Rock Band: Difference between revisions

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''Rock Band'' was the original release, a [[Spiritual Successor]] to Guitar Hero 2. Differences from Guitar Hero 2 include all-black highway backgrounds, rectangular gems instead of round ones, the extensive use of original masters instead of covers; perhaps most important is the addition of vocals (with Harmonix using their experience developing [[Karaoke Revolution]] to good use) and drums, which join the pre-existing guitar and bass modes, allowing for a total of 4 players (bandmates) at once and expanding the number of ways to play from 1 to 3 (as the guitar and bass modes share similar gameplay).
''Rock Band'' was the original release, a [[Spiritual Successor]] to Guitar Hero 2. Differences from Guitar Hero 2 include all-black highway backgrounds, rectangular gems instead of round ones, the extensive use of original masters instead of covers; perhaps most important is the addition of vocals (with Harmonix using their experience developing [[Karaoke Revolution]] to good use) and drums, which join the pre-existing guitar and bass modes, allowing for a total of 4 players (bandmates) at once and expanding the number of ways to play from 1 to 3 (as the guitar and bass modes share similar gameplay).


''Rock Band 2'' was released a year later (2008), with significant upgrades to the often-criticized instruments - including the $300 Ion Drum Kit, which can also be used as a regular MIDI drumkit. Not to mention drum tutorials, a World Tour playable alone (or without needing to sing while you do), the ability to port over songs from Rock Band 1 for a small fee (on the 360 and [[Play Station 3]]), and more. Both games are supported by a large pool of downloadable songs (the same large pool, in fact--official DLC is compatible with both), including some by artists and genres further flung from what most consider "rock," like Country, Funk, and electronic dance, as well as a number of independent and international artists. Whereas the first game had less than 60 songs, this one had 84, with all songs available on every instrument.
''Rock Band 2'' was released a year later (2008), with significant upgrades to the often-criticized instruments - including the $300 Ion Drum Kit, which can also be used as a regular MIDI drumkit. Not to mention drum tutorials, a World Tour playable alone (or without needing to sing while you do), the ability to port over songs from Rock Band 1 for a small fee (on the 360 and [[PlayStation 3]]), and more. Both games are supported by a large pool of downloadable songs (the same large pool, in fact--official DLC is compatible with both), including some by artists and genres further flung from what most consider "rock," like Country, Funk, and electronic dance, as well as a number of independent and international artists. Whereas the first game had less than 60 songs, this one had 84, with all songs available on every instrument.




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*** However, the Limited Edition of The Beatles: Rock Band included a metal kick pedal for the drums.
*** However, the Limited Edition of The Beatles: Rock Band included a metal kick pedal for the drums.
*** The Rock Band 2 drums also put a metal plate on the pedal.
*** The Rock Band 2 drums also put a metal plate on the pedal.
** [[Play Station 3]] owners who tried to export Rock band 2 at Rock Band 3's launch ended up with the wrong export key, hope you left your email with them to get a fixed key.
** [[PlayStation 3]] owners who tried to export Rock band 2 at Rock Band 3's launch ended up with the wrong export key, hope you left your email with them to get a fixed key.
** The last two DLC released for ''Unplugged'', Sex Type Thing and Constant Motion, have the potential to delete the rest of your DLC if you download them. Buyer beware, indeed.
** The last two DLC released for ''Unplugged'', Sex Type Thing and Constant Motion, have the potential to delete the rest of your DLC if you download them. Buyer beware, indeed.
* [[Game Mod]]: Mostly hardware adjustments for the drums. Less necessary now that better instrument controllers are available, but sites like [http://www.area51moto.com/mega/ MegaPedal] offer aluminum replacements, and then there is the more luxurious designs, like an actual kick pedal augmented with magnetic contacts...
* [[Game Mod]]: Mostly hardware adjustments for the drums. Less necessary now that better instrument controllers are available, but sites like [http://www.area51moto.com/mega/ MegaPedal] offer aluminum replacements, and then there is the more luxurious designs, like an actual kick pedal augmented with magnetic contacts...
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* [[Limited Special Collectors Ultimate Edition]]: So far:
* [[Limited Special Collectors Ultimate Edition]]: So far:
** ''[[Rock Band]] 2'' shipped with a special edition bundle with enhanced instrument controllers, including a guitar controller with much more quiet fret buttons and a camera and microphone to make calibration easier, and a drum kit with a sturdier kick pedal.
** ''[[Rock Band]] 2'' shipped with a special edition bundle with enhanced instrument controllers, including a guitar controller with much more quiet fret buttons and a camera and microphone to make calibration easier, and a drum kit with a sturdier kick pedal.
** ''[[The Beatles]]: [[Rock Band]]'' had a special edition bundle with Beatle-themed instruments, including a guitar shaped like Paul McCartney's Höfner_500/1 bass, with instrument peripherals modelled after John Lennon's Rickenbacker 325 and George Harrison's Gretsch Duo Jet sold separately. The game is also sold as a Singstar bundle with two microphones (for the [[Play Station 3]] only), as well as a [[Vanilla Edition|Value Bundle]] with original [[Rock Band]] controllers.
** ''[[The Beatles]]: [[Rock Band]]'' had a special edition bundle with Beatle-themed instruments, including a guitar shaped like Paul McCartney's Höfner_500/1 bass, with instrument peripherals modelled after John Lennon's Rickenbacker 325 and George Harrison's Gretsch Duo Jet sold separately. The game is also sold as a Singstar bundle with two microphones (for the [[PlayStation 3]] only), as well as a [[Vanilla Edition|Value Bundle]] with original [[Rock Band]] controllers.
** ''[[Green Day]]: [[Rock Band]]'' was released in the States as both a standard edition as well as a 'Plus' edition at $10 extra, which allows players to transfer all the songs in the game to other [[Rock Band]] titles for free, and comes with all previously released [[Green Day]] [[Downloadable Content]].
** ''[[Green Day]]: [[Rock Band]]'' was released in the States as both a standard edition as well as a 'Plus' edition at $10 extra, which allows players to transfer all the songs in the game to other [[Rock Band]] titles for free, and comes with all previously released [[Green Day]] [[Downloadable Content]].
* [[Lost Forever]]:
* [[Lost Forever]]:
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* [[Milking the Giant Cow]]: Any character acting as the lead singer while using the Metal-attitude responses tends to do this fairly frequently.
* [[Milking the Giant Cow]]: Any character acting as the lead singer while using the Metal-attitude responses tends to do this fairly frequently.
* [[Mood Whiplash]]: Likely in any Party Shuffle if the player(s) have given high reviews to a wide varity of music. For example, you can get a setlist starting with [[Neil Cicierega|The Ultimate Showdown (of Ultimate Destiny)]], followed up by [[Fleetwood Mac|Landslide]], then topped off with [[Megadeth|Hangar 18]].
* [[Mood Whiplash]]: Likely in any Party Shuffle if the player(s) have given high reviews to a wide varity of music. For example, you can get a setlist starting with [[Neil Cicierega|The Ultimate Showdown (of Ultimate Destiny)]], followed up by [[Fleetwood Mac|Landslide]], then topped off with [[Megadeth|Hangar 18]].
* [[Multi Platform]]: For the best results you'd better own an Xbox 360 or [[Play Station 3]] if you want the most complete experience. [[Mission Pack Sequel|Exports to the regular series]], adds too the fun of the game.
* [[Multi Platform]]: For the best results you'd better own an Xbox 360 or [[PlayStation 3]] if you want the most complete experience. [[Mission Pack Sequel|Exports to the regular series]], adds too the fun of the game.
** Solely Xbox 360 if you want to take full advantage of the Rock Band Network, though. It's obvious which platform Harmonix prefers (or maybe it's just obvious which platform doesn't have an equivalent to XNA, the system that allows Xbox users to submit songs in the first place), even if people don't like to admit it.
** Solely Xbox 360 if you want to take full advantage of the Rock Band Network, though. It's obvious which platform Harmonix prefers (or maybe it's just obvious which platform doesn't have an equivalent to XNA, the system that allows Xbox users to submit songs in the first place), even if people don't like to admit it.
*** Due to license agreements with Sony, the [[Play Station 3]] keyboard bundle for RB3 is not available in the NA region. Similarly, the Mustang Guitar won't be available for [[Play Station 3]] owners until late November (The Wii one will be available before the [[Play Station 3]] one). The X360 Pro guitar? Already available from some retailers. The Xbox 360 owners just get all the luck with regards to Rock Band. Also, the Wii version of the game lacks the ability to put custom art on... well, anything. You can pick one of a large number of preset images for band logos and tattoos, and makeup and facepaint are removed altogether.
*** Due to license agreements with Sony, the [[PlayStation 3]] keyboard bundle for RB3 is not available in the NA region. Similarly, the Mustang Guitar won't be available for [[PlayStation 3]] owners until late November (The Wii one will be available before the [[PlayStation 3]] one). The X360 Pro guitar? Already available from some retailers. The Xbox 360 owners just get all the luck with regards to Rock Band. Also, the Wii version of the game lacks the ability to put custom art on... well, anything. You can pick one of a large number of preset images for band logos and tattoos, and makeup and facepaint are removed altogether.
* [[Mission Pack Sequel]]: Just about every disc release for the series can be considered one, especially in light of all the improvements [[Rock Band]] 3 adds to the platform. In fact, Harmonix deliberately chose to break their annual release cycle so they could perfect everything for [[Rock Band]] 3.
* [[Mission Pack Sequel]]: Just about every disc release for the series can be considered one, especially in light of all the improvements [[Rock Band]] 3 adds to the platform. In fact, Harmonix deliberately chose to break their annual release cycle so they could perfect everything for [[Rock Band]] 3.
** As far as the numbered games go, [[Rock Band]] 2 can be considered a particularly blatant [[Mission Pack Sequel]], for including almost all the content from the original game (specifically the custom clothes and stages, and even some of the events are copy-pasted with a small alteration), with a modest interface change to make browsing through song menus easier. The only noticeable changes in actual gameplay are the drummers being able to have 8 velocity-sensitive surfaces instead of 5 surfaces, the drummers can get solos now, and the bassist has a unique effect ("Distortion" which replaces "Echo")
** As far as the numbered games go, [[Rock Band]] 2 can be considered a particularly blatant [[Mission Pack Sequel]], for including almost all the content from the original game (specifically the custom clothes and stages, and even some of the events are copy-pasted with a small alteration), with a modest interface change to make browsing through song menus easier. The only noticeable changes in actual gameplay are the drummers being able to have 8 velocity-sensitive surfaces instead of 5 surfaces, the drummers can get solos now, and the bassist has a unique effect ("Distortion" which replaces "Echo")
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*** The "Obsessive Compulsive" goal in 3, which requires you to full-combo ''every song in the game on Expert''. Good luck.
*** The "Obsessive Compulsive" goal in 3, which requires you to full-combo ''every song in the game on Expert''. Good luck.
** Beatles Rock Band has an achievement for a perfect playing of Ringo's only drum solo in the band's career, just after the beginning of "The End". As if that's not bad enough, there's one for finishing all the Beatle Beats training tracks, the last of which is... THE DRUM SOLO FROM "THE END".
** Beatles Rock Band has an achievement for a perfect playing of Ringo's only drum solo in the band's career, just after the beginning of "The End". As if that's not bad enough, there's one for finishing all the Beatle Beats training tracks, the last of which is... THE DRUM SOLO FROM "THE END".
* [[No Export for You]]: The huge DLC sale for [[Play Station 3]] never reacher EU players.
* [[No Export for You]]: The huge DLC sale for [[PlayStation 3]] never reacher EU players.
** Rock Band 2 never got released in Australia. RB1 only came out in Australia and New Zealand more than a year after its original release. And given that you need an original copy of RB2 to export the tracks from that game to RB3... Aussies can only access the nine bonus tracks from that game. Let's just say the importers are doing a roaring trade on that game with those down under. And that was the one game with studio AC/DC track...
** Rock Band 2 never got released in Australia. RB1 only came out in Australia and New Zealand more than a year after its original release. And given that you need an original copy of RB2 to export the tracks from that game to RB3... Aussies can only access the nine bonus tracks from that game. Let's just say the importers are doing a roaring trade on that game with those down under. And that was the one game with studio AC/DC track...
*** There's still the ''AC/DC Live'' Track Pack though.
*** There's still the ''AC/DC Live'' Track Pack though.
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** Players also have the option to turn off the note track that tells them what to do (meaning you must play from memory). You also can turn off the master track's vocals (so your voice is the only one you hear), and you have to play ''entirely'' from memory.
** Players also have the option to turn off the note track that tells them what to do (meaning you must play from memory). You also can turn off the master track's vocals (so your voice is the only one you hear), and you have to play ''entirely'' from memory.
**** If you can do this as a band, go on tour as a real gig, and pick up your crowning moment of awesome on the way.
**** If you can do this as a band, go on tour as a real gig, and pick up your crowning moment of awesome on the way.
* [[Sensory Abuse]]: The thankfully patched glitch on ''Rock Band 3'' for the [[Play Station 3]], which would cause a very jarring sound three times as loud as anything else in the game, completely at random, when playing on keyboard.
* [[Sensory Abuse]]: The thankfully patched glitch on ''Rock Band 3'' for the [[PlayStation 3]], which would cause a very jarring sound three times as loud as anything else in the game, completely at random, when playing on keyboard.
** On the other hand, ''RB3'''s music video venues can be unforgivingly blinding at times, even if you have the lights on in the room.
** On the other hand, ''RB3'''s music video venues can be unforgivingly blinding at times, even if you have the lights on in the room.
* [[Sequel Difficulty Drop]]: ''2'' added No Fail mode, but nothing can be saved while it's on. ''3'' has a stricter crowd meter, but almost everything can be done with No Fail off (most goals now revolve around getting a certain number of stars instead of survival).
* [[Sequel Difficulty Drop]]: ''2'' added No Fail mode, but nothing can be saved while it's on. ''3'' has a stricter crowd meter, but almost everything can be done with No Fail off (most goals now revolve around getting a certain number of stars instead of survival).
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