Rock Band 3 DS looks like Amplitude with more Smash Mouth

It’s no surprise that Rock Band 3 on the Nintendo DS is being mostly ignored. Its console siblings are packed with new features, including the much-talked-about “Pro” modes and the new keyboard peripheral. On Nintendo’s handheld, well… there’s not quite as much to say.

Based on this trailer (and what we’ve played), folks familiar with Rock Band on the PlayStation Portable will feel right at home. The game has players responsible for all of the game’s tracks, hopping from note highway to note highway to activate riffs, beats, and vocals. In a way, like the PSP version, the game is the spiritual successor to Harmonix’s Frequency and Amplitude, just with a bit more of a rock flavor.

The game will feature 25 playable tracks, which — when compared to Rock Band 3‘s on-disc set plus the hundreds of downloadable songs — seems a bit weak. Still, the PSP game proved that the track-switching gameplay mechanic can be both fun and challenging, so the DS game could make for a nice on-the-go affair.

Rock Band 3 DS is out on October 26, the same day it ships for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii.

2000s:

• Ida Maria, “Oh My God”
• Metric, “Combat Baby”
• Paramore, “Misery Business”
• Phoenix, “Lasso”
• Rilo Kiley, “Portions for Foxes”
• Tokio Hotel, “Humanoid”
• The Vines, “Get Free”
• The White Stripes, “The Hardest Button to Button”

1990s:

• Faith No More, “Midlife Crisis”
• Jane’s Addiction, “Been Caught Stealing”
• Smash Mouth, “Walkin’ On The Sun”

1980s:

• The Cure, “Just Like Heaven”
• INXS, “Need You Tonight”
• Joan Jett, “I Love Rock N’ Roll”
• Night Ranger, “Sister Christian”
• Ozzy Osbourne, “Crazy Train”
• Roxette, “The Look”
• Whitesnake, “Here I Go Again”

1970s:

• The B-52’s, “Rock Lobster”
• Doobie Brothers, “China Grove”
• Foreigner, “Cold As Ice”
• Queen, “Bohemian Rhapsody”
• Yes, “Roundabout”

1960s:

• The Doors, “Break on Through (To the Other Side)”
• The Jimi Hendrix Experience, “Crosstown Traffic”