Rock Band comes to PSP!

The third installment of Rock Band is here, but this time it is not out on consoles ; it was constructed from the ground up for the Playstation Portable. In truth, even Rock Band vets might have trouble figuring out Unplugged, because, quite frankly, it's gameplay shares more likenesses with Harmonix's PS2 games Frequency and Amplitude than with Rock Band. This is clearly showcased in the form of some fascinating gameplay additions that most fans of rhythm games would not expect.

For those that haven't played Frequency, it was a rhythm game released in 2001, long before Guitar Hero or Rock Band. In it, players hit notes as they roll down the screen by pressing the shoulder buttons ( L1, L2, R1, and R2 ; that or you may use the face buttons). Unplugged is especially reminiscent of Amplitude considering that it controls the same way. Since the PSP version of Rock Band may not be rocking like it's console opposite numbers, the notes are turned on using the face buttons : Triangle, Square, X, and Circle.
The familiar Rock Band fail meter on the right let's the player know which instruments are doing well and which one's are failing. By using the shoulder buttons you can switch instruments at will, between guitar, bass, drums, and mimicking vocals. While the gameplay is very much like Amplitude, it features everything Rock Band has been renowned for during the past, such as band customization and World Tour mode.

The game will ship with roughly forty songs, and will also have downloadable content, starting with about ten available songs at the time of release, which is slated for June/July 09. Any veteran of Rock Band should definitely give it a look, and any grizzly veterans remebering Frequency and Amplitude will get their first shot at the same style of gameplay in about six years.




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