Rock Band: Unplugged (PSP) (From Daily Echo)

Rock Band: Unplugged (PSP)

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Genre: Rhythm

Platform: Sony PSP

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Classification: 12+ (PEGI)

Guitar Hero took the mainstream rhythm game genre to the portables by bringing out the Guitar Grip and Guitar Hero games for Nintendo DS. EA are heading in the same direction but are treading a different path by bringing out Rock Band: Unplugged for Sony’s PSP.

There’s no denying that to get the best out of Rock Band, you’d need to be using the instrument shaped peripherals in front of your TV. But as well as looking like the local nutter, it would also be incredibly impractical to use these on the bus, train or even down the pub. The Rock Band series is now trying to overcome this problem and give people a good rhythm game on the go.

With all the glitter and general aesthetics of the games older cousins, Rock Band Unplugged gives players a new gaming experience by having them play four instruments at once.

Each instrument has it’s own note highway and after a segment is completed by matching the on screen notes, that instrument will carry on playing automatically whilst the player concentrates on another. At first it can seem a little daunting, keeping all four instruments going at once. But once players get into the flow, rocking out to one of the 41 classics packed on the UMD will become an entirely satisfying experience Ever since the release of Guitar Hero, I have really enjoyed the rhythm game genre and have to admit that I was sceptical about going back to the old school style of straight up button presses. But the games big licensing deals, its fluidity and ease of use make it fun to play even though things have evolved differently on the consoles.

There are plenty of songs available to download from the store already with more being added regular basis. One thing that is surprising though is the lack of a multiplayer mode that would inevitably extend the games life even further.

SCORE: 7 / 10