Band Hero featuring Taylor Swift - Stand Alone Software

by Activision

• Supports all Guitar Hero instrument controllers within the same gaming platform, as well as other music/rhythm game controllers.
• Play with any combination of instruments you want, even with four lead singers.
• Team up with a partner on a Nintendo DS Lite in Roadie Mode for an all new level of competition.
• Expand your music collection by import your favorite Guitar Hero World Tour and Guitar Hero downloadable content straight into Band Hero.
• Enjoy 2-4 player local multiplayer support in co-op and competive modes and 2-8 player support online.

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0028ZNWWS
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches ; 3.4 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: November 3, 2009
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,033 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #13 in Video Games > Wii > Games > Rhythm > Musical Instruments
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Platform: Nintendo Wii | Edition: Standard

Amazon.com

Brought to you by the makers of Guitar Hero, one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time, Band Hero features the hottest chart-topping hits from everyone’s favorite acts including Taylor Swift, No Doubt, Lily Allen, The All-American Rejects and Jackson 5. Headlined by some of the biggest names in music as in-game artists and playable characters, Band Hero is the ultimate party game to play on the road or at home, where players of all ages will be able to experience the signature, easy-to-learn but difficult-to-master Guitar Hero gameplay. Classic Guitar Hero style gameplay. View larger. In-game artists like Taylor Swift. View larger. New in-stage characters. View larger. Go karaoke in Sing Along Mode. View larger. Import Guitar Hero World Tour and Guitar Hero downloadable content into Band Hero. View larger. In-game Artists: Taylor Swift and Adam Levine Music sensation Taylor Swift joins forces with Band Hero for the ultimate family music gaming experience. Taylor Swift, global music sensation and best selling artist of 2008, will ascend an all-new virtual stage this November in Band Hero. Budding music stars, their families and friends, will all live their musical fantasy on the Band Hero stage, playing as Taylor Swift or alongside the singer/songwriter and guitarist, as she performs her smash-hits "Love Story" and "You Belong With Me" from her latest album Fearless as well as "Picture to Burn" from her self-titled debut record. Adam Levine joins Taylor Swift as an exclusive, in-game playable character by lending his popular likeness to Band Hero. Fans will be able to play as Levine as he rocks out to the Grammy nominated "She Will Be Loved," Maroon 5's hit single from their debut album Songs About Jane, which has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide and is Gold and Platinum in more than 35 countries. Key Game Features Join the Party at any Time - In Party Play mode, you can jump in/jump out of a song at any time with the click of a button. Try All-new Sing Along Mode - Sing together karaoke style on any song you choose. Create Your Own Band - Your band is as unique as you are. Play with any combination of instruments you want, even with four lead singers. Expand Your Music Collection - Import your favorite Guitar Hero World Tour and Guitar Hero downloadable content straight into Band Hero. Multiplayer Support - Enjoy 2-4 player local multiplayer support in co-op and competitive modes and 2-8 player support online. Roadie Battle Mode - Team up with a partner on a Nintendo DS Lite for an all new level of competition. Controller Compatibility - Supports all Guitar Hero instrument controllers within the same gaming platform, as well as other music/rhythm game controllers. The Song List Band Hero features over 60 master recordings from some of the hottest bands of today and yesteryear. Some of the songs players can expect to be cranking through with their bands are: 3 Doors Down - "When I'm Gone" The Airborne Toxic Event - "Gasoline" The All American Rejects - "Dirty Little Secret" Alphabeat - "Fascination" Aly and AJ - "Like Whoa" Angels & Airwaves - "The Adventure" Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals - "Steal My Kisses" Big Country - "In a Big Country" The Bravery - "Believe" Carl Douglas - "Kung Fu Fighting" Cheap Trick - "I Want You To Want Me (live)" Cold War Kids - "Hang Me Up To Dry" Corinne Bailey Rae - "Put Your Records On" Counting Crows - "Angels of the Silences" Culture Club - "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" Dashboard Confessional - "Hands Down" David Bowie - "Let's Dance" Devo - "Whip It" Don McLean - "American Pie" Duffy - "Warwick Avenue" Duran Duran - "Rio" Evanescence - "Bring Me To Life" Everclear - "Santa Monica (Watch The World Die)" Fall Out Boy - "Sugar, We're Goin' Down" Filter - "Take A Picture" Finger Eleven - "Paralyzer" The Go-Go's - "Our Lips Are Sealed" Hilary Duff - "So Yesterday" Hinder - "Lips Of An Angel" Jackson 5 - "ABC" Janet Jackson - "Black Cat" Jesse McCartney - "Beautiful Soul" Joan Jett - "Bad Reputation" Joss Stone - "You Had Me" Katrina and The Waves - "Walking On Sunshine" The Kooks - "Naive" KT Tunstall - "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" The Last Goodnight - "Pictures Of You" Lily Allen - "Take What You Take" Maroon 5 - "She Will Be Loved" Marvin Gaye - "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" Mighty Mighty Bosstones - "The Impression That I Get" Nelly Furtado - "Turn Off The Light" N.E.R.D. - "Rockstar" No Doubt - "Just A Girl" No Doubt - "Don't Speak" OK Go - "A Million Ways" Papa Roach - "Lifeline" Parachute - "Back Again" Pat Benatar - "Love Is A Battlefield" Poison - "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue - "Kids" The Rolling Stones - "Honky Tonk Women" Roy Orbison - "Oh Pretty Woman" Santigold - "L.E.S. Artistes" Snow Patrol - "Take Back the City" Spice Girls - "Wannabe" Styx - "Mr. Roboto" Taylor Swift - "Love Story" Taylor Swift - "Picture To Burn" Taylor Swift - "You Belong With Me" Tonic - "If You Could Only See" The Turtles - "Happy Together" Village People - "YMCA" Yellowcard - "Ocean Avenue"

Product Description

This November, family and friends will come together to ascend the virtual stage and rock their way to superstardom with Band Hero. Brought to you by the makers of Guitar Hero, one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time, Band Hero features the hottest chart-topping hits from everyone’s favorite acts including Taylor Swift, Lily Allen, The All-American Rejects and Jackson 5. Headlined by some of the biggest names in music as in-game artists and playable characters, Band Hero is the ultimate party game where players of all ages will be able to experience the signature, easy-to-learn but difficult-to-master Guitar Hero gameplay. Band Hero allows fans to create the band they always dreamed of using any combination of guitar or drum controllers and vocals, providing rockers and performers of all ages the chance to experience and interact with their favorite music. Music sensation Taylor Swift joins forces with Band Hero for the ultimate family music gaming experience! Taylor Swift, global music sensation and best selling artist of 2008, will ascend an all-new virtual stage this November in Band Hero. Budding music stars, their families and friends, will all live their musical fantasy on the Band Hero stage, playing as Taylor Swift or alongside the singer/songwriter and guitarist, as she performs her smash-hits “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me” from her latest album Fearless as well as “Picture to Burn” from her self-titled debut record. “Anything that encourages people to pick up an instrument and play, I’m fully behind. And, I’m really excited about Band Hero, because not only are fans getting to play my songs, but I’m actually in the game,” said Swift. “There are so many awesome things that go into being in Band Hero, like getting to customize my band to look like my touring band, and it’s so cool for people to feel like they are experiencing one of my concerts. This is one of the closest things out there to going to see me perform!”

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

89 of 90 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A guilty pleasure... but great nonetheless! November 4, 2009

By A. Jefferson

Platform for Display:Nintendo Wii|Edition:Standard

Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

There are 2 groups of people that typically play Guitar Hero: Those who are score obsessed... they are all about mastering the most challenging of songs and having the highest scores on the leaderboards. Then there are those who love having a group of their friends over to play plastic instruments and yell at the top of their lungs for hours on end. For the most part...I fall into the second category.

I have loved every entry in the Rock Band series, and more recently fell in love with Guitar Hero 5. However, these games have failed me in one vital area: the soundtrack for these games is kinda niche. Oftentimes when friends or family would come over for a "Guitar Hero" or "Rock Band" party, it would turn into each of them taking turns scrolling through hundreds of alternative, progressive, or heavy metal songs until they find one or two that they know and KINDA LIKE... and since they don't necessarily own a Guitar Hero or Rock Band game, they aren't overly concerned about scores or anything like that...they just want to play music they know and love. That is where Band Hero swoops in to save the day (or at least save my party!!)

Rather than focusing on niche genres of music, Band Hero does the exact opposite... Band Hero's soundtrack is focused on Pop music. The very definition of POP MUSIC is music that is popular... songs that everyone knows and loves. And I have to say, Band Hero delivers. There is some great music on Band Hero. Granted, the setlist on Guitar Hero 5 was more appealing to me personally... but Band Hero's setlist will be a HUGE hit at my next party, which, thanks to Band Hero, will be more of a "Karaoke party that also features all of the cool Guitar Hero elements for those interested" than a "Guitar Hero party".... Here are some of my observations about the game:

*The Music - As I mentioned, the game focuses on pop music, with artists ranging from Yellowcard to Hillary Duff to Taylor Swift to No Doubt and so on. There are several "guilty pleasures" songs that, while I wouldn't admit enjoying any other time, will be a HUGE hit when having friends over to play (especially my wife's friends)... like The Spice Girls, Taylor Swift, Joss Stone. There are even classic songs like "Rio" by Duran Duran, "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" by Culture Club, and "Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas (right?)... and cmon...who can really claim not to love singing any of those songs? Sure, they are really easy to play on guitar/bass/drums for the most part.... but they are fun. Besides, if you want a challenge...check out the SONG IMPORT feature!

*Song Import: For a small fee, you can import 61 songs from Guitar Hero 5, and several of the songs from Guitar Hero Smash Hits and Guitar Hero World Tour. Before importing Guitar Hero 5 (and after importing smash hits and world tour), I already had a total of 140 songs available to play in Band Hero! So, in addition to the pop songs included on the disk, I am also able to include alot of the great and more challenging songs from Guitar Hero 5 (like "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Medicate", and lots of other great stuff!!!)

*Downloadable Content: Like Guitar Hero 5 and Guitar Hero:World Tour, Band Hero includes an in-game music store that allows you to purchase additional songs. Hopefully, this means that, in addition to the more hardcore downloadable songs available for Guitar Hero 5, Band Hero will also be getting downloadable pop music! Also, most (if not all) of the dlc that you purchase for Guitar Hero 5 and Guitar Hero World Tour are AUTOMATICALLY playable in Band Hero! If, however, you want these to be excluded from Band Hero, there is a place in the Options menu that allows dlc to be disabled. With downloadable content and importing the songs from other versions of Guitar Hero, I should have a library of over 200 song available for playing in Band Hero by the end of the week!

*Band Hero = Guitar Hero 5 with more neon lights: Guitar Hero 5 for Wii is a game that any person with a Wii should own. Period. It was the first of the rhythm games to use high-capacity sd cards, effectively adding a hard drive to your Wii. It had AWESOME features like Party Play mode, drop-in and drop-out multiplayer, and the ability change difficulty on the fly. "Beginner" difficulty is also included, which will allow ANYONE to pick up this game and start playing, no matter what skill level. And then there was the AWESOME, Wii-exclusive "Roadie Battle" mode that allowed someone to sit on the sideline with a DS and sabotage other players.... PRICELESS!!! ALL of the features from Guitar Hero 5 are also implemented in Band Hero. That automatically makes Band Hero AWESOME. Period.

I really hope Band Hero sells well. Activision took a great game and made it more marketable. Between DJ Hero, Band Hero, and Guitar Hero 5, there is no longer any excuse for people not to jump in and enjoy rythym gaming. Unless you hate music and hate fun, you should own this game. =) Some parents/players were put off by some of the art style used in the Guitar Hero games (lots of skulls, demons, lightning bolts, and heavy metal)... and those people will be happy to know that the look and feel used in Band Hero is more family friendly...they've replaced those things with neon lights, starbursts, glitter, floodlights... it really feels like "Guitar Hero" meets "The MTV VMA Awards". I really enjoy the game, and hope you will too!!

My review scores:

Gameplay: 10/10
Difficulty: 8/10 (Anyone from grandma to seasoned hardcore guitar hero veterans can get loads of value out of this game)
Presentation: 9/10
Lasting Value: 9/10
Overall: 9.5/10 Read more ›

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars very cool December 26, 2009

By A Mom

Platform for Display:Nintendo Wii| Edition:Standard|Amazon Verified Purchase

Fun: 4.0 out of 5 stars   

I bought this for my 9yr old daughter for Christmas, she got the Rock Band last year but rarely uses it because she doesn't know the songs. But Band Hero changed that...she loves Taylor Swift and there's Maroon 5, Divo, Culture Club, Village People and so much more. And it works with the Rock Band drums, guitar & microphone, which I read people saying it didn't!! We played for hours trying to beat eachothers vocal scores!!! I'm glad I got it! :)

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars GH still can't quite compete with RB2, but great for parties... November 4, 2009

By Denali VINE™ VOICE

Platform for Display:Nintendo Wii| Edition:Standard|Amazon Verified Purchase

Fun: 4.0 out of 5 stars   

We really like most of the GH's games and RB2's games - each for different reasons. I was looking forward to Band Hero for a game that focused less on guitar riffs but more on playing a wide range of music.

Band Hero incorporates the ability to link up with your DS for various options. Since I don't have a DS, I feel that I'm not able to participate in the full spectrum of the game. For example, if you want to play roadie challenge (where DS users act like and compete as roadies while your band plays the game), you need a DS. Also, if you want to be able to accept and play "Fan requests", they can only be submitted through a DS.

The graphics have improved on Band Hero, but they are still not quite up to par with RB 2 graphics. The characters, especially the drummer, don't quite sync with the music.

The songs are geared more to a younger audience - Taylor Swift, Spice Girls, Jackson 5 (to name a few). You can download additional songs, but I haven't been able to check out the online catalog yet due to an error code ([...]). Also the tour destinations are geared more toward younger players - the mall, a pool party at Cabo, etc.

One of the things I like about BH vs. RB is that in BH you not only have to try to get 5 stars on every song, but you also have bonus challenges on each song (just like GH5). Some of them require you to hit as many "yellow" notes as you can in the song, get the most points on star power, and some are geared to specific instruments. I find this adds a bit more challenge to the game.

If you're looking for something like RB2, this isn't quite it. However, if you're looking for a game that is great for parties and larger groups, this is it.... (Just make sure you have the DS to take full advantage of all the features available). Without a DS, it's probably not worth the price. (and I'm not about to go out and buy the DS just for the game)

Finally, the game isn't very long. The Career mode is much shorter than RB. This is another disappointment for me. The first night of playing, we were able to get through most of the Career levels/gigs in 2.5 hours. Read more ›

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Works with RB2, sort of... December 29, 2009

By Carolyn

Platform for Display:Nintendo Wii| Edition:Standard|Amazon Verified Purchase

Fun: 4.0 out of 5 stars   

I got this for my DD for Christmas 2009, hoping against hope it would work with RB2. It does. Except not all features do - I think the one we can't access is Mii Freestyle. Not much of a loss, but I think if Activision claims compatibility with RB or RB2, then ALL parts of the game should work.

One SUPER ANNOYING thing is the editing of the songs. In American Pie, by Don McLean, they've removed the word "whisky." They just completely skip over it. Seriously?! The line SHOULD be, "Them good ol' boys were drinking whisky and rye, singing this'll be the day that I die." "Whisky" has been removed, but "rye" was left. Like rye isn't an alcohol too? Idiots. Believe me, it's *annoying* especially considering how many times that line is sung. And if anyone feels this might be appropriate based on the 10 & up rating, I would direct you to the "Rock Stars" on the screen, as well as the ones you can create. Sex sells, apparently. But you can't know about drinking.

The songs are great, for people who like the genre - we do. I'd give it 5 stars if not for the above 2 issues.