It was promising at E3 last year, but somehow Hannah Montana Music Jam's future didn't turn out as bright as the actual character's. The game's story follows singer/songwriter Hannah Montana as conflict breaks out between her and a rival, Savannah Star, in a music-video popularity contest. Unfortunately for Miley, her alter-ego isn't the only one to suffer from the consequences of this competition as she'll have to once more juggle being an ordinary person by day while still maintaining her idyllic image as a celebrity. The manner in which the single-player story plays out is nearly identical to an old computer adventure game, which is almost cool.

Players will complete mini-games such as ice-skating or making pizza, run tasks for characters, and most importantly of all, play some music. This is the game's shining point, as the mini-games are hit-and-miss and the story isn't something to be proud of. Really, I've seen every episode; the important thing to remember is that Billy-Ray Cyrus is always right and to just be yourself. Players will learn to play drums, rhythm, bass, and lead guitar in what is a surprisingly well-constructed set of instruments suited to the DS. That doesn't mean it's perfect, though, but the instruments play largely as I would consider Jam Sessions' engine to work, although a bit better and worse in places. For instance, instead of the strumming Jam Sessions limits players to, individual strings can be plucked in Music Jam, however the strings' designated zones aren't well-defined enough to become a virtuoso at DS midi guitar.

Although I'm not sure what I expected, the mini-game sessions turn into a sort of call and response game where you're repeating the notes given to you. It's somehow unsatisfying, but nonetheless the instruments are still lots of fun to tinker around with in the recording mode. There are some odd instances, such as only being able to bend notes down on the lead guitar, or the previously noted vague hit zones for each note on rhythm. No matter, the game gets as intricate as an instrument-driven DS title could, even incorporating the microphone for what turns out to be a surprisingly accurate pitch detector. Also, the D-pad works as a mechanic to switch between five chords on the guitars, and Gorilla Games even made sure to note that bass guitar is the most worthless instrument anyone could ever play by making sure it was boring even in a video game. What a notion to procure.

Other bits in the game, such as the music video editor and photo shoot mode are far less elegant and actually take away from the fun that could be had with some of the more enjoyable mini games. While it's understandable that they're incorporated as the main story is based on a music video competition, there's no getting around the fact that not nearly as much care was taken when developing these sections. It's a shame that the extent of the game's Wi-Fi component is only to upload the player's videos instead of actually playing music online with other people. Hannah Montana Music Jam also makes note of the DS's limitations in the graphics department, not trying too hard where visuals aren't necessary and keeping things at a disputable level when it comes to ugly versus decent. Unfortunately, nothing can be done about the audio department, in which the sound ranges from my old Casio keyboard to a respectable effort in the synth department. Fortunately enough care was given to the instruments because of course they were designed as the core of the title. This becomes even more important in Creative Play where you can actually record up to 60 seconds of your own music, as well as recording along with other friends who own the game to compose a minute-long track. Unfortunately it's no more than a minute, but still an impressive effort in the midst of the Guitar Hero/Rock Band fad sweeping the nation. In fact I'd go so far as to say it's a more detailed way of playing virtual instruments than Rock Band even has set up.

While some licensed titles are quick cash-ins, it's always since to see a developer try something not only new, but respectable enough to work well as a game actually related to the license. Kudos to Gorilla Games for their effort with Hannah Montana Music Jam, but in the end the product is just bogged down by the adventure mode and a significant amount of mini-games. It's too bad to see that an equal amount of resources were spent piecing together a gameplay and a storyline instead of devoting more time to what could have easily been an outstanding band simulation for the DS. Despite this, fans will surely eat it up and not be disappointed. Hannah Montana Music Jam will get exactly the amount of praise it deserves as an overlooked title because it deserves to be overlooked, thanks to just falling short of being a worthwhile game. The good bits are almost great and the awful parts are just that much worse. Hey, kind of like my cable subscription.