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Sep 09, 2009 Web Exclusive By Nick Hyman

The best music-based video game has met the best band ever. The Beatles: Rock Band is here and will put a smile on your face in these tough times. The game’s release coincides with the release of the band’s remastered catalogue and charts the rise of the Fab Four from their early shows at The Cavern Club through their live swan song on the rooftop of Apple Corps headquarters. You’ll have the opportunity to play along to 45 of the band’s songs in the Ed Sullivan Theater, Shea Stadium, Budokan, and Abbey Road Studios.

While the game is an officially licensed Beatles product, it plays much like previous Rock Band games and only really introduces one new gameplay update, the multi-part harmonies. Now, you and two of your friends can discover how hard it is to sound good in unison. Of course, you’ll have to pony up and buy some additional microphones and (finally!) mic stands. The animation found in the cut scenes is excellent, and the in-game graphics are suitably stylized and amusing to watch.

Another geeky addition that will delight fans is the addition of some previously unheard studio banter before many of the songs start. You’ll also be rewarded playing through story mode, where performing well allows you to unlock several pictures, video outtakes, and a rare Beatles fan club Christmas recording. Several essential Beatles tracks didn’t make the cut (“Eleanor Rigby,” “Happiness is a Warm Gun,” and “Hey Jude” come to mind), but with the announcement of full albums Abbey Road and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and “All You Need Is Love” as upcoming downloads, I suspect that The White Album and other singles are no doubt in the works. (www.thebeatlesrockband.com)

Author rating: 9/10