Rock Revolution - DS/DSi

Waaaayyyy back in 1998 – seven years before the release of Guitar Hero – Konami released a game in Japan by the name of GuitarFreaks, soon to be followed by DrumMania. Japanese executives might have been a little off the mark when they decided that Western audiences wouldn't be interested in a game that involved players strumming or banging along to music with a guitar or drum peripheral, but a seed was sewn nonetheless. A decade or so later and music-based rhythm games are a cultural phenomenon, with Guitar Hero and Rock Band having raked in big bucks for their publishers. Konami's finally returned (at least as far as Western gamers are concerned) to the genre it pioneered with Rock Revolution.

The DS version of the game enables to players to do what all great bands inevitably must – take their music on the road. Instruments – which include drums, guitar and bass – are played across the touch screen, with players using the stylus to strum the right chord or hit the skin. Vocals are also part of the mix, with players using the DS's built-in mic to warble along to tracks.

For the full band experience, players can get together and take up different instruments on the same song using the handheld's wireless functionality. Alternatively, if you're feeling a bit cut throat, you could pick at each other in versus mode in a battle.

Get ready to rock out old school! more