forget you can play every instrument for every song. I have yet to unlock all the new songs, so im not sure how many there are... but its enough! On multiplayer this game is near perfect; it will last you until your fingers are beeding and your ears have gone deaf.

If you know anyone with a DS that isnt a sworn enemy, buy this and play with them.

If you dont know anyone with a DS, buy one for a friend, then play this.

In fact, if they alter the music for the American version, I may buy that as well. The TV theme section could be filled with A Team, Knight rider, Quincy... Its like a dream come true. Multiplayer A team... now that is what you call the most killer of killer apps; even if your DS is made from plywood and some old milk crates Smilie