In the midst of all of the Guitar Hero games, you often forget that Rock Band is also quietly building its strength on the other side of things. Rock Band did not release a mainline game in 2009, and unlike Guitar Hero releasing seven different titles, Rock Band contended with only five. Admittingly, two of them are iOS mobile games, while the previous two, Rock Band Unplugged and The Beatles: Rock Band, were earlier in the year. There is no market strategy to flood the fall season with multiple games; hell, MTV Games and Harmonix could have sat longer if they wanted to.
Still, MTV Games had to bring a title for the holiday season, and while The Beatles: Rock Band was a good game that sold disappointingly, the hope was another little side game could help with the franchise amongst the sea of Guitar Hero titles. In this case, it was a curious team up to create something that was so out there, it caught a lot of people by surprise by it's announcement; a partnership with the Lego company to create a Lego Rock Band game.
The Lego company is a toy-making giant that produces the Lego bricks set, interlocking colorful blocks that kids of all ages have used for generations now to build worlds, or pre-made sets. Lego is damn popular, globally, and is no stranger to the video game market, with numerous titles of varying quality out there to play. Perhaps they are most famous for their kid-friendly movie parodies when it comes to games, like Lego Star Wars, and Lego Harry Potter. So, seeing Lego team up with MTV Games is certainly a choice that, at the time, at least saw some head scratches as to why.
The games concept was really simple. Harmonix approached Travellers Tales, the makers behind the Lego movie parody games, to co-develop a Rock Band game with them. Travellers Tales recommended TT Fusion, a division which worked heavily on iOS and mobile games, to instead join the team on co-development. TT Fusion would spearhead most of the Lego portions, i.e, character models, animation and style, while Harmonix worked on song charts.
To say this project was well liked by everyone would be a misnomer however. It was reported that half of the Harmonix staff thought the idea of marrying Lego to Rock Band was ridiculous, though as development went on most had come around to the idea. The ultimate goal was to create a more family-friendly Rock Band title, one that is accessible for kids and adults, and using the quirky style and humor of the Lego games as a special attraction to this.
It is funny how MTV Games was simultaneously working on a family-friendly version of their flagship rhythm game at the same time as Activision. It is of course, not a coincidence that Band Hero and Lego Rock Band released on the same day. While Band Hero struggles to find relevance, the question for Lego Rock Band is does it actually stand on its own as a rhythm game? The answer is yes…mostly.
Lego Rock Band is in some ways a clever take on a rhythm game. Gameplay wise you have your standard modes of play reconfigured for ease of use. The first noticeable addition is a Super Easy mode, which was designed for younger players to play. Super Easy mode has less notes and is practically impossible to fail, and pairs well with songs that have a "Short Song Mode". This mode shortens the intros and outros to some songs, allowing for younger players to hold their attention while playing the game.
These features clearly state the intent of what Lego Rock Band is trying to accomplish. Instead of points you earn 'studs', the currency found in other Lego games, allowing you to buy unlocks and customize your Lego avatars or customize a special "Rock Den" stage with Lego furniture. Story Mode replaces Tour mode, but acts as the same progression you would see in a Rock Band game, They also include Rock Power Challenges, a fun little sequence challenge that has your band play a song to do some fun and silly task, like blowing up a building or running away from a dinosaur.
The Rock Power Challenges are a highlight in Lego Rock Band. Players take turns playing a section of the song, with their combined successes leading to a pretty solid animated sequence playing out in the background that matches the songs beats and lyrics. Playing a song like The Hives "Tick Tick Boom" while your Lego bandmates are flying through the air after an explosion is just the kind of absurd comedy that Lego is known for, and seeing the game capture some of that magic despite being a wholly different genre is frankly impressive.
It is also safe to say that Harmonix and TT Fusion have a knack for making things visually engaging. Perhaps it was the work on The Beatles: Rock Band, but Lego Rock Band is able to capture a unique personality through its vibrant graphics. Lego's are by definition a colorful bunch, so seeing that infused with the games Rock Power Challenges and the music-video like quality of the side sections is honestly a nice little bonus. It also helps when you are given some surprise music cameos in the game to play along with.
Yes, Rock Band finally pulled a Guitar Hero and got some musician cameos. Ironically, Lego Rock Band is the only game in the series to do this, with each of the characters represented by a special Lego version of themselves. These are not just random choices either, you have David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and Queen's Freddie Mercury and Brian May appearing as their Lego selves in game! Hell, May requested a unique hairstyle for his Lego so that it would closely mimic his own, the type of little detail that is so charming.
If there is an issue with the game it is a weaker setlist of only 45 songs, but the balance is kept intact with some decent selections. Some of the choices are interestingly shared with Band Hero, such as "Song 2" by Blur and "Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas. You do get some inspired choices, like "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina & The Waves, "The Ghostbusters Theme" by Ray Parker Jr., and even "Fire" from Jimi Hendrix. Other gems include work from Blink-182, Vampire Weekend, Europe, and even parody band Spinal Tap. Much like Band Hero, a lot of songs can be imported out of the game to Rock Band 2, and several DLC songs that are deemed family friendly can be played in Lego Rock Band, so the setlist has decent support surrounding it.
I am being a bit kinder to Lego Rock Band than Band Hero, but overall it is a fascinating comparison. Here you have two games, aimed for the same audience, coming out on the same day in direct competition. Comparisons are inevitable, but overall, Lego Rock Band, perhaps due to the sheer audaciousness of its concept, feels more soulful and engaging. Is it a good rhythm game? It's good enough for sure; one that grabs your attention longer than it probably should outside of a younger audience.
That, however, is all you need for a rhythm game. In both design and purpose, Lego Rock Band feels like a party game for casual fans and families, which is more than I can say about Band Hero, which just hits such a sour note it's disappointing on a fundamental level. Sadly, Lego Rock Band would not be immune to the saturation of rhythm games either; it would sell poorly and MTV would slow down production, with the Rock Band series befalling the same fate as Guitar Hero.
Still, if you had to pick one game to play out of the fall releases for a rhythm game, Lego Rock Band is a solid choice. A small but solid enough setlist, colorful visuals and fun little site gags are enough to hold anyone's attention, and at the very least Haromix and MTV Games prove they are willing to take a risk with something more out there, than relying on the same old tricks. For rhythm game fans, it's worth a look at least.
Author's Note: Some videos online were used to capture screenshots of online gameplay. Links are below for credit.
A Wise Moose