Rock Band: Special Edition (Wii) Review

Posted by Ramon Aranda on 07.14.2008

Put down those Wii remotes and pick up your drumsticks as Rock Band finally hits the Nintendo Wii.



Title: Rock Band Special Edition
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Type: Music
Players: 1-4

(Screenshots are from the Xbox 360)

Ahhh, Rock Band. When it was first released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, you could almost hear the collective sighs from Wii owners who wondered why their system got left out. Well after months of waiting, EA has finally released Rock Band for the Wii.

Gameplay

For starters, the instruments are more or less the same as with the other versions only the drum set is white and the pads seem a little sturdier and quieter. One thing that was a bit of a hassle though was that the guitar requires you use a small sized screwdriver to install the batteries. A word to the devs and publishers – if you require a screwdriver for something that simple, include one! Now I have screwdrivers at home but none that small so it took a good while before I could even insert the batteries. How about just not needing a screw to close that latch hmm? That would be my only gripe however as the instruments are all well built. The game itself includes a career mode as well as a multiplayer tug of war and (insert game mode here). Unfortunately there is no online play and no Band World tour. This is pretty disappointing given that Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock at least includes online play. The game is more or less a port of the stripped down PS2 version. The career mode basically consists of going through a list of songs that need to be completed before a new set of songs becomes unlocked. On the other hand, once you get a group of friends playing on each instrument, everything just seems to click. The band becomes whole and the fun begins ten-fold. Though playing by yourself isn't quite up to par as it is with Guitar Hero, Rock Band is all about playing with friends and you can't find a better experience anywhere else, regardless of what platform you play it on.



When you're playing, you can build up a meter that will put you in Overdrive, similar to Guitar Hero's Star Power. The cool thing about this one though is that you can get a ton of points if you and another mate get into Overdrive at the same time. Not only that but if someone fails miserably at their position, you can use your Overdrive to bring them back to life, so to speak. They'll be able to rejoin the fray and so they won't have to sit their like a failure or douchebag...whatever you prefer. The one major downside though is that there is no downloadable content, so you'll be missing out on some of the great tracks that are out there for the other versions– something that may be present in the following installment.

Graphics

As far as the look of the game, you basically get what you see from the PS2. While you're playing, you'll see a compressed video in the background that doesn't quite look good on an HDTV. Also you won't be able to customize any characters for your band and you don't see your band's name under the lights. I feel there could have been a lot more offered here and it's unfortunate that we don't get some enhanced features. While you're rocking out, you may not really pay much attention to the backgruond so some gamers probably won't care, but since we already saw what was on display with the other versions, it's somewhat of a letdown.

Sound

Playing with a home theater system is the only way to go if you really want to enjoy the game's music. On a television with stereo output, you'll really be missing out and you won't really be able to jam out the way this
game is meant to.




Fun Factor

If you don't have anyone to play with, the game can get quite repetitive and the fun isn't quite there. Of course as the name suggests, the game is about a band so you better find someone to join you. In my many game sessions with a handful of my cousins, the concerts we put on went on for hours and hours. It's tough to measure just how fun this game is with two or three other band mates. This is one of those games that begs to be enjoyed with a houseful of people and you really can play it all night long. It's not easy to find a game that so many can enjoy at the same time and it's a commendable effort from Harmonix. It's just as fun to take those same friends and swap out instruments to see how good or how horrendous they fair. I found the drums to be the most immersive while the microphone was pretty fun to play – just like karaoke but with good songs.

Lasting Appeal

Here's where the game can suffer. Since there is no downloadable content, it may take you only a while to tire of the same tracks so you're kind of stuck. EA and Harmonix do have a track pack coming later this month which will include a whole new set of songs so that will at least keep you busy while increasing the overall song list. The other thing to keep in mind however, is that Rock Band 2 isn't too far behind, so assuming the Wii version comes out at the same time as the other platforms, you may put this one down sooner rather than later. However, Harmonix has done the smart thing to allow gamers to use the instruments from rock Band for the next installment so you won't have to dish out a wad of cash for another set of instruments. So in a way, it's not a bad idea to jump on this one first. It's a catch-22 really so gamers will have to make a decision based on those things.

The 411

While the game has it share of shortcomings, there's still no denying that playing this game with a set of friends is about as much fun as you can possibly have at the same time from any game on the market. I really wish the game would have been a port of the PS3 and Xbox 360 version instead but those issues look to be resolved with the next iteration. Still for those who haven't yet gotten an taste of the goodness that is Rock Band and you happen to own a Wii, I can't recommend it enough – assuming you like to have fun on hours at a time.

Graphics	6.0	The omission of character creation is a bust. Overall the agme looks decent but the Wii can do better.
Gameplay	7.5	The instruments work excellent and the drum set is refreshing. Missing online mode and World Tour hurts though.
Sound	8.0	Cool soundtrack and vocals come in clear. Best when played with a surround sound.
Lasting Appeal	7.5	You can get a new track pack but no DLC and Rock Band 2 is coming.
Fun Factor	10.0	Playing with a group of friends is a blast - the most fun I've had in a local multiplayer game...ever.
Overall	7.8   [ Good ]