Guitar Hero World Tour - Stand Alone Drums Review

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(More customer reviews)I originally purchased my drums as part of the band kit; however, this is the same product.The drum kit requires a Wiimote, so you'll still need a Wiimote for each guitar and the drums.The drum kit features 3 drum pads and 2 elevated cymbal pads.As they appear across the note highway from left to right: left drum, left cymbal, middle drum, right cymbal, right drum.This "up-down" mechanic makes learning the Guitar Hero drums a little more challenging than the Rock Band drums (as does the 5th pad).With some practice, this becomes a non-issue.

The drum pads are designed to absorb noise, but you still need to turn up the volume a couple notches versus playing with just guitars or microphone.The foot pedal is designed to not move around while playing, but I've found this to still be an issue when playing on the oriental rug in my living room.

The drum pads are responsive and velocity sensitive, so it feels like you're really playing the drums (well, at least more than the Rock Band version).All things considered, the drums are a great addition to the Guitar Hero ensemble.

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Product Description:
Guitar Hero World Tour delivers the most realistic drum experience ever in a video game with this wireless authentic drum kit.Featuring three drum pads, two raised cymbals and a bass kick pedal, the drum controller combines larger and quieter, velocity-sensitive drum heads with soft rubber construction to deliver authentic bounce back and is easy to set up, move, break down and store.

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PS2 Guitar Hero World Tour - Stand Alone Drums Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought the GHWT full band set and those first generation drums were not of the best quality. Although they worked okay at first, they eventually stopped working properly. The bass pedal was plastic, felt flimsy and I damaged the sensor pad inside of it within 2 days.I recently bought the stand alone drums and they seem to be a little bit better. The cymbals seem to be much sturdier. All drum pads and cymbal pads are covered with a nice smooth skin that feels good and sounds a little bit quieter than the original rubber drum pad material. This drum kit is really accurate so far. Its sensitive enough and I haven't had any crosstalk issues yet (crosstalk = when you only hit the orange cymbal, the red pad also registers a hit).

My only complaint is that the same plastic crappy pedal is used in this kit. It doesn't feel too sturdy, but it has withstood a pounding by my fat and heavy size 11's.Red Octane did improve the bass pedal sensor a bit by adding the same skin material as the pads and cymbals. It looks like it is some kind of protective layer for the sensor pad underneath it. I think I am going to buy an upgraded electronic bass pedal so I can feel more comfortable bangin that thing with my fat feet. That will also give me the option to have some double bass action.

The kit comes with some cheap balsa wood drumsticks. I suggest sticking with these sticks, because heavier sticks will probably destroy this set with moderate pounding. I can bang on the set as hard as want with these sticks and because they are so light, I don't feel like I am going to break the set.

Overall, I am satisfied with this new drumset. I have had it for about a week now and it's still working well. I just hope it holds up for a while this time around.

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Product Description:
Guitar Hero World Tour delivers the most realistic drum experience ever in a video game with this wireless authentic drum kit.Featuring three drum pads, two raised cymbals and a bass kick pedal, the drum controller combines larger and quieter, velocity-sensitive drum heads with soft rubber construction to deliver authentic bounce back and is easy to set up, move, break down and store.

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Rock Band 2 Standalone Drums Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a great game - I am in my late 30s, and definitely NOT a rocker at all (nor a gamer, either).I wanted just the drum part of Rock Band 2, and it's nice that this is available (I wasn't going to use the mic or guitar anyway, so why spend the extra money?You can always add it on later).Also, with the massive popularity of the full Rock Band 2 suite, this was much easier to find (this was in stock at Best Buy, and they told me they had been all sold out of the full Rock Band 2)Setup was easy, play is fun, here are a few things that I noted:

A) On the setup sheet, of course the first step is to lay everything out and make sure you have all the materials.One of the materials I saw that was listed looked to be 8 tiny screws.Again, there was only a picture of them, and I didn't see them in the box at all.And, there was no reference to them at all in the setup directions.Also, it didn't look as if I needed them, so I ended up not worrying about it.Perhaps it was one of those things that was planned to be included in the final product, but was pulled at the last minute?Or maybe I misread the directions?But again, due to the fact that there was no other reference to these screws or a place I could use them, I wasn't worried.

B) A Wii Remote does not have to be "implanted" into the drum kit (like Guitar Hero World Tour...?).These drums come with a built in transmitter.There is, however, a small gray box included that will plug into one of your two USB ports in the back of the Wii.This is how the drums communicate with the Wii.I did have to use a Wii remote at first when choosing the actual disc (from the main Wii screen)

After drumming for a total of about 6 hours so far, I definitely have a greater appreciation for the drum parts of songs!You remember drumming along to some of these songs ages ago, and then when you actually have the drum track in front of you, you find out that it's a lot more complicated!I thought I had the drums to "Hungry Like the Wolf" *down* when I was 17!This cool drum set (along with the software, sold separately) tells me just how wrong I was.

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Product Description:
Add a new dimension to your rock experience with the all new wireless Rock Band 2 Drum Set.

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Guitar Hero World Tour Replacement Cymbal Wire Cable Left and Right Review

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(More customer reviews)Our cymbal cable was accidentally broken when a guest accidentally turned the cymbal too far and the cord ripped.We called the manufacturer and they were extremely UN-helful.They said there was nothing they could do to fix the cymbal and told us we'd have to buy a whole new drum set!Seriously, whoever we spoke to either didn't know what they were talking about, or was just trying to make another sale.

We looked on Amazon and found the replacement cable within a couple minutes.It arrived very quickly and was a snap to install!It works perfectly and solved our problem for a fraction of the price a whole new drum set would have cost us!I highly recommend this if you've run into the same problem as we did.

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Product Description:
Replace your destroyed cymbal cable with the original part! This is for BOTH left and right cymbal cables. They are plug and play, no soldering or cutting required.These cables will work for Guitar Hero World Tour drum set in all platforms (Wii, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360)

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Ion Drum Rocker Premium Drum Set Review

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(More customer reviews)For the serious Rock Band drummer, these drums bridge the gap between the video-game plastic drums and a real electronic kit.Each 4 pads and two cymbals (a third can be added, sold separately) can be adjusted, tilted, moved, and spread apart to feel more like playing a real drum kit.

PROS:
-Spot-on accurate with no missed notes or any kind of crosstalk between the parts
-velocity sensitive in Rock Band 2
-wide range of positioning of all main parts
-good build quality and solid for $300 e-drums (except *)
-assembly was quite easy, albeit intimidating and lengthy with the numerous parts (between hour and 90 minutes)

CONS:
-HATE the *kick pedal... noisy and cheap feeling.
-velocity doesn't have much dynamic range between light tap and hard bang -- minor point
-somewhat noisy, especially the high hat yellow cymbal
-customization/positioning can lead to confusion and frustration

On that last point:there's a reason the stock Rock Band drums are positioned the way they are... the 4 pads close together makes it easy to play the game, especially for non-drummers.This kit allows moving all the parts around, which is nice for creating the feeling of playing a real drum set -- but once back in the game, it becomes harder to play.Plus, adding cymbals makes additional (albeit optional) targets that take getting used to, so there some "swing and a miss" to overcome.Having a closed high hat cymbal "yellow" to the left of the snare pad "red" is cool to play crossed arms, but during the game yellow is always to the RIGHT of red.Also, the reach to hit "open high hat" on the blue tom is far from yellow cymbal, and it doesn't feel quite right.

There is a learning curve to get used to, and it takes a couple hours of playing and adjusting to get everything just right.Once all the parts were where I wanted and I replaced that awful kick pedal (a high-hat controller on other kits!...minus 1 star) with a Pearl "Omega Pedal" (mini to 1/4" jack needed), this kit becomes INSANELY FUN in Rock Band 2!!!!

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Product Description:
The wait is over for the next generation of musical gaming equipment. Whether you are an aspiring amateur, or a practicing professional, Ion's award-winning Drum Rocker Premium Drum Set for Xbox 360 lets Rockband players finally jam out with ease, letting your inner rockstar come out screaming.


The Ion Drum Rocker Premium Drum set can be customized to fit your drumming style. View larger.

Professional-grade design allows you to unleash your inner rockstar. View larger. The Ion Drum Rocker Premium Drum Set Features:

Completely customized set-up.
Ultra-quiet velocity-sensitive drum pads.
Sturdy, all-metal kick drum pedal.
Professional design from Alesis, one of the largest electronic drum manufacturers in the world.

Game Critics Awards Winner
Rockband, which took the gaming world by storm in late 2007, was followed by the highly-anticipated sequel, Rockband 2 that was released in September of 2008. With Rockband 2 came Ion's Drum Rocker Set, which quickly took the Game Critics Awards top spot in 2008's Best Peripheral/Hardware category.
Professional-Grade Aluminum Rack and Pads
While other drum controllers force you to use their configuration with a pre-molded, plastic array, the Drum Rocker's professional-grade aluminum rack lets you position your snare, tom and cymbal pads the way you want. Not only can you play your hi-hat with a right-hand crossover by placing your cymbals anywhere around your kit, but by mounting your pads to the drum rack with the included metal L-arm and clamp system, you can tilt, swivel, raise and lower the cymbals to whatever position you want.
Drum Rocker's velocity-sensitive drum pads feature an ultra-quiet playing surface and a more natural and consistent stick rebound than your average pad. The pad housing is made of a hi-impact plastic, which means that no matter how much you punish them night after night, they will always be ready for more.
The Drum Rocker's all-metal kick drum pedal is also designed to take abuse. It offers the perfect amount of tension to replicate the feeling of a real drum pedal. And keeping in line with its set-up flexibility, the kick drum pedal comes with Velcro and retractable spikes, allowing you to place it in the most comfortable position.
Go Beyond Gaming into Real Music
Built by the engineers at Alesis, one of the largest manufacturers of professional electronic drums in the world, the Drum Rocker Premium Drum Set delivers the most realistic drumming experience available to a gamer.
But when you're ready to move from playing the game to playing in a real life, you can swap the game controller module with one of the professional drum brains made by Alesis, such as their DM5 drum module, or any other drum brain that accepts a quarter-inch output. (Drum modules are sold separately.) And with the option of purchasing a third cymbal, you can round out your kit and move beyond gaming and onto the stage.
The Drum Rocker Premium Drum Set is compatible with both Rockband and Rockband 2 for the Xbox 360.



The Drum Rocker comes with cymbals, kick pedal, and drum pads.
View cymbal, kick pedal, and drum pad.
What's in the Box:
Aluminum drum rack, 4 drum pads, 2 cymbals, drum pedal, all mounting hardware and connecting cords, and 2 drumsticks.

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Rock Band 2 Standalone Drums Review

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(More customer reviews)This review will be mostly a comparison with the rock band 1 set, so I'll assume most people reading this are familiar with the game and/or the RB1 set. I'll also mention briefly the cymbal expansion and how it differs from the original play style. To start off, though, I'll list some of the features of this new set.

+Wireless
+Sound dampening pads
+Velocity sensitive (the harder you hit, the louder the sound)
+Metal-reinforced pedal
+Cymbal expansion portsThe set out of the box is just as simple as the first one to set up, and even if you have not put one together before, it is fairly self-explanatory. Square peg goes in the square hole, as it were. It took me about 5 minutes to socket the pieces and get it to the appropriate height I wanted. My overall impressions of the set are that although it is made with more plastic than aluminum this time around, the frame itself seems sturdier, with less wobble because the base and sides are a bit wider. Three AA batteries are needed, so you might want to invest in some rechargable batteries if you plan on playing quite a bit.

When playing, I can hear quite a difference from the original pads, and the sound dampening is indeed doing its job. However, it doesn't soften the sound *as much* as the silencer pads that are sold separately, so if you ended up buying those prior to this set, you may want to hang on to them. In fact, because I don't have a surround sound system on my TV, I found it hard to hear the different noises coming from the velocity sensitive pads unless I turned the TV up uncomfortably loud. In other words, the pads are softer, but still have some clacking going on that may interfere with some people's playing.

Visually, I can see a difference coming from the velocity sensitive equipment, and it gives you an on-screen cue on the lights at the bottom to tell you if what you just did was a soft or hard hit (there isn't anything in-between soft and hard) The velocity sensitive angle strikes me as a nice addition to the franchise, but it's purely for show.

The pedal, meanwhile, is holding up like a champ. I've never been one to slam down on it very much, but the metal plate will give me some added comfort while I play. On the other hand, it is only a plate covering the (still plastic) pedal, and not a replacement for the hinge at the bottom of the pedal, which is where most people have a problem. Expert level players or people who tend to bang on the pedal might still consider a replacement kit to make sure nothing happens to theirs.

Lastly, I bought the 2 pack of cymbals to plug in the expansion ports, and although I won't review them here, I will talk about how they make the game different. The striking part of the cymbals are rubber, so in theory they shouldn't make much noise, but in practice, they are as loud if not louder than the sound dampening pads. Anyone with thin walls or parents they don't want to wake up should be aware that this might still be a problem.

In-game, I've found myself avoiding the cymbals to start off with, because of the added difficulty of switching from pad to cymbal, but also because there is no in-game indicator of which one to use. I suppose I should have known this going in, but I supposed that there would be a way to switch the note charts somehow in the game so that it knew whether the player was using a standard kit or one with cymbals, and changed the notes accordingly. As it is, I'm certainly no drum expert, so knowing instinctively when I should be using what (pad or cymbal) is somewhat of an exercise in frustration, and makes me think that I'm really just picking up bad drumming habits that I'll later have to break. What it comes down to is that if you know a song by heart, or play live drums, this won't be a problem. For everyone else, hoping that this would be something of a drum trainer, the cymbals come off as a tacked-on experience. (Yes, I realize the irony of saying an expansion is tacked-on, but still)

They work as intended, but not without the players knowledge of how to use them. Not even the in-game drum trainer will be much help here because there is still no visual indicator of which object to hit.

As a whole, the set is a spot-on practical improvement. They located problem areas and seem to have improved on them so that the consumer wouldn't have to. But for many of the spots where they tried to take things a bit further (cymbals, velocity sensitive), the experience feels extraneous. The average user can be content with their Rock Band 1 drum kit, given that it is still in playing condition. With 20/20 hindsight, $90 seems like a steep price to pay for the relatively small advancements that this kit allows you to do.

The bottom line: This kit is good, but I would say it's better for people who have not already bought a rock band drum kit, and want one that will last.

Edited 3/18/09: After a few months of play, I thought I would note a couple of other flaws that came up. First of all, the clasps used for the height rods are too loose on my kit, so when I raised the kit and clamped them down, they would come loose while I played, making the whole thing crash down to floor level in the middle of a song. Not good. I had to solve this by switching out the base of my RB1 kit for the RB2 one, but be aware that this can be a problem, and you may have to RMA yours if you pick one up. Secondly, the pedal, as expected, has begun to crack at the hinge, so in all honesty, it's still a question of "when" and not "if" the pedal will break, even on this second generation set. Unfortunately, it looks like the real bottom line is that customers have gotten the shaft as far as Rock Band is concerned. These issues combined with the price knock my review down to 3/5 stars.

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Product Description:
Add a new dimension to your rock experience with the all new wireless Rock Band 2 Drum Set.

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Xbox 360 Rock Band Portable Drum Kit Review

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(More customer reviews)I got this drum because it's cheap and I thought maybe at least something about it would be fun to mess around with. I have an ion, but my pedal is too loud and I also wanted to get something I could take with me on the go to a friends' house. Well this thing worked as well as the other reviewers have said. The pedal in this kit is better and makes less impact noise than any pedal on the market, and if you can stick the pads down in one place, they seem to work perfectly as well. The only downside is that you pretty much have to use this with the included sticks, because the pads are too hard. The sticks in the box are rubber to compensate. Using wooden sticks on these is too loud to stand.

Another added perk of this kit is that the controller can be plugged in standalone and used like an NES controller for arcade games, as long as the games don't use the shoulder buttons. Also, people who are interested in modding projects can use the little controller part as the "brain" for a custom drum kit. People have used this to turn their nice electronic kits into RB kits!

Let me reiterate again that the pedal on this is better than the stock ion pedal in terms of noise and equal in function. Get a 1/4" to 1/8" converter and use it with your ion.

In every way, this product is worth your money if you're looking for any of the above features.

ADDITION: I am adding this to the review as a caution: the sticks that this comes with seem to be susceptible to breaking at the middle where they screw together. Now, I know that all drum sticks break eventually, but just be prepared to try to locate some rubber-head sticks as backups because you really can't play this too well with a wooden head.

UPDATE 6/29/09: The pedal for this is still working great, and I still use it with my expensive Ion drum kit. I play on expert now better than ever, and this pedal is very accurate and much easier to double tap to get those super-rapid beats. The official pedal I bought recently doesn't respond well at all to quick rapid pushes like this does. I even got a second portable kit just so I could have a spare, and the second one works just as well.

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Product Description:
Mad Catz- full-featured Portable Drum Kit for Rock Band is playable on virtually any solid surface. Designed to withstand over 1 million strikes, the durable rubber construction ensures the drumheads will outlast your frenetic drumming. Featuring an ultra-thin navigation panel for easy in-game setup, a pair of soft-tip two-piece replacement drumsticks and a remote kick drum pedal, everything you need to play drums is included. Easy to assemble and play and even easier to fold away for quick storage, when you don-t have ample room to rock with the full-sized drum kit, reach for these tabletop drums and rock like there is no tomorrow.

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Logitech PS3/PS2 Wireless Drum Controller Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The first set I got had a lot of trouble with double hits on the cymbals and the occasional cross talk, but I got a replacement shipped to me from Logitech and after playing for a couple of weeks it shows no signs of developing the same problem.Since my set now works well, I've changed my rating from 2 stars to 4 stars.

Pros:
Easy initial setup, takes about 15 minutes.
Adjustable.
Doesn't take up a huge amount of space and can be folded.
Full 5 note lanes in Guitar Hero.
Pads seem pretty durable.
Wireless.

Cons:
Cymbals don't have any vibration dampers like felt, it is hard plastic resting on hard plastic.I've verified using the music studio that I occasionally get double hits and even cross talk (hit the yellow cymbal and the orange goes off as well).
Cymbals have a fixed set of angles, which simplifies setup but limits adjustability.
Louder than Ion Drum Rocker, probably about the same as Guitar Hero World Tour set.
While it is adjustable the compact size limits pad placement.There is only about a extra inch of space between the pads for them to moved side to side.The cymbals have to be in the center, there is not enough space on the bar to move even one cymbal outside the drum pads.
The connecting wires are thinner than I would like, probably not a problem for the pads and cymbals, but might be for the foot pedal, which can easily be dragged when moving the drums.

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Product Description:
The Logitech Wireless Drum Controller lets you unleash your inner rockstar. Fully adjustable drum heads and cymbals positioned to fit your reach and suit your style, helping you play faster and better.

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Cohesion BandBox Gaming Storage and Furniture Ottoman (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)Feet look MUCH higher in the photo than they do in person.I actually thought at first that they'd forgotten to ship the feet until I found these small plastic spacers.Oh well...

But...that's the only minus.It fits my Guitar Hero 4 equipment...and extra guitar...AND...all of my other Wii accessories.It's so NICE having them all in one place.I put two Wii wheels...two guns...all of my controllers...plus classic controllers...in with the band stuff...along with my Samba Maracas.Sweet!

The padding on top of the ottomon is nice.The synthetic material seems to be a good quality too.It doesn't look "shocking" black...and the profile along with the slightly lower height actually looks better in my living room than the old storage ottomon it's replacing.(Which couldn't hold my drums.)

For the Guitar Hero drums...the support is actually a little sturdier than the manufacturer supplied support.I'm glad they finally made a more "universal" rhythm game ottomon.

All in all...I'm thrilled.As an "adult" gamer (over 30) I'm usually disappointed with "game room" accessories.They usually look like they belong in a 13 year old's bedroom.Not this.It blends in with my traditional furniture just fine.

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Product Description:
Hide the band by keeping your instruments neatly and stylishly stowed with this gaming storage ottoman from Cohesion.

Keep your instruments organized and accessible. The black synthetic leather exterior offers a sleek appearance that will be suitable for any room in the house. The ottoman opens to reveal generous storage space for your instruments so they're always organized and accessible. The ottoman measures 35 inches long by 19 inches wide by 16.35 inches tall when closed.
Features:

Doubles as handy storage and stylish furniture
Storage space for drum set, gaming guitars, foot pedal, and microphone
Drums attach to a telescoping support for height adjustment
Compatible with both Guitar Hero IV and any Rockband version
Black PVC faux leather looks sleek and stylish in any room of the house
Measures 35 inches long by 19 inches wide by 17.35 inches tall
Assembly required

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Donkey Konga Bongos Review

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(More customer reviews)They look like a pair of bongos. They only have one button on them, that acts as a pause or start button. They can sense clapping - and they are great fun!

I admit that I held off on buying the bongos for quite a while. They looked silly. They looked like a 6 year old might have fun banging on them for a few minutes, and then they'd get tossed into the reject toy pile, never to be touched again.

But finally when a few games were out that used the bongos, I weakened and got us a set to play with. We got them with Donkey Konga 2, which is a great game that has a nice variety of songs. That really is the key, of course. If you get a controller and there aren't any good games to go with it, the controller isn't much good. But if you have a great game and the perfect controller for it, you can have gaming fun for months and months.

The bongos let you do four different things in essence. You can hit the left bongo, hit the right bongo, hit both together, or clap. In beginning songs this is pretty straightforward. Hit. Hit. Clap. But as you get into the more advanced songs, it is truly tricky and even the most advanced drummers will have trouble keeping up. The syncopation and rhythm intricacies are really pretty amazing.

The bongos are rather good on sensitivity. The aim is not to whallop them madly. You have to hit them perfectly in time, and a light tap is better for control. The audio sensor for the clapping did a really good job of sensing that well.

You need to keep in mind that these bongos don't have "buttons". You can't use the bongos to play other games. They will only really work with the rhythm games that are made to go with them. And you don't NEED the bongos - you could always use a regular controller and hit the buttons in time with the songs.

But I really do have to say, using the bongos is great fun and great practice. Most of us grow up air drumming, drumming on our steering wheel as we drive, drumming with pencils on desks. We like the sense of rhythm. The bongos give you a fun way to develop this sense. And since they look and act just like real bongos, if you have any sort of drumming interests in your future, this is a perfect way to practice up.

Well recommended!

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Product Description:
For use with Donkey Konga on GameCube

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