Sure the interface looks a little familiar, but THQ's Band Mashups for the Nintendo Wii certainly brings something new to the table - music switching. The game includes 30 chart-topping songs from the past four decades, each recorded in five different musical styles: rock, funk/hip-hop, country, marching band and Latin. You choose your favorite style and battle your way through the single-player campaign or against a friend, with the musical style of any song you are playing switching in mid-tune to reflect who is winning the match. The game also promises an original music combat experience, with over 70 weapons including a sniper violin and of course - the flamethrower guitar. I am marking this down as a tentative "must buy" on my list for the concept alone, pending the final track list. Musical combat is only as good as the songs you are fighting with. Look for Band Mashups to hit stores this April.

THQ's Band MashupsTM Bringing Musical Warfare to WiiTM in April 2008

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.-THQ Inc. (NASDAQ:THQI) today announced Band Mashups™ is scheduled to bring the ultimate band battle to Wii™ in April 2008. Featuring 150 tracks and five distinct musical styles: rock, funk/hip-hop, country, marching band and Latin, Band Mashups combines fast-paced combat with customizable bands in the fight for musical supremacy, fully utilizing the Wii Remote™ controller's highly intuitive control scheme to deliver a unique game-play experience.

"Band Mashups takes an innovative approach to the rhythm/action genre by blending music and combat in the ultimate battle of the bands," said Randy Shoemaker, global brand director, THQ. "Using a rhythm based game-play mechanic, the game delivers 70 over-the-top musical weapons and utilizes the Wii Remote's functionality to deliver a completely original musical combat experience. Fighting with a sniper violin or flamethrower guitar is something gamers should definitely look forward to."

About Band Mashups

Band Mashups is the first time a musical "mashup" game has been delivered on Wii, allowing players to battle it out with their preferred musical style. Band Mashups features both an exciting two player versus mode and an extensive single-player campaign where players take on the role of one of eleven bands trying to topple the nefarious big boss Mr. Hong and take control of the faraway city of New Cadenza. Band Mashups introduces the innovative concept of "music switching," putting the player winning the battle in control of the style of music both players hear. When an opponent turns the tide of battle, the music changes as well, switching between different music styles. Band Mashups features 30 classic and modern chart-topping hits from over the last four decades, all of which have been recorded in five different styles - (rock, funk/hip-hop, country, Latin and marching band) - for the game, resulting in a total of 150 unique, playable recordings.