Rock Band 3 DS Review
Rock Band 3 is the newest iteration in the wildly popular rhythm game series, featuring Pro mode and new guitar peripherals, as well as drum kit upgrades and a new keyboard peripheral. How does this experience translate to the DS? Surprisingly well, in fact.
Rather than trying to play with some sort of crazy instrument attachment, the game wisely uses the DS face buttons, similar to last year’s Rock Band Unplugged for PSP. The touchscreen is used only for menus, though it’s easier in nearly every case to just use the directional pad and face buttons. Similar to the console versions of Rock Band, you play along to a scrolling track of notes, and must match the correct button to the corresponding note.
Visually, the game looks more or less like the standard Rock Band layout.
A key difference between the console and handheld version is how each track is handled. Rather than focus on a single instrument, you must juggle all four (or five, depending on the song). Neglecting an instrumental track for too long or simply missing too many notes results in the instrument failing out.
Additionally, there are two gameplay modes: Normal and Pro. Normal Mode requires the player to play a single phrase per instrument, which then puts that track into autoplay mode for a brief period. You are then required to switch tracks quickly and play another phrase, putting that instrument into autoplay mode, and so on throughout the song. Pro Mode is similar, but the difference is that the game does not automatically force you to switch tracks once you complete a phrase.
Much as the name implies, this mode is for advanced players, but is incredibly rewarding once mastered. The career mode is similar to the other Rock Band games, where your band begins as a lowly garage band, playing in local pubs and other similar locations, before ascending to stardom.
A small (albeit blurry) sampling of the 25-song setlist.
A gripe I had about the game is the oddly confusing navigation. The main menu has a “Play Now” and “Career” option, which should be fairly straightforward. However, “Career” only takes you to a list of goals that you can accomplish in the game, and doesn’t actually start your in-game career. Instead, you must go to “Play Now”, and then “Road Challenges”, which is the equivalent of Career Mode. Once in “Road Challenges”, you embark upon the typical rags-to-riches adventure found in every other Rock Band title. Your goal in career mode is to earn Stars and Spades.
Stars are earned by doing well in a song, and Spades are earned differently depending on the mode being played. In Normal Mode, completing multiple phrases back-to-back earns you Spades slowly but surely. To earn them quickly, you’ve got to activate your Overdrive by either pressing B or yelling into the microphone. In Pro Mode, a random instrument is in the spotlight, and Spades are earned by completing phrases for that instrument. Unfortunately, you must often replay venues over and over to earn enough stars and spades to move on. It’s still solid, regardless.
Take your band all the way to the top, and conquer THE WORLD.
The song choices are fairly decent, though I swear if I have to play “Sister Christian” one more time, my head may explode. The setlist is fairly large for a DS title, with 26 songs available to choose from, including Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” and Metric’s “Combat Baby”. The downside, of course, is that the same songs will be played over and over again, and there is no chance of DLC whatsoever. However, the songs are charted well and are fun enough to warrant multiple plays. I have to admit, playing “Bohemian Rhapsody” is probably the most fun I’ve had with my DS in recent months. Altogether, the setlist is varied and interesting, packing in quite a few fun songs.
Despite the game’s shortcomings, this is a must-have for any rhythm game enthusiast. Even if you already own Rock Band 3 on your console of choice, I recommend picking this up. It’s great portable fun, and you’ll find yourself trying to complete the 165 in-game goals.
