Gamertell

Chris Chike has obliterated his own Guitar Hero record. You know, the one they just published in that Guinness Book of World Records for video games? Maybe they’ll release booster packs so you can rip out the offending pages and replace them with fresh greatness.

Chike put down a 100 percent on the punishing “Through the Fire and the Flames” song by speed metal legends DragonForce…

MORE »

Just in time for the 4th of July holiday, Activision has announced that Guitar Hero 3 players can download the Top Gun Anthem song for free. No, it’s not Danger Zone, and it’s not Berlin’s epic Take My Breath Away, but it’s memorable, 80’s flavored and patriotic all the same. The free part certainly doesn’t hurt either.

From the press release:

“The instrumental, guitar-heavy theme was immortalized in the hit film that inspired a generation of young men to awkwardly serenade women at bars, perform perfectly-timed “flipside” high fives and threaten to “buzz the tower.”

Ah, Top Gun, a true bastion of nostalgia. The song can be downloaded via Xbox Live or the PlayStation network beginning July 3, 2008.

Read [Kotaku]

Shocking no one - and exciting a few people - was today’s announcement that Rock Band 2 is on it’s way - and coming quite soon. Harmonix announced that the new game will arrive on the Xbox 360 this September (and other platforms later in the year), and will include a plethora of new songs, new online modes, and full compatibility with all previously downloaded Rock Band tracks.

The press release outlines some of the new features:

“Backwards compatibility with Rock Band downloadable music content. All previously purchased tracks will immediately load into your Rock Band 2 song list. No need to re-purchase or re-download.
The biggest and most diverse soundtrack ever featuring some of rock’s most prolific acts, comprised entirely of master recordings.
Major new and dynamic online modes that will connect the entire Rock Band community in more ways than ever before both locally and globally.
More variety of instrument choices than ever before with new and improved drum and guitar peripherals, enhanced functionality and innovative new designs - all fully compatible with the original Rock Band instruments.”

I’m thrilled that they’re keeping the fans happy by making all the previous dlc compatible, but what about the basic Rock Band setlist - is that included as well? Either way, it’s cool that this is coming so soon - for the 360 at least. I’m willing to bet the other versions (perhaps even a Wii version?) will be available for the Christmas season madness.

Read [IGN]

Those Imagine DS games must be doing really well. Ubisoft has announced that it is working on two new games that will become part of that series, Imagine Modern Dancer and Imagine Baby Club. Both games should be finished and in stores, ready for little girl’s DS units, by Fall 2008.

Imagine Modern Dancer was developed by Lexis Numérique and allows girls to become, well, modern dancers. In the Adventure Mode, players can learn 38 dances set to R&B, pop or techno and compete against 12 other in-game dancers.

Click through to learn about Imagine Baby Club…

MORE »

I’m determined to make this an “all music games” news day. Thanks to Activision, I may achieve my goal. Activision has announced that it is once agin working with Disney and BBC Worldwide America to release another game inspired by Dancing with the Stars. In Fall 2008, DS and Wii owners will be able to purchase Dancing with the Stars: Get Your Dance On!. Pricing and a specific release date have not yet been set.

The Wii version of Dancing with the Stars: Get Your Dance On! will be practically identical to the original Dancing with the Stars game, with a few minor tweaks. There will now be “flair” moves that can be executed with the wiimote and nunchuk to rack up points, and Melanie B, Apolo Anton Ohno, Joey Fatone, Jennie Garth, Derek Hough and Julianne Hough will now appear in the game. 

MORE »

EA’s Boogie has evolved from an all ages, whimsical dancing and singing game starring strange characters known as Boogs to your standard little girl’s dancing game with Boogie Superstar. Gone is the character who looked vaguely like Patrick the starfish (Sponge Bob Square Pants) in a disco suit - he’s been replaced by Bratz-esque girl characters.

Boogie Superstar will come with 40 pop songs (not by the original artists) that girls can dance and sing to in order to try and become the best. They also get to create their own avatars from a selection of options, so the character on screen can look (vaguely) like them. It will be out for the Wii in both North America and Europe in October, 2008, and hit Asia soon after. The game will come with a microphone and cost $59.99. 

MORE »

How exciting this news will be to you depends on whether you’re in love with Guitar Hero, but Todd McFarlane toys is readying the first line of 6’’ figures based on the GH characters. GameLife reports that the figures will be out this November, alongside Guitar Hero World Tour. Each will retail in the range of $10-15, and comes with it’s own little guitar. On display for series one will be God of Rock, Johnny Napalm, Axel Steel and Lars Ümlaut.

I guess this is cool and all, but where’s my girl, Judy Nails?

Read [GameLife]

Title: Daigasso! Band Brothers
Price: $48.90
System(s): Nintendo DS
Release Date: December, 1, 2004
Publisher (Developer): Nintendo (Nintendo)
ESRB Rating: N/A. CERO Free (All Ages)
Pros: There’s a great variety of JPop, anime, World, classical and video game music to play. The controls are easy to adapt to. There’s single cart multiplayer for 2-8 people. The song editor is fun. Loads of replay value.
Cons: The sound quality sounds dated, you’ll need a guide to get started for making songs
Overall Score: 8/10

Since Daigasso! Band Brothers DX was recently released in Japan (on June 26, 2008), I figured it would be a good time to take a look back at the original Daigasso! Band Brothers.

The game is a cross between a music simulator and a music game, where people could play music with the face buttons. Pressing the wrong button, or failing to make a note sharp or flat with the shoulder buttons at higher difficulty levels, will cause the wrong note to be played. The goal is to successfully complete a song while keeping time with the beat and pressing correct buttons.

Click through for the full review…

MORE »

In a move akin to the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates “Thank you for playing!!” moogle, Nintendo’s latest DS game, Daigasso! Band Brothers DX is also proving to be quite the pirate deterrent. The game refuses to run in many cases, or refuses to allow pirates access to the 200 songs available through the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Way to go Nintendo (even if this was unintentional)!

According to information and reports from GBA Temp, this is due to a new save type being used for Daigasso! Band Brothers DX. Apparently, all DS games use 512kb saves, except for Daigasso! DX, which uses a 1mb save. Pirates who download the rom from online and attempt to play will be met with an error screen (serves them right).

MORE »

A free Guitar Hero III track is now available through both Xbox Live and the Playstation Store, and World of Warcraft fans should be pleased. Why WOW fans? Because the track is “I am Murloc,” by Level 70 Elite Tauren Chieftain.

On July 16, 2007, at the 2005 BlizzCon convention, Level 70 Elite Tauren Chieftain performed “I am Murloc” for fans. It was a heavy-metal style rock song about the World of Warcraft fish people. Now, to celebrate Blizzard Entertainment’s 2008 Worldwide Invitational on June 28-29, 2008, “I am Murloc” has been released for Guitar Hero III. The lyrics are available at the WOWWiki entry for the song (as of 11:34am CST, June 26, 2008).

Click through to watch the 2005 BlizzCon performance of “I am Murlock” on YouTube…

MORE »