The Beatles Rock Band Game Review
by Susan Fischer
by Susan Fischer
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On 9/9/09, The Beatles Rock Band made its debut. The game is available for Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii gaming consoles. The deluxe set comes with a set of drums adorned with a marble look on the sides to mimic Ringo’s Ludwig set and a bass drum head with the Beatles familiar logo. The set also includes a microphone with stand and Paul’s Hofner bass guitar. It’s almost too pretty to play, but you get over that pretty quickly. You can also purchase a less fancy version with just plain instruments for less. Or, if you have a previous version of Rock Band, all you’ll need is the gaming software.
The game itself features 45 Beatles songs ranging from the beginning of their career all the way through to the end. The story of the game plays out at various venues throughout the Beatles career. As the songs change, the characters of the game change their look. By completing each story, the player can then move on to the next story, as the whole of the Beatles career unfolds before your eyes. As an added bonus, with each level you complete, you can unlock a various number of goodies from pictures, to video clips. The better you do, the more you unlock. I find that to be one of the best parts of the game!
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Another really great thing is that periodically, Rock Band is releasing entire albums to go with your song list! So far they’ve released Abbey Road and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. They are really really neat and will leave you looking forward to more!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA_HQFd6vsQ]
The actual play has different levels: Easy, Medium, Hard and Expert. You can choose your difficulty level before play. You can also play just one instrument or the whole lot. Speaking of instruments, sold separately are John’s Rickenbacker 325 and George’s Gretsch Duo Jet. But at $100 a pop, its a matter of affordability! This reviewer does just fine taking turns with the instruments she has.
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Now, this game is not for all Beatles fans. You do have to have a sense of rhythm and general knowledge of gaming. The graphics are really awesome (you almost feel like you’re there watching a concert!) and that might be enough to draw some. I wouldn’t recommend those who don’t even have a game system to run out and buy one just for this game. They may then find themselves a few months down the line not even playing. So think it over carefully. For me, it really wasn’t a question, I knew I would get it! With a $250 price tag for the complete set, it is definitely something to think about and be sure it is something you and your family will enjoy.
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Other Beatles Gift ideas for this holiday season:
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Book: Paul McCartney: A Life
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