Everybody across the world has been experiencing Rock Band fever for the last few years. The game has a new version in the App Store and EA has made sure it's a winner. Made for the iPhone, Rock Band brings fantastic graphics, multiple tracks and, just-right controls to the small screen.
Rock Band offers three game modes: Quick Play, with 15 songs initially available; World Tour, where you play 5-song sets in several different venues with the ability to unlock 5 more songs; and Multiplayer, where you can join with friends online or over Bluetooth to rock out in true band fashion. The songs themselves are broken down by difficulty, allowing you to choose songs that are fairly simple to songs that are near impossible. After choosing a song, you'll need to select an instrument from bass, guitar, drums, or vocals. A difficulty setting (easy, medium, or hard) can be selected for each song, offering increasingly more difficult tapping requirements. World Tour allows you to embark on a solo tour from Boston to New York to Seattle to Paris to Moscow. Only Boston is unlocked at the start. You can also Play Online and check out the Leaderboards, both of which require a Facebook connection. When playing online, you play through a song and a friend plays through the same song using a different instrument. Your scores will be combined to form your final score. Bluetooth multiplayer occurs in real time, which is a lot more fun. There is also an achievement system and statistics that are maintained and accessible through the World Tour menu. Your success on tour can gain you many fans along the way.
Graphically, the game is very impressive, even on the small screen of the iDevice. Bass and guitar require you to tap on pick-shaped spots at the bottom of the screen as notes stream vertically down a fretboard. Band animations play in the upper part of the screen. Tapping as the "notes" cross the target mark will earn you points and keep the song in tune. If you miss notes, the instrument sound will drop out and you'll hear pick scratching noises. Long streaks of successful notes earn multipliers and greater points. Flicking the iDevice at the appropriate time puts you into overdrive. When using drums, you'll still see notes streaming down a fretboard, but you'll be tapping objects that resemble drums at the screen bottom. Missing notes on drums results in drumstick sounds. Vocals are a bit different. You're still required to tap, but the notes stream horizontally across the screen. If you miss enough notes, the song will stop completely and indicate that you've failed.
Sounds, of course, are terrific. There are 20 CD quality songs of a good variety, including songs from bands such as Blink'2, Foo Fighters, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Motorhead, Joan Jett, All-American Rejects, Smashing Pumpkins, and more. There is a music store available in-game that allows you to purchase pairs of songs for $0.99. Controls utilize tapping, with the occasional flick for overdrive. In our experience, the controls work flawlessly.
As it can be quite difficult to play through a track without missing a note, replayability is very high. The game is just plain fun to play too. Although there are similar games in the App Store such as the Tap Tap Revenge series and Guitar Rock Tour, none give the full package that Rock Band offers. Plus, the others are more forgiving than this title. Rock Band is top dog if you want the most demanding tapping experience on the iPhone and iPod touch. With a price tag of $9.99, it does cost more than the competition. But we think it's worth it. This game shreds a 5 star solo right in the palm of your hand.
Want to find out more about iPhone games, then visit our site on how to choose the best iPhone apps for your needs.
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