Let's Rock!
Annie Mac looked after the show and it was all about video games...
Watch Annie and games expert Johnny Minkley have a go at Rock Band
Check out Johnny Minkley's lastest reviews and watch him and...
Rock Band
- Xbox 360 Out Now, PS3, PS2 and Wii late summer
- Prices: £100-130 for Instrument Edition (guitar, drums, mic), £40-50 for game.
- Individual items: £60 for guitar; £70 for drums.
The name says it all: create your very own rock band in your living room and jam along to classic tracks from the '60s to the noughties on guitar, bass, drums and vocals. Rock Band evolves the brilliance of Guitar Hero and SingStar into the best music game currently available.
Pros:
ï€The best party game ever. With a group of friends it's untouchable
ï€The drums are a brilliant addition - and will make you better at the real thing!
ï€Fantastic tracklisting from Blur to Black Sabbath - and loads more to buy online
ï€Really does make you feel like you're in a band, without having to learn the instruments!
ï€If your friends aren't around, you can join others online in one-off performances
Cons:
ï€Very expensive - especially compared with the US price. Shop around for the best deal
ï€Instruments are wired, which is annoying and can get messy.
ï€Hardcore Guitar Hero players will find it pretty easy even on Expert
Your neighbours will hate you
Guitar Hero World Tour
- PS3, 360, Wii, PS2 - out this autumn, no price yet
The battle of the bands is on! The axe-wielding genius of the Guitar Hero series is taking a cue from Rock Band and picking up the sticks and mic to deliver the full band experience.
Music Studio - The game will boast a built-in recording studio where, yes, you can actually create and record your very own rock epics - or record covers of your favourite tracks - and play them in the game. You're not just pretending to be a band - now you are one!
We're promised that all the instruments will also be wireless, and that it'll come with more songs on the disc than any other music game. Sadly, there's no news yet on how much Guitar Hero World Tour will cost.
So the big question is: do you buy Rock Band now, or wait for Guitar Hero World Tour...?
Battle of the Bands
- Wii - RRP is £24.99 but can be bought for as little as £13 if you shop around
Here's a unique Wii twist on the music game genre. Battle of the Bands pits a range of cartoon bands against each other, facing-off on classic tracks. The twist is, there's five versions of every song in the game, each in a completely different style - and the game switches between these as you fight it out. If you've ever wondered what the Black Eyed Peas sound like when played by a marching band, look no further!
The game uses the Wii-mote to shake along to each track. Rather than simulating an instrument like Guitar Hero or Rock Band, you use it more like a conductor's baton. The problem is it's all very simple with only a few motions and attacks to learn, and you never get a sense that you're actually performing the music.
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