365//365: Day 196 – Rock Band Unplugged (PSP) [PP]

Being a goof that actually enjoys playing Guitar Hero III on a 360 controller as opposed to a guitar peripheral, the concept of Rock Band Unplugged seemed ingenious! Port over the gameplay of the Rock Band series, into a handheld system, utilizing the d-pad and two face buttons for notes. What could go wrong? For starters, its not as clear cut as shoe-horning in the RB gameplay and that’s it. You now command the whole band, which forces you to switch between instruments via the L and R buttons when notified, leading to some quirky, yet somewhat stimulating experiences. You’re definitely going to need a bit of practice in order to fully become accustomed to switching between instruments, playing notes, switching again, ad nauseum. Playing vocals with button presses feels unintuitive, and really makes the experience feel as if its missing a major component. The set-list covers quite a bit of musical tastes, though many of the songs are not only featured in numerous other rhythm based titles, but as with each rhythm based title, there’s a lot of duds in this package (mostly the early songs). Even some of the more enjoyable songs (ABC) don’t translate into a good time when actually played. The main mode lacks customization with your band, though again, who really has time to oogle at avatars when you’re trying to watch what note is coming up next? If you can get a hang of the gameplay, especially with the harder difficulties, Rock Band Unplugged is about as good as the genre gets on a portable system. Just be aware of the meager and all around sub par set-list.

It takes a bit of practice to masterfully weave between bass and vocals without missing a beat, especially on higher difficulties.

Rating: 7.3