When Ubisoft announced Jam Sessions a few months back, I was apprehensive; it was another game that wasn’t a game. In fact, it was musically based -- around a guitar, no less, and there wasn't a hero in sight. But the trailers showing off how those who couldn't play instruments could use Jam Sessions to express every song within them reeled me in to count down to launch day. In the end, does Jam Sessions deliver a memorable performance, or does it strike a sour note?
Jam Sessions is nothing more then a guitar in your DS. You have a single “string” on the bottom screen which you can flick with the stylus while, with your free hand, you press either the arrow pad (for righties) or the A, B, Y, X buttons (for lefties) that correspond with eight different chords. Outside of the eight chords, you can click the left shoulder button or the right shoulder to change to eight more. This means you can customize up to sixteen different chords. On top of that, Jam Sessions can even record a few handmade songs created by the player to listen to later.
This is everything there is to Jam Sessions. There are no mini-games, no point system, no goals, no sidequests: it is you and the DS. There are a handful of songs that come packaged with the “game,” like Coldplay’s “Yellow,” but only doing the guitar portion of a song is tedious and not that fun. The accompanying midi files of the song are less for listening to and more to show you how to use the software. You will probably find yourself using Free Play mode the most often.
When you do start playing around with the guitar, you will notice quickly that you must continue to roll your thumb when you switch between chords. When the guitar is played the note lingers, but if you let go of the button it is simulating letting go of the string and the lingering sound of the note disappears, ending the rhythmic sound with a rather disheartening thump.
This game is the bare essentials; there are no bells, nor whistles. It is for those who wish to strum away on a guitar and let their creativity flow. It is those players who will find Jam Sessions the most fun to play and will continue to play it long after everyone else drops it. For those who don’t know how to read music, or know what a chord is, don’t bother picking this title up unless you want to learn. Jam Sessions is not for everyone, but for those who enjoy creating music and enjoy playing with instruments, this title is for you.
