Consumer

By Phil Stauskas
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ― A handful of popular properties, including "Star Wars" and "Batman," have been transformed into LEGO building blocks for a set of video games aimed at children. And the "Rock Band" game franchise has just exploded in popularity over the past couple of years. Now, the new "LEGO Rock Band" aims to combine the best of both worlds into one block-rockin' experience.

The result of this merger is the most unique and perplexing entry into both series. Unique because the previous LEGO games have primarily been platformers, so the music genre is a new step. And we have never had a "Rock Band" title really try to lure in a younger demographic. But perplexing because… did anyone ask for these franchises to be amalgamated? And did the developers even understand the point of this project?

Make no mistake, this is a completely valid addition to the "Rock Band" franchise. Longtime fans of the series will feel immediately at home with the gameplay mechanics, and even most casual gamers now know the basic concept. Players must use plastic toy instruments to strike notes as they scroll down the screen. There is little different here, aside from the LEGO skin placed over the traditional heavy metal graphics.

Players are even given modified access to the "Rock Band" music store, where you can pay to download new songs. And any songs you've downloaded for other "Rock Band" games can be accessed in "LEGO Rock Band" as well. (Tracks with inappropriate lyrics are omitted.) Plus, for a $10 fee, players can export the "LEGO Rock Band" songs for play in older "Rock Band" games. It's a pretty full package with features that I was not expecting.

But still, "LEGO Rock Band" comes across as a "Rock Band Jr." meant for kids. The characters, obviously, are toys. The humor is juvenile. The difficulty has been lowered. And it says a lot that the developers censored 'inappropriate' songs by totally blocking them from the game. This is certainly meant to be a family-friendly title.

But if kids are meant to be the target audience for "LEGO Rock Band," then the song selection is puzzling to say the least. According to the game's storyline, your character is inspired by rock stars like Iggy Pop, David Bowie and the band Queen. Are these really the most relevant names they could find? What kid is going to be familiar with Bowie's greatest hits? Or recognize the name of Freddie Mercury?

To be fair, "LEGO Rock Band" features some great tracks for kids in the setlist. "Accidentally in Love" by the Counting Crows is from the "Shrek 2" movie soundtrack. "Life is a Highway" by Rascal Flatts is from the "Cars" movie soundtrack. "Check Yes Juliet" by We the Kings is frequently played on Radio Disney. But what kid has ever heard "Make Me Smile" by Steve Harly? Or "The Final Countdown" by Europe?

I don't know that "LEGO Rock Band" has a target audience. Some aspects are clearly meant for children and families. Other parts are clearly intended for an older crowd. The attempt to straddle both sides of the generation gap has resulted in a disjointed experience that could have been more pleasing if it had focused on a particular age group.

But it is hard to flat-out attack any game in the "Rock Band" franchise. Over the last couple of years, and the last couple of games, the developers have managed to nearly perfect a really solid gameplay formula that truly makes players feel like rock stars of the living room. "LEGO Rock Band" does accomplish that same sense of overall enjoyment. But after all these years and all these games, I also expect a little bit more out of each new installment to the series. And LEGOlizing the characters doesn't cut it.

"LEGO Rock Band" is available in stores now for a suggested retail price of $49.99 on the Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 3 home video game systems. The Xbox 360 version was tested for this review. A Nintendo DS version of the game is also available for a suggested retail price of $29.99.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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