Spring Break
'Rock Band' assembles another hit
Focus Department
Issue date: 11/11/09 Section: Focus
Imagine you're playing "Rock Band" with younger siblings or relatives at a family party. You hit "random song," and "Hammer Smashed Face" by Cannibal Corpse begins to play.
The newest entry in the "Rock Band" series, "LEGO Rock Band," seems to have been made specifically to avoid a situation like that. The game is a kid-friendly version of the more mature "Rock Band" series.
The song list skews young, but has a wide assortment of hits for all ages. The various songs include tunes you remember from high school like All-American Rejects and Good Charlotte; classic rock songs including The Police and Elton John; and gimmick songs like "Kung Fu Fighting" and the "Ghostbusters" theme song that are shockingly fun. The 45 songs are surprisingly diverse and great to play. For an extra $10, it's possible to install the on-disk tracks to play in "Rock Band" and "Rock Band 2" as well.
Avatars of musical artists play their own songs in this "Rock Band" game. Important figures in rock history including Iggy Pop, Queen and David Bowie come on the virtual stage when their songs are selected. Despite how it sounds, it's cool to see a LEGO version of Blur come out to play "Song 2."
Another nice feature is the ability to select a radio-edit version of a longer song. For players who are in a rush or just have short attention spans, like the kids the game is aimed at, being able to play a shorter version of a seven-minute song is a great option.
"LEGO Rock Band" is the perfect place for new players to start out. Not only is there a new "Super-Easy" difficulty where players only need to strum in time with the song, but players can't fail out, either.
But also the focus on kids means a few expected features are non-existent. There's no online capability, not even leaderboards. And if you've bought extra songs online for other "Rock Band" games, about 75 percent of them won't transfer over as well; less kid-friendly songs are blocked out.
For $50, a $10 discount on the usual "Rock Band" price, "LEGO Rock Band" is fun but not a must-have. If you've got younger relatives, or are a fan of the franchise, rent it.
The newest entry in the "Rock Band" series, "LEGO Rock Band," seems to have been made specifically to avoid a situation like that. The game is a kid-friendly version of the more mature "Rock Band" series.
The song list skews young, but has a wide assortment of hits for all ages. The various songs include tunes you remember from high school like All-American Rejects and Good Charlotte; classic rock songs including The Police and Elton John; and gimmick songs like "Kung Fu Fighting" and the "Ghostbusters" theme song that are shockingly fun. The 45 songs are surprisingly diverse and great to play. For an extra $10, it's possible to install the on-disk tracks to play in "Rock Band" and "Rock Band 2" as well.
Avatars of musical artists play their own songs in this "Rock Band" game. Important figures in rock history including Iggy Pop, Queen and David Bowie come on the virtual stage when their songs are selected. Despite how it sounds, it's cool to see a LEGO version of Blur come out to play "Song 2."
Another nice feature is the ability to select a radio-edit version of a longer song. For players who are in a rush or just have short attention spans, like the kids the game is aimed at, being able to play a shorter version of a seven-minute song is a great option.
"LEGO Rock Band" is the perfect place for new players to start out. Not only is there a new "Super-Easy" difficulty where players only need to strum in time with the song, but players can't fail out, either.
But also the focus on kids means a few expected features are non-existent. There's no online capability, not even leaderboards. And if you've bought extra songs online for other "Rock Band" games, about 75 percent of them won't transfer over as well; less kid-friendly songs are blocked out.
For $50, a $10 discount on the usual "Rock Band" price, "LEGO Rock Band" is fun but not a must-have. If you've got younger relatives, or are a fan of the franchise, rent it.
Be the first to comment on this story