Review: Rock Band 3


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.

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Review: Rock Band 3 (DS)


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.

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Rock Band 3 DS Track Listing

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…

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