Crank the volume to 11, win Battle of the Bands
Wednesday, May 21st, 2008 at 12:10am by Derek
Here at Infendo, we love music almost as much as we do games. So for this contest, we want to hear from people who feel the same way.
What is your favorite album, and why would it make a fun addition to a future Wii rhythm game? To enter, simply post your selection and reasoning in the comments section. Keep it thoughtful, witty and brief; judging will be based on quality of arguments and writing, so entries should not exceed a few paragraphs at most.
The winner will receive a free copy of THQ’s exclusive new Wii rhythm game, Battle of the Bands. All non-contributing Infendo readers are eligible. The contest ends this Friday, so get your entries in soon!
May 21st, 2008 at 12:55 am
The Pillows’ Happy Bivouac. I chose this because I have always liked the quick, catchy guitar and bass found in Crazy Sunshine and the short guitar riffs in Last Dinosaur and I thought that they would be fantastic to play in Guitar Hero or Rock Band(even with gimped features!). It’s just too bad that the songs have no chance of ever making it in these games.
Also, The Pillows are awesome.
May 21st, 2008 at 6:21 am
I think that all Rythm Games should at least include Icky Thump by the White Stripes. Now, despite the name, the song isn’t all that innapropriate; sure, they say drunk, but thats really it. The song would make a fun addition because of it’s liveliness and how it sounds different to every song you’ll ever hear in life. It would be an unforgettable song in any game, due to its special feel that no other song portrays. And really, people like the song in general. It was nominated “Best Original Song” in the Grammys! Really, it would self-set itself apart from the other songs, and not many songs do that. That is why I think Icky Thump by The White Stripes should be in a rythm game (prefferably a guitar game; not DDR or Samba, obviously)!
May 21st, 2008 at 9:06 am
My pick is Sublime-Greatest Hits. They would obviously have to use the clean version. But still, just listen to any track and tell me you can’t see it being perfect for Rock Band? “What I got” has some nice Guitar, Drum and Vocal tracks that seem MADE for GH or RB. “Badfish” has all the solos for pretty much any instrument. “Date Rape” would be a good moderate to hard song for everything: vocals, drums, bass or guitar. Then all the other songs are just fun as heck to play.
My second choice or tie for first would be Incubus- Morning View. Every song is great, versatile, and different difficulties. And who knows, if they ever have turntables as a future accessory, these songs can accommodate.
May 21st, 2008 at 12:25 pm
My pick goes to Richard D. James Album by Aphex Twin. I think this would lead to a more abstract take on rhythm-based music game, akind to Electroplankton or bitGenerations Soundvoyager. Different layers of sound would be added according to the way the Wiimote would be moved or placed. By being less arbitrary than the usual rock music games, I think this would be more fun to play while being more creative and intuitive. Electronic music should be more featured in games!
Also, this would eliminate all kind of accessory, so one less item in your pile of dance pad, guitar controller, drum kit, zapper, wheel and such.
May 21st, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Tough question there as favorite albums don’t necessarily make for a good experience, especially if you do something like Rockband with multiple instruments and need everyone to be involved or if we’re restricted to a more beat-specific game, like Battle of the bands.
Selecting any of the upcoming “band” games like GH4, Rock Revolution, or Rockband (whether there’s a sequel or another expansion), I’d choose RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS’ “Stadium Arcadium” album. Their songs are fun and quite varied in their range, not to mention the fact that with the dual disc release there’s a lot more to choose from as opposed to standard albums.
The group is also excellently suited to the games with its “guitar, bass, drums, and vocals” combo that all use (and even without the vocals of Rock Revolution). I find that the band has a bit more overall appeal than say a Metal band or something that’s a lot more rock-heavy, which is key when you consider that you want to be able to play this with family, friends and people with varying music tastes.
May 21st, 2008 at 12:49 pm
I’d have to say that my favorite album is Bathory’s Nordland I. The great thing about this album is that its sound is very accessible… “for those about to rock!”
Difficulties would vary for each instrument, so if you’re playing with a whole bands worth of people everyone will have their chance to shine as the star. The vocals are nice and soft at some times, and at others you’ll want to yell along at the top of your lungs. Most of the guitar parts are just straight-forward riff-age, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few face-melting solos in there as well. Not to mention there’s an entire acoustic song that employs two guitars accompanying each other beautifully. The drums will roll both fast and slow, with the bass expertly matching their pace. All in all it would be a wonderful addition to any music game, and it’s a damn great album.
May 21st, 2008 at 1:15 pm
“Relayer” by Yes has long been my favorite album. It would make an excellent choice for any Wii rhythm game because despite the fact that it only consists of 3 songs, it’s a full-length album performed by some of progressive rock’s most legendary players. Steve Howe’s guitar is frantic throughout “The Gates of Delerium.” Alan White’s drumming is beyond perfection as he leads the band through multiple tempo changes in “Sound Chaser.” Jon Anderson’s voice is soaring in “To Be Over.” Thus every single point gained in such a game would be a point earned with sweat and tears. It would be akin to the greatest piano masterpiece that only the most gifted virtuosos would be qualified to attempt.
Any gamer able to complete “Wii Relayer” would have to possess the nimblest of fingers, the greatest dexterity, and would be justified in any lack of modesty even while reduced to a sweaty, bloody-fingered pile in the middle of the living room floor.
May 21st, 2008 at 2:06 pm
“Metallica” by Metallica. I think this is one of the best metal albums ever made, and it’s by far my favorite Metallica album. From the incredibly fast-paced hammer-on sequences in Enter Sandman to the spaced, stretching intro in The Unforgiven, the album would provide guitarists with a wide variety of styles to play through. Metallica is also famous for having some of the best bass lines of any band (except maybe Pink Floyd!), so the bassist’s role would be more entertaining than usual. Imitating Lars Ulrich on the drums would be a ton of fun in GH4, particularly on the small improvisation sections that follow the double-cymbal-smash (to active star power) so typical of Metallica.
May 21st, 2008 at 2:15 pm
What ever happened to those bands without the huge guitar solos? Or the deafening beating of the drums? Maybe put in a killer piano piece? That’s why my pick goes to Tally Hall. Tally Hall is…different then other bands. Which made me think who better to support them, then Nintendo? The vocals are spot on, and the tunes will get stuck in your head for who knows how long.
May 21st, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Demon Days, by Gorillaz. Why? Because the bass is deep like Plato in the Marianas Trench, the beats are tight like bungee cords holding a Wii Wheel in place, and the hooks are catchier than a fishing hook baited with flypaper.
Also, how can you NOT love a fake cartoon band?
May 21st, 2008 at 3:47 pm
“Tenacious D” by Tenacious D. Not only is it a hilariously funny album, but the music actually rocks. It rocks my socks, clean off my feet, launching them across the room. Also, there is enough variation between songs that would lend itself well to changes of pace and different levels of difficulty.
“I totally told you to do the bendy thing!”
May 21st, 2008 at 3:54 pm
whats with rock becoming so popular nowadays? people need to learn that rock and roll got knocked on its ass a long time ago. we need like a metal band out there for us gamers with brutal music taste. i cant stand bands like the white stripes or muse or what not i feel like all they do is borrow inspiration from the past, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but they never progress, unlike metal which has changed drastically over generations the world of metal is so diverse and huge so a “metal band” game would have infinite replay value. i would nominate at the gates with their slaughter of the soul album it would be perfect brutal fast paced fun with beautiful guitar interludes and soul ripping guitar solos. i hope i dont offend anyone because this is only my opinion. but for me “metal band” would be an orgasmic game
May 21st, 2008 at 10:24 pm
I’m agree with Linkmendez…
This type of games are more fun with fast paced music and cool guitar solos or drum crazyness…
An example would be the Album “Visions” from Stratovarius, this could be so cool to play in GH 4 (which I’m looking forward) or Rock Band. An example of cool rock-metal song from this Album is “Black Diamond”. This song has many solos for both guitar and drums…
May 22nd, 2008 at 5:59 am
My favourite album of all time is ‘Led Zeppelin IV’, but I think a great album for a rhythm game would be Rush’s 2112, if only for the opening track.
The constant time changes would really have you thinking on your toes and included in something like Rock Band, everyone would have a challenge: Neil Peart’s drumming is so awesome, it needs to be spread out across a prog rock epic as that much brilliance condensed into a 4 minute track would result in a spinal tap-esque case of spontaeneous combustion. Alex Lifeson’s range of styles would mean players would have to switch between busting out face melting solos, riffing like an ACME Riffmaster deluxe and gently picking the clean chords like the guitar was made out of marshmallows. An extra challenge would be resisting the urge to belt out (albeit heroically out of tune) Geddy Lee’s lyrics, meaning you forget about the guitar rendering you about as useful as a snooze button on a smoke alarm.
Plus anyone who can play along with the 20 minute song without getting a severe bout of cramp deserves to get a high score!
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Any weird al CD, but my favorite one is running with scissors. With the mind of weird al how could a game not be fun, I could immagine using the wii-mote as a peace of smoked meat that could be waved in tune to the music… or somthing like that. Sadly my mind does not work like weird al’s
May 23rd, 2008 at 4:21 am
I think the Bedlam in Goliath by The Mars Volta would make a smashing addition to any rhythm game. The insane guitar work, spastic drumming, killer bass lines, and the unique vocal stylings of Cedric Bixler Zavala would be more of a challenge then just about anything that we have seen in a rhythm game so far.
The songs are pretty lengthy, which can range from almost 3 minutes to about 10. A lot of the longer songs consist of frequent tempo changes which would keep players alert waiting for more upbeat parts to come up, and give them quick breaks when the speed suddenly drops.
The lyrics are pretty absurd though, but that would add to the fun. Just watching a friend try and sing some of the lines their first time through with unsure expressions on their face, lines like “It appears to me, quoting alarms, guillotine smirks, in your house I smothered” or “I’m starting to feel a miscarriage coming on, it’s numbing a stump clearing in my throat and I just can’t lose grip of it, she fumigates my mental hygiene, I’m all out of pulse but I know you can resuscitate me”.
The final perk to using this album on a rhythm based game for the Wii is many of the songs contain the playing of bongos in the background. If a developer wanted to add the bongos as a bonus feature, this album would be the perfect reason to dust off those bongos that, if your like me, you picked up at least a couple pairs at Gamestop for 5 bucks each near the end of the Gamecubes lifespan.
November 12th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
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