GeneralGames.ca

There's a huge number of worthy bands, but these few might do well with their own game

The Rock Band series has taken us from the legendary career of The Beatles to the modern metamorphosis of Green Day. Like them or not, band-specific games are here to stay and will continue to grow and evolve with the music-game genre. The only question that remains is who’s next to get their own title? While we may not know for certain let’s examine a few contenders who are more than capable of delivering a solid Rock Band experience if given the chance.

Combine a unique visual style with some of the most innovative and catchy tunes of the decade and you’ve got a recipe for success. Every album since their 1999 debut has been loaded with billboard topping hits, but there’s still plenty of fan-favourites that could flesh out a well-rounded playlist. Their 6 album history has enough breadth to carry a game without the aid of other artists, though a few Raconteurs tracks could easily be thrown in for good measure.

Performing at some pretty crazy venues, like their impromptu 2007 show in Nunavut, set dressings would be far different than the usual stage with pyrotechnics. Nevermind the fact Jack and Meg White are both extremely animated performers with an incredibly unique fashion sense, which would be fun to see digitized. In fact, the fact that they’re a duo is probably the only thing that could hold it back, considering Rock Band’s social aspect. Though, if 3 worked for Green Day I’m sure fans could forgive losing one more.

Gorillaz: Rock Band

They may not have the biggest catalogue to pull from, but the unique stylings of Murdoc, Russel, 2-D, and Noodle would provide a symphony unlike anything that’s hit the Rock Band stage thus far. The opportunity for the animators to present the game entirely in 2D cartoons would be a fresh change of pace from the pseudo-realistic 3D models that have gone relatively unchanged since Rock Band’s inception.

Because Gorillaz is a fictional band, the campaign is not required to follow a historical path. The game could follow along with their musical career, but of all the bands in this list this concept has the most room for exploration and growth. It would be interesting to see a unique fiction played out, or even recreations of the music videos. Regardless, if Harmonix could figure out a way to work a limited catalogue this could be a very worthwhile release.

The Rolling Stones: Rock Band

If you’re going after the biggest of the big, it’s hard to get more influential than The Rolling Stones. With more hits than you can count, a fanbase that’s been following them since the dawn of time, and a legacy that spans generations it’s hard to say they haven’t earned it. The Rolling Stones are probably the only group that could match The Beatles: Rock Band in terms of mass market popularity with songs like “Ruby Tuesday” and “Satisfaction”

I don’t pity the developers who would have to condense The Rolling Stones’ nearly 50-year career to a few playable venues and some carefully selected track lists. Taking another page from The Beatles: Rock Band, artistic vignettes would do very well to illustrate the group’s lengthy career and bring a fresh set of eyes to one of rock ‘n roll’s greatest. Add in a wealth of unlockable video footage and you’ve got a lot of the Stones to enjoy.

Rage Against the Machine: Rock Band

Another group with a powerful visual style, Rage Against the Machine is one of those bands that puts out such a strong thematic vibe not much more is needed to carry the experience. It does certainly help though that Tom Morello is an absolute mad scientist with his guitar, creating incredible aberrations of music. Throw in Zach De La Rocha’s powerful lyrics and you’ve got an electrically charged disc.

The only issue about revolving an entire game around the band is their lack of ESRB-friendly songs. With every Rock Band title being censored to fit a T for Teen rating it’s hard to say if the music would suffer from the cropping. While it’s unlikely (and illogical) that lyrics alone could warrant an M for Mature rating it’s safe to say Harmonix would have to develop a solution to deliver a RATM experience at full strength.