E3 2008: Ultimate Band Updated Hands-On

If you stumbled across someone playing Ultimate Band on the Wii without knowing what disc was in the console, you would think that person was probably crazy or having a seizure. The motion controls are some of the most eccentric that you'll find on the Wii, especially for the band's frontman or frontwoman, charged with pumping up the crowd with fist pumps and wild poses. Then again, you'll probably have a lot of fun.

Although we covered Ultimate Band during our pre-E3 coverage earlier this summer, we had no problem rocking out on the air guitar at the Disney Interactive Studios booth at E3 2008 in Los Angeles on Thursday. We immediately loaded up "Beverly Hills," as made famous by our favorite nerd rockers Weezer. All of the songs are covers, each with two vocal tracks for male and female singers in your fully customizable band. We had a male singer, and the soundalike track was remarkably accurate, or accurate enough for us to dazzle the show floor with our air-guitar riffs.

Fans of music games will definitely dig the different air instruments: guitar, bass, and drums. The frontman position seemed a little gimmicky with all of the ridiculous arm motions; no word on why vocals and a microphone are not included as an option. The good news is that you don't have to fork out extra dough for add-on peripherals, and the motion controls were surprisingly responsive and accurate.

If you're a fan of Guitar Hero and Rock Band and you're looking for a more family-oriented music game, check out Ultimate Band when it hits Nintendo's Wii and DS this holiday season.