What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this game is based on the Disney television show Hannah Montana. And while players assume the dual identity of Miley Stewart and Hannah Montana in a story about trying to balance fame and friends, this video game is innovative because of how it introduces music games into the story. It is also exciting because with it, kids can compose their own pop music, and even jam with friends who also have the game. While the game allows you to share music videos over the internet, there is no direct contact with others.

Families can talk about how Miley felt threatened when her best friend Lilly made a new friend. How do you handle a transfer student that arrives at your school? Since part of the game play involves dressing Hannah in pop-star outfits, how important is fashion in your life? Why is fashion such a big part of a celebrity's life? Which did you enjoy more: composing your own music or making music with others?

fans will be in pop-princess heaven with HANNAH MONTANA: MUSIC JAM, a game created exclusively for the Nintendo DS. Not only do you assume the identity of Hannah in an adventure where she learns to play musical instruments, but the game also lets you and your friends jam together to compose music, and even create your own music video.

The game offers two modes of play: Adventure and Creative Play. In both, you practice music and create music videos featuring Hannah.

The adventure takes place in the world of Disney's Hannah Montana television series. You become Miley Stewart, the high school girl who is the secret identity behind the pop star Hannah Montana. Only Miley's family and close friends know about her double life. The story line revolves around Miley trying to balance fame and friends. As Hannah, her fame is being challenged by Savannah Star, an upcoming rock star who can play her own instruments. The two are head-to-head in a contest to win the Music Jam Online Award.

To keep up with Savannah, Hannah decides to learn to play all the instruments she will use in the music videos she must submit for the competition. Learning to play lead, rhythm, and bass guitars, as well as the drums, become minigames within the story. Likewise, you put together Hannah's music videos using the backdrops, lights, dance moves, clothing, and songs that you earn during the adventure. While talking to others and completing a series of routine fetch-it tasks move along the story, the adventure is inventive because of the minigames embedded in the story.

The three learn-to-play guitar minigames combine the popular Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) genre with the rhythm mechanics of games like Elite Beat Agents to produce unique play. For example, to play the rhythm guitar, the dual screens show the fret board of the guitar body. An image of the DS control pad floats down the fret board toward the body of the guitar and when it passes across two arrows, you must strum the strings of the guitar with your stylus. One of the four sides of the control pad will be highlighted, and as you strum, you must also push the corresponding side on the DS control pad.