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Great game; Wii version limitations well known pre-release

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 62 / 78
Date: June 24, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I first bought Rock Band for my PS2, knowing that it didn't support player customization, custom setlists, DLC, or online play. Didn't matter... the core of the game is so strong that you quickly forget the smaller feature set. I bought a PS3 just so I could enjoy the "full" Rock Band experience. Tonight I played Wii Rock Band at a friend's house and guess what? It's still a GREAT GAME. Anyone who did a modicum of research knew well in advance that the Wii version was more or less a port of the PS2 version. Don't penalize the game for your lack of research. Do you spend $[...] on other items before researching your purchase?

This is the Best Music Game on Wii

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 17
Date: June 22, 2008
Author: Amazon User

If you're looking for an excellent pick up and play solo experience that gets even better with friends, look no further than Rock Band. You don't have to have any prior experience with any of the instruments to be able to rock out to a very strong and varied set list for hours on end. From 70s garage punk to contemporary industrial, this game will let you sing, drum, or strum your way to the top. And trust me, the experience gets exponentially better the more people you have playing along.

While my rating for this game looks at it as simply the game itself, there are some drastic differences from the other versions of Rock Band that a potential buyer should be aware of to make an informed decision on which version to get:

1) This game comes with the newer, updated, and more sturdy instruments than the other versions originally shipped with. The best part about this is that the Wii drums have softer pads and end up playing much quieter than the XBOX 360 version I've played this game on. It can still create some good noise if you hit it hard enough, but it's not going to cause any noise complaints.
2) This version is more similar to the stripped down PS2 version. That means no online play. That means no songs to be downloaded. That means no tour the world career mode (progression is instead done linearly much like Guitar Hero). You also will not be able to customize what your band looks like, but instead will see FMVs in the background while you play songs (much like DDR).

If point #2 is a concern, and you have a PS3 or a 360 as well as a Wii, I would high suggest that you pick up one of those versions. However, point #2 does not cut into the greatest strength of the game: the core gameplay:

Playing Guitar: If you have played any Guitar Hero game, you will be right at home. The Rock Band guitar feels sturdy when in hand, and has two different sets of keys for you to play on (the smaller ones towards the bottom of the neck are meant for solos). Personally, I find these keys fine, though people who prefer the Guitar Hero III controller will be disappointed to learn that it doesn't work with this game. However, it is truly wireless and comes with three AAA batteries right out of the box. After playing Guitar Hero III through Hard, I had no problem picking this up and going right to it, though I will say that Guitar Hero is far more forgiving on the timing of when you strum notes. However, if you're just starting out, easy mode is far more forgiving, or you can take it a step further...

Playing Bass: In earlier levels and with newcomers to the game, I would suggest that they take up playing bass. As it focuses more on sticking with the rhythm, it tends not to be as complex. Just so you know, the bass is played with the same guitar as the guitar itself, so if you want to have 4 people playing you'll need to either pick up another Rock Band guitar or have a friend bring one over. Later in the game, bass gets far more complicated and interesting, but it is a great lead in for beginners or non-gamers if they're too shy to...

Sing Along: Nothing quite says "Great for a party" like being able to watch someone make a fool out of him or herself by blaring along to a familiar or famous tune. This game will work with any USB mic that works for another Wii game (as of this writing), but keep in mind that it does come with one in the box. On easier difficulties, it focuses on you just being able to keep up with the rhythm of the words, but in later difficulties it requires you to hold onto the pitch as well (Boston still makes my throat hurt!). You can't be shy or timid though...if you don't project your voice into the mic it will not pick it up and you will fail.

Laying the Beat: To be honest, this is the portion of the game that I was most excited about (and if you get the special edition, the part that requires the most assembly and takes up most of the box space). The drumming tutorial was very helpful for getting started, and while the included sticks may be too small for some people, any set of drumsticks will work. The pads are very sensitive, and as long as you keep your foot down on the foot pedal instead of raising it back up between uses, your ankle will be fine. Most songs give you moments to beat into the drum like crazy, which is a bonus for when the rest of your band is trying to be as precise as possible in the middle of a song.

In the end, I would recommend this product tremendously if you only have a Wii. If you have a PS3 or a 360, the other features and single player mode are worth having, but if you don't you won't be totally missing out; the game play is incredibly satisfying. The cooperative modes clearly demonstrate that Harmonix thought out what would go into each different instrument for each song, and will also be the major draw for if you have other people over to play the game. Furthermore, you get the same songs as the PS3 and 360 plus five bonus track that those systems would have to download. And if you really like the game? In July the first track pack will be released for the Wii and PS2 and it will include 20 of the most popular songs from the downloadable content.

Yes, there are some features missing. Yes, this version could be considered stripped down. Even so, it is still one of the best single player and multiplayer experiences to be had on the Wii, and it is easily the best music, rhythm, karaoke, etc (sorry if I'm missing a genre!) game on the Wii. Rock Band is well worth the price of admission.

Great game on its own!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 9
Date: July 13, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Although I've been a heavy shopper of Amazon for years, I've written very few reviews - mostly due to laziness. But after playing with Rock Band for just over a week, and noticing a lot of the negative reviews, mostly due to comparisons to versions of the same game on other platforms, i felt i really ought to provide some of my feedback.

I don't own an XBOX or a PS3. I wish i did - but.. i'm too cheap, and my kids are still too young (3 and 7) for the type of games that are popular on those systems. I've settled for the Wii. Although we've been quite happy with Wii Sports, none of the other games have really kept our interest beyond a couple of days. (granted, i've only attempted to purchase games that would appeal to both my 7 year old and all the adults around - that's pretty hard to do)... until now. Rock Band has to be one of the best "team" oriented games I've played in a long time. Its a game that has kept friends of ours over very late trying to pass the various songs. More importantly, its a game that both my 7 year old and I can play together at the same time. (she sings, and i'd play the drums..).. And to be able to complete a song together is really cool.. Its "team" oriented because you're only as good as your weakest band member.. and when the weak band member falls behind, the best band member has the ability to "save" him/her..otherwise, the team falls..

Since I've never played the Xbox or ps3 version, i have no idea what i'm missing.. but what i do get, i absolutely love! So, if you are a single console owner like myself, i think this game is a must have - its the best party game since Wii Sports.

I only hope that the equipment stays functioning for a long time as we've given it a good workout so far..

For Music Lovers- lots of fun

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: June 24, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I got Rockband today and I totally love it! If you like music, you'll love rockband! It allows you to unlock your inner rockstar wannabe. Plus, you can play with friends...You can play with several people, which is the fun of it! The music is pretty good too. Some people are whining because it doesn't have the customizable characters, but if you are more into music and having fun, then the fact that you can't give your singer a mohawk doesn't really matter. I played guitar hero for the music and for the fun of it and I never wasted my time giving my character new bra-tops.
Bottom line: Rockband is a ton of fun..If you are more into music than playing Barbie with a character, then you'll enjoy Rockband!

Wii Rock Band is being underrated

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 13
Date: June 25, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Lots of reviewers keep slamming Rock Band for the Wii, but if you read their reviews, they're really slamming the Wii itself. OK, everyone who owns the Wii console knows that it doesn't have the graphics capabilities of the PS3, doesn't have a hard drive, etc., etc. If you don't like the Wii, except for the few games that are designed to take special advantage of its motion sensitive controls (Wii Sports, for example), and have limitless funds to keep buying consoles, then yes, you'd probably rather own Rock Band for the PS3. However, I can say that if Wii is your console, this game is tons of fun. I also have Guitar Hero III for the PC, along with a modern and souped up enough PC to play it adequately, so that's my main comparison. I can say that I like Rock Band for the Wii better. That's irrespective of the fact that my PC (obviously) has a huge hard drive, the PC game can play online - at least after I downloaded the latest patch - and the PC game has superior graphics. So why do I prefer Rock Band? First and foremost, the Fender guitar control doesn't just look a whole lot better than the lame X-Box controller the PC game uses, it also feels and responds far better. First try on one of the songs at medium, I got 100%, which I still haven't managed in GH III. Second, the drums and vocals are a neat addition. The vocals work far better than I would have expected, in fact.

The other main complaint is that there is no DLC (that's "downloadable content" for the uninitiated) for the Wii, but get over it. The game comes with 5 bonus tracks that were only available as DLC for other platforms, and the additional track packs you can buy (actually extra stand alone games) work out being more economical than downloading the number of songs they contain. (OK, as of this writing, there's only 1 volume, but I used the plural since they call it "Volume 1," figuring sales will be good enough that they'll add more volumes.)

Okay, so here's why all the bad reviews are wrong... sort of...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: June 27, 2008
Author: Amazon User

First off, this is a great game. Addictive play, that's easy to catch on to, even if you are not a kid and not a gamer. The rating suffer considerably due to comparison to the XBox and PS3 versions. Sadly, the Wii just doesn't have the power or hard drive to allow for all the features of the PS3/XBox versions (shortcomings are well described in other reviews). That having been said, the core gameplay is intact and is a blast. If you own a PS3/XBox, by all means, buy this game for that platform, its a better deal since the price is the same. If you only own a Wii, however, don't hesitate to buy this. You will love it.

Great Game!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 8
Date: June 29, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This is my first experience with Rockband and I must say, it's awesome!! The core of the game is the ability to play instruments to a song track. This part of the game is intact and perfect. I'm not sure why not having features such as XBOX graphics, customizable characters, etc is such a problem since 99.9% of the game is playing the instruments. The tracks and sound quality is stellar. I highly recommend this game.

Great

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 18
Date: June 30, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This is a great title.
People have been giving bad reviews because of what it lacks.
GO DO RESEARCH AND STOP CRYING ABOUT IT. ITS YOUR FAULT NO ONE RIPPED YOU OFF OR LIED TO YOU. You should know what you are buying before you spend your money

Great for the whole family

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 6
Date: June 22, 2008
Author: Amazon User

We have a large family (2 adults and 7 children). We love Guitar Hero and this is a new hit in our home! Its nice to have enough instruments (the drums are often taken by 2 members of the family) so that most of us can play each turn. A lot of the songs are new to us but we enjoy them just the same. The only issue we have had so far is that the guitar is a bit finicky and we are having to strum harder to get it to pick up the notes but over all very impressed.

Are you kidding me?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 9
Date: June 26, 2008
Author: Amazon User

OMG.....people reviewing this game that have not played it on the wii platform. Ridiculous whining about non-vital features that do not diminish RB's core gameplay in their absence. While the PS3 & 360 editions may be superior, the wii version is a very solid addition to the Rock Band family. Moreover, I have Legends of Rock for the wii and I can tell you the online play for that is nothing to write home about. And for those you screaming about the price, think of a GHIII bundle with a set of drums at release time and the price would be roughly the same. If you just want to rock with your friends, getting on the RBW bandwagon is the way to go ;-)

GH & RBW = Lots of Rocking Fun!

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