IGN has posted pictures of the peripheral to be used with the upcoming Guitar Hero game for the Nintendo DS. Seems workable, if you can get your other hand in a comfortable position to strum the touch screen. And as long as bumping the shoulder buttons with your gripping hand won't disturb the game.
But I wonder...
There's no mention of whether this will only work with the DS Lite or not. Do they presume everyone has moved on from the DS Fat which is why they just say "the DS"? Maybe it will work on the old models. But will it work on the future ones? Rumors have been flying for months about another redesign of the DS, one to be removing the GBA port, which is precicely where this Guitar Hero peripheral plug in. Sales figures for this game may well determine the future of the DS. And if sales are really strong, Nintendo may make their redesign in a whole new direction... using their work as a jumping-off point to creating a new system. I'm still waiting for an analog stick.
There's no reason this portable Guitar Hero version shouldn't be great. Perhaps a bit easier than it's big brother, due to the fact that there's only four fret buttons. Sound quality may be a bit compressed, sure. And there probably won't be any downloadable content. Oh, and with just the four buttons, it may actually feel like you're playing a trumpet. Which might not be a bad thing. It's not too late to change direction on this game. I could go for rocking out to some Herb Alpert's Lonely Bull on my portable Brass Hero DS.
During my websurfing, I made my way over to the gameblog on UGO.com, which is more of a compilation of news from other sites than one of its own. But that's what blogs are, I suppose. It's what I do, to a lesser extent. And Wombat is more entertaining than I.
***
Before I go on, I've been wondering about website names. UGO? IGN? Sure, it's convenient, but those initials don't really explain their content to me. UGO stands for UnderGroundOnline... which still doesn't explain anything to me.
UGO's "about us" page says their a site for people with "gamer DNA"... and I think GamerDNA.com would have been a better choice. But it would have been shortened to GDNA eventually, and that would have defeated the purpose.
IGN... I'm not sure what those letters stand for. I presume it's something along the lines of "Internet Gaming Network," although that sounds like a MMO hosting site or something. Whatever it means, they've moved past initial meaning and are now just IGN, and part of a big corporation. So IGN is just nonsense now, but at least it's short. Which I suppose is everything.
***
Anyhoo, Wombat's blog post links to a post on Destructoid about a fancy new storefront for Rock Band's downloadable content. It looks nice. I especially look forward to the "preview" feature so I can hear how bad the Monkee's cover singer is before I waste my money.
I hope they left room in their new store for things other than songs. The song selection from the last couple weeks has left me unimpressed, even if I had my 360, I probably wouldn't be getting any of those songs. With this new store layout, they're in prime position to toss some additional content our way. I'm talking new outfits, new faces/body options, new venues, new guitars and perhaps something totally new... like some sort of feature to make your own videos? Be able to go through a replay and choose all your camera angles and visual effects and then save it all! You can even do that on Boogie. There's no reason that Rock Band should be upstaged by Boogie. It's Boogie, after all.
Showing posts with label Rock Band. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rock Band. Show all posts
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
More Money, Less Rocking
So, Guitar Hero III is still releasing more downloadable songs. It's quite sad that more people don't have the cash to upgrade to Rock Band so they can have four parts to play in each song, rather than two. Especially since they're more expensive on GH3. Five hundred Microsoft points will buy you a GH3 3-pack of songs. 3-packs on Rock Band = 440 points. Even individual songs for Rock Band mostly cost 160 points (three ala carte songs = 480 points), some are even listed for 80 points.
So is having "Peace of Mind" by Boston or Journey's "Any Way You Want It" worth it ("Juke Box Hero" is already available for Rock Band)? Not to have to sit there and watch Freaky McBigMouth sing it without me, or the animatronic drummer spaz-play yet another song.
If they want to continue overcharging for lesser content, they should begin including extras with the songs: New costumes, new arenas, maybe even new characters (or bring back Pandora, perhaps? She's already designed, just give her some new clothes.).
Convince your friends and neighbors to plunk down the cash for Rock Band, and leave the price-gouging Guitar Hero series behind. The only time they'll realize people won't pay for over-priced merchandise, is when people stop paying for over-priced merchandise.
So is having "Peace of Mind" by Boston or Journey's "Any Way You Want It" worth it ("Juke Box Hero" is already available for Rock Band)? Not to have to sit there and watch Freaky McBigMouth sing it without me, or the animatronic drummer spaz-play yet another song.
If they want to continue overcharging for lesser content, they should begin including extras with the songs: New costumes, new arenas, maybe even new characters (or bring back Pandora, perhaps? She's already designed, just give her some new clothes.).
Convince your friends and neighbors to plunk down the cash for Rock Band, and leave the price-gouging Guitar Hero series behind. The only time they'll realize people won't pay for over-priced merchandise, is when people stop paying for over-priced merchandise.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Rockin' Band
I haven't blogged lately because I've been quite busy... but that hasn't stopped me from playing games so that I would have stuff to blog about. I actually logged on yesterday to write a bit about Rock Band, only to discover my friend had already done so.
But I paid 170 bucks for the thing, so I'm going to add to it!
Okay, actually I traded in $110 worth of old games and used a ten percent off coupon towards the purchase... but I still paid a whole day's salary for the game.
One thing my fellow Rocker-in-arms didn't mention was the star gauge, that allows you to see how close you are to achieving the 5-star rating as you are playing the song. Or, more likely, lets you see how close you WERE to achieving it, because you were too busy staring at the notes flying at you to look away during the song. It's a nice touch, and not too distracting like the streak counter in Guitar Hero 3 that would bounce on and off the screen. But does it make up for the fact that they do not break down the stats to see where you need work? Probably not.
The guitar that comes in the Rock Band bundle is quite different. It's harder to feel your position on the frets than with the Guitar Hero controllers. They added the smaller "solo" fret buttons at the base of the neck, which work like normal buttons except during the designated guitar solos... at which time they work without strumming, which means you'll have to adjust your entire timing and press the button at the correct time rather than having it ready in advance.
The guitar also has a switcher for effects during Overdrive. But they seem mixed too low, so you can't really hear them over the rest of your band.
The GH notes have been altered from the familiar circles to small rectangles. Not a big deal, except with the hammer-ons and pull-offs... which are now just slightly smaller rectangles. They are not nearly distinct enough, unless they're right next to a normal sized note.
My biggest, and perhaps only true disappointment with the game (aside from some of the song choices... they found the one Aerosmith song I've never heard of. Gee, thanks. I'd would have much rather tried to skat my way through the ending of Rag Doll, personally.) is the drum kit configuration. It is set up like a standard electronic drum kit, with the four pads in an arch. I would like to have it in a more realistic drum set configuration, with the snare lowered & centered in front of you, and allowing you to cross your arms when playing the high hat. Perhaps have the crash cymbal pad elevated so you can really reach up and strike it with some enthusiasm. If they're going to make you actually drum in the game, they should have let you feel more like a real drummer instead of like some weenie technodrummer.
Overall, it is truly a fun game. Perhaps not as revolutionary as one might hope, but a great start. It's too bad World Tour isn't kind to newcomers (especially since everybody is pretty much a newcomer at drumming) by only offering a few locations for those playing on easy. Someday my Roman band will invade America!
***
A couple extra notes:
The guitar seems easier than on Guitar Hero. Is that intentional? I know I have more practice now, so stuff would seem easier... but compare the same songs: Chereb Rock in GH3 and Rock Band. Definitely easier in Rock Band. I still have nightmares about the alternating 3-note chords from GH3.
It is awesome to hear the crowd singing along when you're doing well. And sometimes you'll see the guitarist mouthing the words as well. Gives the game excellent atmosphere!
But I paid 170 bucks for the thing, so I'm going to add to it!
Okay, actually I traded in $110 worth of old games and used a ten percent off coupon towards the purchase... but I still paid a whole day's salary for the game.
One thing my fellow Rocker-in-arms didn't mention was the star gauge, that allows you to see how close you are to achieving the 5-star rating as you are playing the song. Or, more likely, lets you see how close you WERE to achieving it, because you were too busy staring at the notes flying at you to look away during the song. It's a nice touch, and not too distracting like the streak counter in Guitar Hero 3 that would bounce on and off the screen. But does it make up for the fact that they do not break down the stats to see where you need work? Probably not.
The guitar that comes in the Rock Band bundle is quite different. It's harder to feel your position on the frets than with the Guitar Hero controllers. They added the smaller "solo" fret buttons at the base of the neck, which work like normal buttons except during the designated guitar solos... at which time they work without strumming, which means you'll have to adjust your entire timing and press the button at the correct time rather than having it ready in advance.
The guitar also has a switcher for effects during Overdrive. But they seem mixed too low, so you can't really hear them over the rest of your band.
The GH notes have been altered from the familiar circles to small rectangles. Not a big deal, except with the hammer-ons and pull-offs... which are now just slightly smaller rectangles. They are not nearly distinct enough, unless they're right next to a normal sized note.
My biggest, and perhaps only true disappointment with the game (aside from some of the song choices... they found the one Aerosmith song I've never heard of. Gee, thanks. I'd would have much rather tried to skat my way through the ending of Rag Doll, personally.) is the drum kit configuration. It is set up like a standard electronic drum kit, with the four pads in an arch. I would like to have it in a more realistic drum set configuration, with the snare lowered & centered in front of you, and allowing you to cross your arms when playing the high hat. Perhaps have the crash cymbal pad elevated so you can really reach up and strike it with some enthusiasm. If they're going to make you actually drum in the game, they should have let you feel more like a real drummer instead of like some weenie technodrummer.
Overall, it is truly a fun game. Perhaps not as revolutionary as one might hope, but a great start. It's too bad World Tour isn't kind to newcomers (especially since everybody is pretty much a newcomer at drumming) by only offering a few locations for those playing on easy. Someday my Roman band will invade America!
***
A couple extra notes:
The guitar seems easier than on Guitar Hero. Is that intentional? I know I have more practice now, so stuff would seem easier... but compare the same songs: Chereb Rock in GH3 and Rock Band. Definitely easier in Rock Band. I still have nightmares about the alternating 3-note chords from GH3.
It is awesome to hear the crowd singing along when you're doing well. And sometimes you'll see the guitarist mouthing the words as well. Gives the game excellent atmosphere!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Early Morning Pontificating
Let me clarify something...
While I am eagerly anticipating Rock Band, I am doing so with an extremely cautious nature. I genuinely don't expect this to be anything more than a four-player Guitar Hero.
This caution comes from wisdom provided by of years of video game playing. Nowadays when I hear a game concept announced, the "coolness factor" is always surmounted by a sense of where it can all go so very wrong.
My trepidation towards Rock Band is only increased with each article and breaking news hype surrounding the game, because all of those press releases only focus on the track list.
I don't believe the track list can ever satisfy everyone. (Why is there no Huey Lewis, hmmmm?) Even if they put a song of every genre from every era, they'd still be too much of the "other" songs for people to groan about.
And what's the point of having so many master tracks if you're going to sing the vocals yourself?
Speaking of which, the only other singing/karaoke game I've played is Boogie, which you can hum along with and still score well. Will Rock Band be the same? And how close to the original do you need to perform? Isn't the point of being in a band and playing the song live is to vary your performance each time? Liven it up a bit? Jam? Obnoxiously throw in the name of the city you're performing in? Get the crowd to sing the words for you?
There are new features for Rock Band, of course, like making your own characters and designing your band logo... but again comes the caution when you look at Harmonix's leap between Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero 2 was adding more stats and an additional multiplayer mode. Will the tremendous jump to Rock Band be too ambitious and these new features end up as watered down versions of what they should be?
And one of my biggest concerns of all... where will I keep all this stuff? Will the Missus allow the drumset to clutter the living room between practices? How easily will the drum kit collapse for storage, and how many times can you do so before something snaps off and you'll be shelling out a hundred bucks for a replacement set?
Side note:
I went to Gamestop and asked about when they'd be getting separate wireless guitar controllers for the 360. Their book has them scheduled for February... for 80 bucks apiece. So, if you can find one, the Guitar Hero 3 bundle will run you $100, and Gamestop's current trade-in value for the game itself is $30...
My Rock Band concerns will not keep me from buying the game, of course. I have to get it to see if they manage to pull it off. We'll find out in two weeks.
While I am eagerly anticipating Rock Band, I am doing so with an extremely cautious nature. I genuinely don't expect this to be anything more than a four-player Guitar Hero.
This caution comes from wisdom provided by of years of video game playing. Nowadays when I hear a game concept announced, the "coolness factor" is always surmounted by a sense of where it can all go so very wrong.
My trepidation towards Rock Band is only increased with each article and breaking news hype surrounding the game, because all of those press releases only focus on the track list.
I don't believe the track list can ever satisfy everyone. (Why is there no Huey Lewis, hmmmm?) Even if they put a song of every genre from every era, they'd still be too much of the "other" songs for people to groan about.
And what's the point of having so many master tracks if you're going to sing the vocals yourself?
Speaking of which, the only other singing/karaoke game I've played is Boogie, which you can hum along with and still score well. Will Rock Band be the same? And how close to the original do you need to perform? Isn't the point of being in a band and playing the song live is to vary your performance each time? Liven it up a bit? Jam? Obnoxiously throw in the name of the city you're performing in? Get the crowd to sing the words for you?
There are new features for Rock Band, of course, like making your own characters and designing your band logo... but again comes the caution when you look at Harmonix's leap between Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero 2 was adding more stats and an additional multiplayer mode. Will the tremendous jump to Rock Band be too ambitious and these new features end up as watered down versions of what they should be?
And one of my biggest concerns of all... where will I keep all this stuff? Will the Missus allow the drumset to clutter the living room between practices? How easily will the drum kit collapse for storage, and how many times can you do so before something snaps off and you'll be shelling out a hundred bucks for a replacement set?
Side note:
I went to Gamestop and asked about when they'd be getting separate wireless guitar controllers for the 360. Their book has them scheduled for February... for 80 bucks apiece. So, if you can find one, the Guitar Hero 3 bundle will run you $100, and Gamestop's current trade-in value for the game itself is $30...
My Rock Band concerns will not keep me from buying the game, of course. I have to get it to see if they manage to pull it off. We'll find out in two weeks.
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