''Battle of the Bands'' (formerly known as ''Band Mashups'') is a rhythm video game published by

THQ THQ Inc. was an American video game company based in Agoura Hills, California. It was founded in April 1990 by Jack Friedman, originally in Calabasas, and became a public company the following year through a reverse merger takeover. Initial ...

and developed by

Planet Moon Studios Planet Moon Studios was a game development studio based in San Francisco, California founded by ex-Shiny Entertainment developers Nick Bruty (President) and Bob Stevenson (CEO) in 1997. The founding members were then known for creating the third-p ...

for the

Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America, and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, f ...

console. It was originally released in 2008. The game features 30 licensed songs with 5 cover versions done in completely different styles. The five main genres of music are Rock/Metal, Funk/Hip-Hop, Country Western, Latin, and Marching Band. There are also three tracks performed with an orchestra, making a total of 153 tracks.

Gameplay

The game features two of the eleven bands in the game playing the song head-to-head against one another. Notes will roll up from the bottom of the screen (as opposed to from the top like similar games) and the player must move the remote in sync like a conducting baton. The game also features various power-ups including electrifying the other player's board, shrinking notes, replace notes as landmines, or flipping the notes around and can be activated if played a certain amount of notes in a chain while one of the members attack the enemy band with their instruments formed as guns. However, certain instances allow the other player to block the effects from taking place with synced button presses. The music of the player playing the best will have their music playing dominantly, with the others being less audible. When there is a face off verse, one band attacks while the opposing band defend and vice versa. At the end of the song, the band with the most points will destroy the losing band, then do their winning animation.

Soundtrack

The game features

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

s of thirty licensed songs, each presented in five different musical styles. The songs include: *

Gorillaz Gorillaz are an English virtual band created by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett in London, England in 1998. The band primarily consists of four fictional members: (vocals, keyboards), Murdoc Niccals (bass guitar), Noodle (gui ...

- " Feel Good Inc." *

Tag Team Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establis ...

- " Whoomp! (There It Is)" *

Tenacious D Tenacious D is an American comedy rock duo formed in Los Angeles in 1994 by the actors Jack Black and Kyle Gass. Their music showcases Black's theatrical vocal delivery and Gass' acoustic guitar playing. Critics have described their fusion of ...

- " Master Exploder" *

The Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band formed in the New York City neighborhood Forest Hills, Queens in 1974. Known for helping establish the punk movement in the United States and elsewhere, the Ramones are often recognized as one of t ...

- " Blitzkrieg Bop" *

The Commodores Commodores, often billed as The Commodores, are an American funk and Soul music, soul group. The group's most successful period was in the late 1970s and early 1980s when Lionel Richie was the co-lead singer. The members of the group met as m ...

- " Brick House" *

KC and the Sunshine Band KC and the Sunshine Band is an American disco and funk band that was founded in 1973 in Hialeah, Florida. Their best-known songs include the hits " Get Down Tonight", " That's the Way (I Like It)", "⁠ (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty", ...

- " That's the Way (I Like It)" * Texas Tornados - "Adios Mexico" *

The Black Eyed Peas The Black Eyed Peas are an American musical group formed in Los Angeles in 1995, composed of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo (rapper), Taboo. Fergie (singer), Fergie was a member during the height of their popularity in the 2000s, and ...

- " Dum Diddly" *

Cypress Hill Cypress Hill is an American Hip hop music, hip hop group formed in South Gate, California in 1988. One of the first Latin groups to gain mainstream recognition in hip hop, they have sold over 20 million albums worldwide, and have obtained multi ...

- " Insane in the Brain" *

Kool & the Gang Kool & the Gang is an American Rhythm and blues, R&B, soul music, soul, and funk band formed in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1964. Its founding members include brothers Robert "Kool" Bell and Ronald Bell (musician), Ronald Bell (also known as " ...

- " Jungle Boogie" *

LL Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, alongside fellow new school hip ho ...

- "

Mama Said Knock You Out ''Mama Said Knock You Out'' is the fourth studio album by American rapper LL Cool J. It was produced mostly by Marley Marl and recorded at his "House of Hits" home studio in Chestnut Ridge and at Chung King House of Metal in New York City. Aft ...

" *

The Fixx The Fixx are a rock band from London, England, founded in 1979. The band's hits include " One Thing Leads to Another", " Saved by Zero", " Are We Ourselves?", and " Secret Separation", each of which charted in the top 20 of the ''Billboard'' ...

- " One Thing Leads to Another" *

Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell switched to rhythm guitar in 1985, replaced on drums initially ...

- " Spoonman" *

Def Leppard Def Leppard are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drummer), Rick Allen (drums), Phil Collen (guitar, ...

- "

Photograph A photograph (also known as a photo, or more generically referred to as an ''image'' or ''picture'') is an image created by light falling on a photosensitivity, photosensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic image sensor. Th ...

" *

The Soggy Bottom Boys ''O Brother, Where Art Thou?'' is a 2000 satirical comedy-drama musical film written, produced, co-edited, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson, with Charles Durning, Michael Badalucco ...

- "

Man of Constant Sorrow "Man of Constant Sorrow" (also known as "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow") is a traditional American folk song first published by Dick Burnett, a partially blind fiddler from Kentucky. It was titled "Farewell Song" in a songbook by Burnett dated t ...

" *

B-Real Louis Mario Freese (born June 2, 1970), known by his stage name B-Real, is an American rapper. Since 1991, he has been one of two lead rappers in the hip hop group Cypress Hill, along with Sen Dog. He has also been a part of the rap metal ban ...

- "Fistful of Dollars" *

Ram Jam Ram Jam was an American rock band formed in New York City and active in 1977 and 1978, mainly known for their hit single "Black Betty". Overview The band consisted of Bill Bartlett (guitar and lead vocals), Howie Arthur Blauvelt (bass), Pete ...

- "

Black Betty "Black Betty" ( Roud 11668) is a 20th-century African-American work song often credited to Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter as the author, though the earliest recordings are not by him. Some sources say it is one of Lead Belly's many adaptations ...

" *

Korn Korn (stylized as KoЯn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, originally formed in 1993 by James Shaffer, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald Arvizu, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu and David Silveria, who were members of the band ...

- "

Coming Undone "Coming Undone" is a song written and recorded by American nu metal band Korn and The Matrix for Korn's seventh studio album, '' See You on the Other Side''. It was released as the album's second single in February 2006. Chart performance The s ...

" *

Electric Six Electric Six is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Detroit in 1996. They are known for combining elements of Rock music, rock, disco, garage rock, Heavy metal music, metal, New wave music, new wave, and punk rock. Since achieving wide ...

- " Danger! High Voltage" *

Rick James James Ambrose Johnson Jr. (February 1, 1948 – August 6, 2004), better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, James began his musical career in his tee ...

- "

Give It To Me Baby "Give It to Me Baby" is a song written by American singer Rick James. Taken from his album '' Street Songs'', the song charted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, spending two weeks at No. 40 and spent five weeks at No. 1 on the R&B chart. Two othe ...

" *

Wet Willie Wet Willie is an American southern rock band from Mobile, Alabama. Their best-known song, " Keep On Smilin'", reached No. 10 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in August 1974. Several other of the group's songs also appeared on the single ...

- "Dixie Rock" * Keane - "

Is It Any Wonder? "Is It Any Wonder?" is a song written and performed by English alternative rock band Keane, released as the second single from their second studio album, ''Under the Iron Sea''. The single was released to the iTunes Store on 16 May and to sh ...

" *

AFI AFI may refer to: * Actual flip-angle imaging, a type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) * ''Address-family identifier'', a 16 bit field of the Routing Information Protocol * AFI (band), an American rock band ** ''AFI'' (2017 album), the tenth ...

- "

Miss Murder "Miss Murder" is a song by American rock band AFI. It was released on April 3, 2006, as the lead single from their seventh studio album ''Decemberunderground''. It was initially scheduled to premiere on LIVE 105 on April 13, 2006; however, it was ...

" *

TV on the Radio TV on the Radio (TVOTR) is an American rock music, rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2001. The band consists of Tunde Adebimpe (vocals, loops), Dave Sitek (guitars, keyboards, loops), Kyp Malone (vocals, guitars, bass, loops), and ...

- " Wolf Like Me" * Texas Tornados - "Una Mas Cerveza" *

The Georgia Satellites The Georgia Satellites is an American Southern rock band from Atlanta, Georgia. They achieved mainstream success with their 1986 self-titled debut album, featuring their best-known single " Keep Your Hands to Yourself," which peaked at No. 2 o ...

- " Keep Your Hands To Yourself" *

Audioslave Audioslave was an American Rock music, rock supergroup (music), supergroup formed in Glendale, California, in 2001. The four-piece band consisted of Soundgarden's lead singer and rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell with Rage Against the Machine memb ...

- " Original Fire" * Texas Tornados - "Hey Baby Que Paso" *

Latin Soul Syndicate Latin Soul Syndicate is a San Francisco-based band that formed in 2003. On each of their three albums, the core members (Happy Sanchez, Karl Perazzo, and Mark Pistel) are joined by a collective of Bay Area-based musicians including members of San ...

- "Shake It" * Ziroq - "Tierra del Sur"

Reception

''Battle of the Bands'' received "mixed" reviews according to video game

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

References

External links

* {{moby game, id=/wii/battle-of-the-bands, name=''Battle of the Bands'' 2008 video games Band-playing video games Multiplayer and single-player video games Planet Moon Studios games THQ games Video games developed in the United States Wii games Wii-only games