It was 2006. The Nintendo DS was the undisputed king of the handheld world. You couldn’t walk through a mall without seeing those dual screens glowing. And if you were a pre-teen girl, or the parent of one, there was one name that eclipsed everything else: Hannah Montana.
Disney knew exactly what they were doing. They pumped out the first Hannah Montana DS game in October 2006, right when the show was hitting its peak mania. If you look at the raw numbers, the franchise was a juggernaut. We're talking millions of copies sold. But if you actually sit down and play these things today? Man, it’s a trip. They are some of the most bizarre, frustrating, and oddly charming relics of the mid-2000s "shovelware" era.
What the first Hannah Montana DS game was actually like
Most people remember the show—the wig, the catchy songs, the "best of both worlds" drama. The game, developed by DC Studios, tried to bottle that. It didn't quite work.
Basically, the plot is a weirdly stressful detective story. You play as Miley Stewart. Your whole goal is to run around and figure out who is about to leak your secret identity. You spend a lot of time walking—never running, just a slow, casual stroll—through Malibu High and the pier. You’re looking for clues, but the "gameplay" mostly consists of talking to NPCs who give you walls of text to read.
Honestly, for a game marketed to six-year-olds, there was an absurd amount of reading. If you couldn't read at a third-grade level, you were stuck. And then there were the "gadgets." You had to use the stylus to draw symbols to unlock doors or activate items. It sounded cool in the manual, but in practice? The DS touch screen wasn't always that precise. You’d find yourself frantically scribbling a "Z" for the fifth time while your character just stood there.
The gameplay loop was... something
- Talk to Lilly or Oliver.
- Find a clue (usually just an object on the ground).
- Play a "rhythm" game that was barely rhythmic.
- Dress up in an outfit that looked like a pixelated mess.
The graphics were, to put it politely, "period-appropriate." Miley looked like a collection of beige squares, and the frame rate chugged every time you entered a new room. Yet, it sold 1.3 million copies. That’s more than some critically acclaimed RPGs from that same year.
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Music Jam and the quest for better controls
By 2007, Disney realized they needed to lean harder into the "pop star" aspect. They released Hannah Montana: Music Jam. This one was handled by Gorilla Games, and it actually tried to use the DS hardware for something interesting.
Instead of just walking around Malibu, you had to master instruments. You’d use the stylus to "shred" on a guitar or tap out drum beats. It was basically a budget version of Guitar Hero or Rock Band but for the 10-year-old girl demographic. It also introduced a "Video Creative" mode where you could produce your own music videos.
The weirdest part? The wireless "Jam" mode. You could actually link up with three friends and play as a full band. It was ambitious! Did it work well? Sorta. If you could get the connection to stay stable, it was fun for about twenty minutes. But most kids just ended up playing the single-player "Music Jam Online" competition, which was just a series of increasingly fast stylus taps.
Why the movie game felt so different
Fast forward to 2009. The Hannah Montana: The Movie game hits the DS. This one was developed by n-Space, a studio that actually knew their way around the DS (they did the Call of Duty ports, believe it or not).
This game felt more like a "real" video game. The graphics were smoother, and the world felt a bit more alive. You were back in Crowley Corners, Miley’s hometown. The stakes felt a bit more personal, even if the gameplay still boiled down to "go here, talk to this person, play a mini-game."
The concerts in the movie game were actually decent. You’d see 3D models of Hannah dancing on the top screen while you hit prompts on the bottom. The catch? You could never actually watch the dancing because you were so focused on the tiny icons at the bottom. It was a classic DS design flaw. You’re playing a game about a pop star, but you’re too busy staring at a progress bar to see the show.
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A quick comparison of the DS titles
- Hannah Montana (2006): Mostly a mystery-adventure. Heavy on reading and simple puzzles.
- Music Jam (2007): Focused on rhythm and "making music." Introduced the band mode.
- The Movie Game (2009): More polished, better 3D graphics, focused on the Tennessee setting.
The "Secret Star" and the games that never were
There’s a bit of a "lost media" vibe with this franchise too. There was a game called Hannah Montana: Pop Star Exclusive that was supposed to be a career simulation developed by EA Bright Light. It actually got shown off at E3 2007, but it was quietly canceled.
Imagine that—an EA-produced Hannah Montana game. It probably would have been way better than the DC Studios version, but for whatever reason, Disney pulled the plug. Instead, we got a Java-based mobile game called Secret Star around the same time, which was... fine, I guess, if you liked playing games on a Nokia flip phone.
Why do people still care about these games?
It’s not because the gameplay was revolutionary. Let's be real: most of these games were mediocre at best. But for a certain generation, the Hannah Montana DS game was their first "open world" experience.
It was the first time they got to "be" someone else in a digital space. The fashion customization, as clunky as it was, predated the massive "cozy game" and "dress-up" boom we see now on platforms like Roblox and the Switch.
Also, they’re incredibly cheap to collect now. You can go on eBay right now and find these cartridges for five bucks. They represent a specific slice of 2000s culture that’s gone forever—the era before smartphones took over the world, when a plastic stylus and a 256x192 resolution screen were the height of entertainment.
Real talk: Should you play them now?
If you’re a retro collector or someone hit by a massive wave of nostalgia, sure. It’s a fun afternoon of "I can't believe I used to play this."
But if you’re looking for a deep gaming experience? You’re going to be disappointed. The first game is frustratingly slow. The rhythm games in Music Jam are simplistic. The movie game is the best of the bunch, but even that is carried mostly by the soundtrack (which, admittedly, still slaps).
How to get the most out of your replay
- Don't skip the dialogue: It’s unintentionally hilarious. The "drama" is so low-stakes it’s almost surreal.
- Calibrate your touch screen: Seriously. If you’re playing on an original DS or DS Lite, make sure your calibration is perfect, or those "drawing" segments in the 2006 game will make you want to throw the console across the room.
- Check the wardrobe: The 2000s fashion is a time capsule. Leggings under skirts, chunky belts, and far too many sequins. It’s a masterpiece of "what were we thinking?"
The Hannah Montana DS game series wasn't trying to be The Legend of Zelda. It was a marketing tool designed to sell the lifestyle of a fictional pop star. In that regard, it was a massive success. It gave kids a way to take Miley and Hannah with them on car rides and to dental appointments. It was a piece of the magic, even if that magic was mostly made of pixelated textures and repetitive mini-games.
To actually experience the history of these titles, your best bet is to find a copy of The Movie Game for the best technical experience, or the 2006 original if you want to see where the madness started. Just don't expect to beat them in "two seconds flat" like that one angry reviewer on Walmart.com from 2008. Give it at least an hour. You might find yourself humming "Rock Star" before the battery dies.
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Next Steps for Collectors:
- Search for "CIB" (Complete in Box) versions on secondary markets if you want the manual and original art.
- Look into the Nintendo DSi XL for the best screen quality when playing original DS cartridges.
- Check the pins on the back of the cartridge for corrosion before buying, as many of these were handled by kids and might need a quick cleaning with isopropyl alcohol.