Rock-on: Rock Band

vashivihan · 04-15-2008, 12:27 PM

Quote:

We finally got a chance to play the Wii edition of Rock Band last week at Nintendo's Media Summit. While it is disappointing to find the game missing a lot of what makes it great on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the fact is, rocking out with three friends is always a good time. During the event, there was constantly a crowd of people standing around the Rock Band area, waiting their turn to sing/strum/drum.

The hardware has received an upgrade from the initial launch shipments that were giving people problems. The drums are the replacement kits that have been sent out from Electronic Arts. They feel spongier (in a good way) than the initial run. They're also a very slick Wii white, as opposed to the original black. The guitar is now wireless and comes with a USB dongle, which plugs into the back of the console.

While the microphone is a generic USB accessory that works with other systems, both the drums and guitar are Wii-specific. They sport big "+" and "-" buttons, but no "home." The Wii Remote is not needed as menus can be navigated with the instruments. When playing drums you can tap the pads to maneuver the interface, or use the D-pad found right in the center of the unit. On guitar, the strum button moves your curser while the fret buttons make selections.

Many current Rock Band players choose to play with their Guitar Hero III guitars. The general consensus seems to be the GHIII peripherals feel sturdier and are easier to play. For the Wii version, Harmonix insists it has continued its open-source philosophy to design, meaning it hasn't locked out any other controllers. It remains to be seen, but if there are any compatibility issues between Rock Band Wii and the GHIII guitar, Harmonix says the ball is in Activision's court. This doesn't bode well for compatibility.

The game experience is exactly the same as the PlayStation 2 version of Rock Band. Instead of forming a band, customizing your characters, and touring the world gaining fans, gameplay is now very much like Guitar Hero. Players proceed through a set number of songs in a tiered, linear fashion. Each tier consists of five or so tracks that can be played in any order you like, and once they're all completed the next tier is unlocked.

There are 63 songs on the disc, five of which are exclusive to the Wii version (as yet unannounced). The standard Rock Band set list is very strong, representing a wide range of genres and time periods.

Even though Rock Band Wii is arriving seven months later than its current-gen counterparts and many features lighter, it still carries the same price tag of $170. When prepping the PS2 version, MTV told us it was absolutely necessary to cut out these features in order to fit the game on the last-gen system. Obviously, space and horsepower are an issue on the Wii. But we have to wonder if character customization and the world tour mode really couldn't have made the cut.

Still, there is no denying how much fun the core mechanic of playing songs you love with your friends is. Rock Band appeals to musicians and laymen alike. Even if you have zero musical ability, this game will make you feel like you're actually playing in a band. If there is no 360 or PS3 in your immediate future, you should keep an eye out for Rock Band Wii.

bah humbug. linkage

StevenNevets · 04-15-2008, 12:58 PM

Wow... If you thought it was expensive for PS3/360...

This is in no way worth that much.

AoWFraggit · 04-15-2008, 06:48 PM

so basically, we're paying just as much as 360 and ps3 owners for a game we should have gotten half a year ago, BUT with:

no online play
no customization
no world tour
no dlc

CantGetAWii · 04-15-2008, 07:48 PM

$170?

Wow I will just play it at my friends houses then, theres no way I will pay that much for a game. I might as well save up money and just buy a whole new console.

oreo64$ · 04-15-2008, 11:09 PM

i cant wait for this game but no wifi sounds kinda lame
and its kinda expen$ive

TheDave · 04-16-2008, 12:35 AM

Whoremonix is doing a F'n joke of a job porting this completely half assed version to the Wii. Just looking to make a quick buck. Pathetic...

Nintendo letting them get away with this is even more pathetic...
I for one will be going and buying a 360 for this, and other games since all third parties do now is screw over the Wii consumers, and Nintendo doesn't seem to mind this happening. At least they are doing nothing about it.

Nintendo is going to end up like Sega if they keep this up. Out of the hardware business, relegated to only making software...

AoWFraggit · 04-16-2008, 01:05 AM

to be honest, i think i'd rather buy wii fit.