Those interested in getting Rock Band 2 will inevitably fall into one of two camps: those who already own the Rock Band 1 bundle, and the rest who have yet to hop on the bus and join the tour.  For the latter group, the improved instruments and huge selection of songs make the choice a relatively easy one for anyone even remotely interested in an incredibly fun, party-accessible, music rhythm game.  But we don’t live in a vacuum and this isn’t exactly the first game in the series.  So, is Rock Band 2 worth your $60 to upgrade to this year’s model?

The Patch Upgrades.. I Mean New Features

While the first game was the biggest leap forward in the music game genre since the original Guitar Hero, it was also missing a couple key features.  One of them was the in-game music store, which was patched in early this year free of charge.  Unfortunately, the online and single-player band world tour modes, cost the price of admission.  Many of the improvements make Rock Band 2 feel more like a patch upgrade than a full fledged sequel.  This seems to be the current direction most game franchises are heading, so I’m afraid we’ll probably have to start getting used to it.  Despite all this, everything Harmonix has added makes the game a whole lot better experience overall.

From the UI improvements, namely adding difficulty ratings on songs for each instrument component.  To the improved character customization options and loosened restrictions on using which band members.  To an incredibly diverse song list that crosses through genres and music eras with surprising choices.  To the brilliant inclusion of a drum trainer, complete with actual drum fills for those overdrive (ie: star power) activation moments.  Even the new Battle of the Bands mode provides a host of unique daily challenges that keep you coming back week after week.

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© garret for Sleepy Gamer, 2008. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: ps2, ps3, rockband, wii, xbox360

Bungie countdown brings a cryptic trailer and possibly more Halo 3 content.. There is no doubt that this is the trailer Microsoft pulled from their E3 press conference, to make way for an even bigger announcement.  Looks like Bungie is teasing a new Halo 3 campaign expansion of some sort.  However, I’d love to see more updates like the recent title update to multiplayer though.

Early Mirror’s Edge tech demo is amazing.. The proof of concept that DICE brought to show EA is definitely an incredible showpiece for the first-person, platforming game.

It’s not even out yet and Little Big Planet is already remaking the classics.. First Mario, and now Tetris gets the LBP treatment, according to this video.  I’m glad these are being made, but hopefully the community downloads page won’t be overloaded with old sidescrolling remakes.

In addition to Halo Wars, Ensemble was also working on a now-canceled Halo MMO.. Throw this in with the prototyped Halo DS game as something you won’t likely see any time soon.

Wanna calibrate Rock Band’s audio/video setup the old fashioned way? This video shows how manually, without using the in-game tool or the fancy new instrument sensors.

Be careful of Sony’s restrictive PS3 video DRM.. Seems like you can copy purchased or rented movies off the PS3 store just fine.  But should you happen to delete a movie to make room on your hard drive, just be prepared to call up tech support for a one-time re-download.  At least with Spore’s DRM, EA is always happy to give you an activation reset.

WoW + Bejeweled = Farewell to any hope of sleep or rest.. Yeah, that’s right.  You can now play Bejeweled while waiting to group in World of Warcraft.  Good luck ever leaving your PC desk.

Play Fallout 1 for free, right freaking now.. GameTap is offering up the free download, so what are you waiting for?  Prepare for Fallout 3.

© garret for Sleepy Gamer, 2008. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: fallout, halo, lbp, mirrorsedge, ps3, rockband, wow

Apparently, everyone on the Internet hates Spore’s DRM.. First the anti-DRM fanatics bombed the Amazon review average.  Then they made Spore creatures.  EA responded with some changes, but more were needed.

Updated Fallout 3 site totally worth your time.. Bethesda officially launched the site with a bevy of ’50s era propaganda videos, subtly followed by relevant interactive content for each one.  Each button is a different video, so try them all out.  What does your “G.O.A.T.” psychological profile say about you?

Rock out with your friends, but don’t forget the code.. Just like any good party game (cough.. Super Smash Bros Brawl), you’re required to spend tons of hours unlocking things before the fun can begin.  Unless you use this temporary unlock code: Red, Yellow, Blue, Red, Red, Blue, Blue, Red, Yellow, Blue.  Have fun with these codes as well!

What’s better than yearly Guitar Hero games?  Try triple that amount.. Does that mean Activision big wigs also get triple the gold toilets.

Peggle Nights is out. Play it! Popcap should really be regulated by the FDA, because Peggle Nights is just as addictive as the first game.

Farewell to Jeff Green, former CGW/GFW editor-in-chief.. And farewell to the GFW Radio podcast, one of my weekly mainstays and always an enjoyable listen.

Oh and the next expansion to a little game called WoW is coming Nov 13th.. If you have any loved ones who play WoW, make the most of your time with them now.

© garret for Sleepy Gamer, 2008. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: fallout, rockband, spore, weekendbytes, wow