Nintendo of Europe has received plenty of stick in the past over interminable delays to PAL releases and other titles never getting a release on these shores. In recent years, things have changed a bit: we got Mario Kart Wii a day after Japan and two weeks before anyone else in the world. US gamers, meanwhile, harrumph in Reggie Fils-Aime's general direction over the non-appearance of niche titles like Disaster: Day of Crisis and Another Code: R.

But even by NOE's recent standards, the sudden reappearance of rhythm-actioner Jam with the Band after five years in the gaming wilderness is a genuine surprise. Originally set for a western release during the DS' launch window way back in 2005 - and demonstrated enthusiastically by Nintendo at the time - the game, known in Japan as Daigasso! Band Brothers, wound up playing only to a home crowd.

Packaged with a set of cheap, tinny earphones, it was a minor hit in the East, and was eventually succeeded by the DX version three years later, which has since gone on to shift over half a million units. As it's this version Jam with the Band is based on, pedants may wish to note that we've technically only had to wait a little under two years, the original having seemingly disappeared into the digital ether.

Anyway, it's finally reached the European leg of its world tour, and while there's perhaps not enough new stuff here to tempt the 12 people who imported Daigasso DX, in its own quiet way Jam with the Band is as essential a purchase for music lovers as label-mate Ouendan.

Not that it shares too much DNA with iNiS' classic. Despite the presence of a voluptuous anthropomorphic bat as your host, and an audience filled with chipmunks and crowd-surfing hedgehogs, Jam with the Band is about as far away from the wacky antics of the world-saving cheerleading squad as it's possible to get. In many respects it harks back to the halcyon days of bemani, with timed button presses playing notes as a bar passes through them.

With the exception of guitars, which can be strummed with the stylus, all instruments are played in the same manner. Most songs have between six and eight instrumental parts to try out, and there are four difficulty levels which increase the number of buttons. On Beginner, you only have to worry about your timing, with every button hitting the right note. Move onto Amateur and you're using A, B, Y and

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