If there's one thing that I find especially poetic about Guitar Hero's rise to mainstream acceptance, it's that it occasionally affords me the opportunity to watch sorority chicks snarl their way through Motörhead songs. But as entertaining as that can be, I'll happily acknowledge that a more pop-oriented take on the rhythm genre is long overdue.

Enter Band Hero, Activision's first attempt (Modern Hits notwithstanding) at a top-40-hits spin-off of Guitar Hero. It's also their first full-band rhythm game on the DS, allowing you to take up either guitar, bass, drums, or microphone. The shift in focus toward pop music, coupled with the numerous new gameplay additions, make this the most ambitious portable Hero yet -- and as a result, it's extremely uneven.