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Jam Sessions

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5.4 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 22 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 7 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Plato

Genre(s): Music

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older)

Release Date: September 11, 2007

Summary

Jam Sessions is a music experience that transforms the Nintendo DS system into a portable guitar. Players literally strum the guitar via the Touch Screen and select chords with the +Control Pad. Now even the most "non-musical" person to become an instant rock star. The portability of the DS system makes Jam Sessions a concert-on-the-go, perfect for parties, commuting to school/work and other social gatherings. Jam Sessions appeals to a wide audience of music lovers and creative souls. [Ubisoft]

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Cheat Code Central

An amazing, versatile program that is perfectly suited for a handheld system. You can plug in headphones and silently rock out on the bus, or you can plug it into an amplifier, crank it up, and play for an audience. This is a must-have for any musician or music-lover.

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GameZone

Jam Sessions is practically flawless at what it’s trying to do. If you come in expecting a game, you’ll be frustrated and disappointed. If you come in expecting a versatile musical tool, you’ll be pleased and impressed.

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Digital Entertainment News

Don't expect this game to turn you into any kind of music expert if you're not one already, but if you already have some skill, Jam Sessions is a surprisingly good tool for any musician who wants to dabble in song creation.

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NGamer UK

A logical evolution of "Guitar Hero." Being able to record our sounds and keep them ensures longevity. [Nov 2007, p.64]

IGN

To put it plainly, Jam Sessions works on basically one level, but achieves near-mastery in it.

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Official Nintendo Magazine UK

Jam Sessions offers a toy for wannabe guitarists who don't have time to learn. [Oct 2007, p.87]

GotNext

Like any good tool, though, the amount of enjoyment gotten from Jam Sessions is going to be directly related to how much work goes in.

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Game Chronicles

It’s not much of a game, and it’s no Guitar Hero, but it’s a pretty decent instrument simulator for the aspiring guitarist.

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Extreme Gamer

Jam Sessions from Ubisoft is a unique guitar simulation application that doesn’t have any merit as a game, however as a portable mini guitar, it works.

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1UP

The one killer drawback to Jam Sessions is that you can't play individual notes.

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Pocket Gamer UK

It's not a game, but as a neat virtual guitar Jam Sessions provides great sounds, a tons of musical options and the ability to record your own tracks.

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GameDaily

There's not really much of a game here, with no goals and too few songs to choose from. The inability to record vocal performance hinders it, too. It's still worth jamming with, though, so find a seat.

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GameSpot

Jam Sessions is neat if you want to turn your DS into an acoustic guitar, but that's about all it does.

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PALGN

While it's an excellent package worthy of further investigation for those interested in music, it's likely to be quite a disappointment to those interested in buying a game.

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Worth Playing

With the number of cookie-cutter titles out there, it's a breath of fresh air to see developers taking a risk with a new genre. Unfortunately, innovation does not necessarily translate to quality. Jam Sessioins is dull, and calling it a game doesn't seem right because it's mainly one big music lesson.

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Eurogamer

As a concept it sounds pretty liberating, but in reality, the fact that there are no preset challenges actually limits Jam Sessions in terms of actual playability.

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Zentendo

Jam Sessions is the simulator for musicians at heart. Featuring any note you could want from a guitar and the ability to record your music, it can deliver hours and hours of soul food for self-expression and the arts. For everyone else, there is still Guitar Hero.

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Thunderbolt

For those of you that are considering adding Jam Sessions to your collection, be warned: this is not a game. Instead, it’s a program that basically turns your DS into a makeshift guitar. It fulfils that job well; the sound is remarkably crisp and accurate, the controls are easy to pick up, and some guitarists might appreciate all of the little tweaks and customizations available. But when it comes to the other gameplay aspects, Jam Sessions falls flat.

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Game Informer

It takes more than just a neat idea to be a truly compelling piece of software. With no scoring system, backing music and vocals, or career mode, this isn’t really a game in any sense. And, honestly, strumming and singing to yourself gets old after about 15 minutes. Stick to Guitar Hero.

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Modojo

Overall, though, Jam Sessions is different and enlightening enough to be worth at least a mild recommendation, especially if you're in the same boat as other aspiring guitar players around the world.

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Edge Magazine

This is no Guitar Hero, or even a rhythm-action game, but something more akin to a portable notepad for musicians. [Nov 2007, p.97]

Gaming Age

Jam Sessions is a neat idea and a unique way to tinker around with your DS, but if you aren't a hardcore musician, I can't see anyone finding much appeal in this title.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 5.4 (out of 10) based on 7 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

John G. gave it a10:
Great game, it's so easy to use and just pick up and play. The controls are incredibly intuitive and sensitive. I wouldn't compare it to Guitar Hero because it's NOT a Guitar Hero game. It is meant to be a creativity based game, not some button pressing rhythm game in which you can only play preloaded songs and aren't able to record you're own stuff.

Chris O. gave it a0:
This isn't a game, nor is it a very useful utility for guitarists, or those learning to play. Basically, this is Guitar Hero without any challenge whatsoever. And let's not mention how ridiculous a person would look if they whipped this out and started "strumming their DS" on the bus.

Eric E. gave it a9:
This "game" is great! I'm a music teacher and I just got this game. I'm working on getting this into the curriculum just because it is so much fun. I've played piano for 22 years, but have never had time to pick up and learn the guitar. This is literally the next best thing.

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