Rock Band

I’m a big fan of Rock Band. I’ve played it on Nintendo Wii and Playstation 2. Not only are there two guitar players, but a drummer and singer as well. Now four people can pose like musicians!

As a drummer, I find the drums to be comparable to actually playing a drum set. The bass drum pedal is a little awkward because in real life, the pedal operates a stick that bounces off the drum, whereas in Rock Band, the pedal is all there is. Also, there is no second pedal to control the hi-hat in Rock Band, but this is understandable because that would push the player to complete hand/foot independence, which is a little much to ask of the average player with no experience playing set. Another awkward thing is that even at the expert level, I can sometimes hear the drummer in the song doing things a little different than the notes displayed in the game. Even though it isn’t a perfect match to playing set, I find myself playing drums on Rock Band more often than any other instrument.

My least favorite is the singing. It’s not that I can’t carry a tune, but the game is all about matching pitch and rhythmically speaking the lyrics (or your own variation of the lyrics). Also, there are some tambourine/cowbell hits made by smacking the mic. But since I’m not a fan of karaoke, I just don’t get much out of singing in Rock Band. I feel like I ought to be hitting or plucking something, and the tambourine/cowbell parts don’t fulfill my needs (although the cowbell hits on “Don’t Fear the Reaper” come close).

This game was by far the most popular at our New Year’s party. I think it offers enough variety that even those who aren’t that skilled with the guitars or drums would at least enjoy the karaoke aspect. Add an audience, and everyone becomes a ham. Great fun!

Wii

After many weeks of waiting with great anticipation, we have at long last purchased a Wii, thanks in no small part to the efforts of my wife, who often searched for one and at last ended up at the right place and the right time. Not only do we have the system itself, but we’ve also got four Remotes (or Wiimotes), two Nunchucks and an assortment of games.

Of all the games that we own for the system, my favorite is The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess. I enjoy the simple puzzles of the game, like figuring out how to open doors or where to find certain items, but there’s also the game-play aspect. With Zelda, you are swinging your arm to wield Link’s sword, yet the movements of the character are accomplished through the familiar turns of a small, thumb joystick on the Nunchuck controller. I don’t know if I would rank this Zelda as the best ever (though the technical achievements of this game are the most advanced) because I can still recall the days when I played the original Zelda on NES and The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past on Super NES. Both of those games were remarkable in their days, and I can’t just knock them out of contention because their graphics are less or because they’re flat, 2-D games.

The myriad of uses for the Wii controllers becomes apparent with Wario Ware: Smooth Moves. This is a game of utterly ridiculous mini-games, such as shredding a cell phone, helping Granny put her false teeth in or washing a cow. The entertainment is just as much in laughing at the overall silliness of each mini-game as it is in successfully completing it.

Another feature of the Wii is that it allows users to create cartoonish characters in their own likeness (called Miis). Users can then play as their Mii in some of the games, such as Wii Sports. This is taking “Enter your name” to the next level.

The Wii is the most innovative game system to date. When connected to the Internet, it allows for downloads of much older Nintendo games (though at the moment there are only a few titles available), displays weather forecasts and allows you to share your Miis with other Wii owners (you can even have parades of all the Miis that have come into your system). For those on the fence about getting a Wii, I highly recommend it as a fun video game system, regardless of whether or not you have any skills at playing video games. If you can move your arms, you can play the games. Some games might be too challenging for newer gamers, so use your own discretion.

Christmas Break with Guitar Hero II

For Christmas, I received a game from my sister and brother-in-law. They gave me Guitar Hero II for Playstation 2. This is the sequel to a very unique video game in which the player uses a makeshift guitar controller instead of the standard game controller.

I have no skills in playing guitar. My musical background is in percussion only, but understanding rhythm helps immensely with a game such as this. With each song completed, though, I feel as though I could pick up a real guitar and start jamming. It’s an illusion, of course, but when the game is set at medium or higher, it certainly feels much more realistic.

One of the funniest things about the game was watching my dad get hooked. He’s humored me over the years by playing some games with me occasionally, but there were very few he could even tolerate. This, by contrast, was a game that he couldn’t put down. We were up until past 2 AM Christmas Eve playing this game. Actually, he kept playing it, trying to finish one of the more difficult songs (and he eventually got through it).

Guitar Hero II is probably one of the most addictive console games available. No one can stop after just one song, and even five songs feels like a warm-up. We haven’t had a chance to purchase a second guitar yet, but I’m interested in finding out how well the two player match-ups can be. Supposedly, it offers not only head-to-head competition mode but also allows one person to play lead while the other person plays bass.

If you follow my blog for writing advice, then I advise every writer to take breaks here and there, especially around holidays like Christmas and New Year’s. If you’re looking for something fun to do (especially if you want something that isn’t related to writing in the least), pick up Guitar Hero II. It’s simple to learn and has four levels of difficulty to keep most people challenged. If you don’t already own a Playstation 2, head to a local game store that sells used equipment to find one at a good price.

Rock on!