Although guitar heroics often take the lead in modern popular music, rock & roll has always been a group activity, and Activision's Band Hero aims to gets the whole crew into the act. As its title proclaims, the continuation of the genre-founding Guitar Hero series sets center stage for the whole band -- drummers and vocalists as well as lead and bass guitarists -- and is designed to let gamers play along with contemporary and classic rock and pop songs, using their favorite instruments in their own style. The game ships with a "Drum Grip" peripheral, which plugs into the Game Boy cartridge accessory slot of the Nintendo DS (and which is not compatible with the newer DSi model of the handheld). The action-buttoned grip is similar to the device included with the special DS edition of Guitar Hero: On Tour, but is designed to allow for drum kit simulation as well as virtual fret board work. Vocals are picked up by the handheld's built in microphone.