With the advent of PaRappa the Rapper, a viable new genre was created: the rhythm-based game. With songs serving as the primary source of inspiration for these kinds of games, it only made sense to add musically inclined peripherals to the mix. With each new controller came unique gameplay experiences, like Samba De Amigo's maracas, or Donkey Konga's drums. However, it wasn't until Guitar Hero that people really started taking music add-ons a bit more seriously. Now there's Rock Band, complete with its own guitar, microphone, and drum set. Instead of just allowing the player to be the lead guitarist, Rock Band recreates the experience of an entire band.

When starting a new career, there are several options to choose from. You can start a solo or multiplayer career, and each type lets you pick what instruments you want to play, as well as customize your rocker's appearance. In fact, Rock Band has a surprisingly robust character creation element, where money earned from playing shows can get you items that make your character look unique. For example, tattoos that are applied can be made bigger, smaller, and moved to nearly any position. However, a downside to the career is, once your rocker is created, they are forever tied to the instrument you originally selected for them. What this means is, if you start a career with the guitar, and you decide that you'd rather play the drums, you can't make the switch without having to reboot your career from scratch, with a new avatar.

While this may look familiar, the addition of a drum set greatly adds to the experience.

The multiplayer career requires that you have least one friend present, but it can support up to four band members. This portion of the game is without a doubt its most appealing aspect, and no other title comes close to emulating the feeling of playing in a band with friends. Part of the reason the multiplayer works so well is because of the accessibility that the game provides. Experienced players can easily jam with newcomers as each instrument has an available difficulty setting that can be altered before each song set. Therefore, the experienced guitar player can play on hard, while the first-time drummer can get into the game on easy. Add someone with enough chutzpah to snag the microphone and display their vocal range (or lack thereof), and you have an extremely entertaining party game. Playing gigs in this mode is a ton of fun, but the downside is that some of the songs have a tendency to repeat. Furthermore, a huge opportunity was missed in the fact that there is no option to play the multiplayer career online. This would have been a huge boon for Rock Band, and players expecting what seems like a fairly obvious inclusion are sure to be disappointed. This is almost made up for by the fact that the local multiplayer mode is quite possibly the best party game ever made, but the lack of an online career mode hurts when nobody is around to play.

The gameplay, while outwardly similar to Guitar Hero, has some minor tweaks that help give Rock Band a different feel. Notes still come down the screen via the note bar, and you can build up energy used for Overdrive (Rock Band's version of Star Power) by hitting the right notes in succession or using the whammy bar at the right time. In Guitar Hero, when using Star Power, points were doubled, and a dismal performance could be salvaged. The same can be said with Rock Band's Overdrive. However, a slight tweak to the formula has been made this time around. When Overdrive is used and the meter begins draining, it can be extended if additional energy notes come down the fret board. If you successfully complete such a section, you will be awarded even more time toward your active Overdrive bonus.

Furthermore, two interesting new gameplay ideas have been added which really spice things up in the guitar mode. At points during most songs, a guitar solo sequence will occur. When this happens, the note bar will turn blue and every note played counts as part of the solo. When it's over, a percentage will display letting you know how well you did, and a higher degree of accuracy will yield a larger point bonus. Also, at the end of some songs, a "free" mode occurs where players are allowed to jam on their guitar or drum set as much as possible to rack up some last second points.

The biggest draw for many gamers will be the drums. Most people have wailed on a video game guitar, and Rock Band adds little to that particular experience. Similarly, there are plenty of karaoke-style games out there that let would-be crooners sing into a microphone. The drums, on the other hand, are a wholly new experience. One major difference between the guitar and the drums is, someone who really masters the drums in Rock Band can essentially move over to an actual set of drums and have a semblance of understanding how to play. However, just like the immortal poets of the rock band Poison once sang in a ballad, every rose has its thorn. The thorn here is that there isn't a haven set aside anywhere for players to just go wild on the drums. There's no practice or freestyle area where anything goes, which would have been an awesome addition were it available.

The hardware included with Rock Band is of the highest quality. The drums are sturdy, being able to absorb a good pounding with actual drum sticks, and have enough size to them to satisfy the feeling of actual drumming. The microphone has some weight to it and feels more like the real thing than a peripheral. However, what is most impressive is the guitar itself. Unlike the competition, Rock Band's guitar feels solid, is larger, and doesn't feel like a toy. The whammy bar is significantly larger, and it also has settings to change the tone of the whammy. The buttons on the fret bar are placed within the neck of the guitar itself so they don't stand out, and there is a small set of buttons near the base of the guitar that allow serious rockers to jam the guitar solos with ease.

Graphically, Rock Band is par for the course. The band members are the caricatures that people have come to expect from games of the music genre. While there aren't any awe-inspiring moments, the graphics never detract from the experience. The notes that stream down the screen come down a track that is nearly identical to the one presented in Guitar Hero, but it has been refined for Rock Band and looks incredibly crisp. While the note bar is truly a utilitarian device, the fact that it looks a smidge better gives Rock Band a slight edge.

The four player local multiplayer is extremely fun.

Where things really shine, of course, is the sound. Games that rely on music need to have great audio, and Rock Band is more than adequate. The selection of songs is fairly robust, and like the Guitar Hero games, almost everyone should be able to find a handful of songs that they like the most. Furthermore, besides the great, clear sound, you have the option in the menus to adjust the volume of each instrument. So if you're playing by yourself and you just want to hear the drums, you can turn down the guitar and singing. Another nice touch that adds a huge amount of personality is how the crowd actually sings along with the songs. Hearing them chant the chorus as you are playing an instrument is both exciting and dynamic.

If you find that the included songs aren't your cup of tea, fear not. Harmonix offers the option to download a few songs on Xbox Live for use in the game, and plans to release more down the road. Of course these songs aren't free, but if you're spending $170 dollars on a plastic guitar and drum set, money probably isn't a big issue. On the plus side, all of the songs that are downloadable for Rock Band are said to be playable in the inevitable sequel as well.

Rock Band is an incredibly entertaining party game that really shines when you get a group of four people together. Unfortunately, the single player career mode is somewhat tame and a bit of a letdown. While it is a definite forward evolution from previous games of the genre, it is not quite the revolution that it could have been. More songs in the game would have been nice after shelling out so much money to get the entire package, and an anything-goes drum session is a mode they could have been easily included. But above all else, Rock Band should have the option to play a career online with friends. However, having said that, Rock Band is a solid start for a promising new franchise, and one of the best multiplayer party games in recent memory.