Review: Rock Band 3

Posted on November 4, 2010 by geelw

Platform: PS3 (also on Xbox 360, Wii)

Developer: Harmonix

Publisher: Electronic Arts/MTV Games

# of Players: 1-7 (Online/Offline)

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score: A

Like a bottle of cosmic aspirin, Rock Band 3 is the wonder game that does it all. It's an instant party starter, getting fans of nearly any type of popular music up and grabbing whatever peripheral is available for their chance at virtual stardom. It's a virtual (and growing) encyclopedia of rock featuring 80+ bands and a whopping 1600+ tracks that can be downloaded (with more to come, no doubt). It's got a stellar edit function that allows you to tailor the songs, gameplay and overall experience to your liking through a bunch of game types from casual to pro. Speaking of, (and yes, it's about time), it's got Pro Mode, which beefs up the challenge immensely while allowing actual musicianship to be a bigger part of the game.

Review: Rock Band 3 (DS)

Posted on October 29, 2010 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo DS/DSi

Developer: Backbone Games/Harmonix

Publisher: EA/MTV Games

# of Players: 1 (2-4 via Wi-Fi)

Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10+)

Official Site

Score: B+

You'd have to be crazy to even think of making a direct comparison of any portable game to a console version these days, but that's probably what's going to happen with the console and portable versions of Rock Band 3. I'm not (that) crazy, so I'll tell it to you straight – the DS version is a solid, challenging and fun music game with some excellent songs, plenty of unlockable gear and a peripheral-free control system that's pretty much perfect once you get the hang of it. The game could have used a few more songs, but such are the limitations of the DS hardware. What's here, however sounds great and combined with the overall polish, the game makes for a great on the go RB3 experience.

Rock Band 3 DS Track Listing

Posted on August 26, 2010 by geelw

Short and to the point, here's the complete set list for the upcoming Nintendo DS version of RB3, set to hit stores along with the console versions this October. While there are only 25 tracks, you'll get some great ones here for your virtual (and portable) band to play. Having missed out on the previous DS installments, I'm intrigued by how the experience will differ from the peripheral-centric PS3, 360 and Wii versions. Guess I'll find out soon enough…

Review: The Beatles: Rock Band

Posted on September 23, 2009 by geelw

Platform: PS3/Xbox 360/Nintendo Wii

Developer: Harmonix Music Systems

Publisher: Electronic Arts

# of Players 1 – 6 (Online: 2 – 6)

Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score: A

You don’t need to be a die-hard Beatles fan, hardcore Rock Band groupie or even a blazing fast Guitar Hero to appreciate The Beatles: Rock Band. Harmonix has come up with a supremely accessible Magical Mystery Tour through some of the best of the Fab Four’s catalog and thanks to the stellar presentation, this is one Ticket to Ride that will leave you Feeling Fine up to Eight Days a Week. If you’re a Rock Band fan looking for the game to be a big step forward, you may find Something lacking. The experience isn’t quite the Revolution you’re probably expecting, but after A Hard Day’s Night of rocking, you’ll find the game has its ways of making you Twist and Shout ’til the cows come home.

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The Beatles: Rock Band Final Song List/Pricing

Posted on September 8, 2009 by geelw

“All together now:” Who’s not even the least bit curious about how this game will affect the interest level in both the music games genre and video gaming in general. With media outlets covering this as if it’s some sort of alien spacecraft making first contact and interest in the game from plenty of non-gamers who grew up listening to the Fab Four, it’ll be quite interesting to see how this translates at retail starting tomorrow.

Anyway, here’s a chunk of the press release that just landed in my inbox. Gallery to come in a separate post.

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MTV & Harmonix Reveal 19 More Beatles: Rock Band Songs

Posted on August 18, 2009 by geelw

MTV Games and Harmonix have revealed 19 more of the 45 on-disc tracks that will be featured in The Beatles: Rock Band – leaving all, but one song a mystery. A gameplay trailer featuring ten of the 19 newly announced songs can be viewed by visiting the game’s official web site. “To the press release, Robin!”: Continue reading →