Wow. This post was originally created on August 12th, 2011. It was never intended to be published, just an easy place to store the template I fill in (with the link to the game on Xbox.com, the name of the developer, and the game’s description). Yet here I am, two years after I created it, almost to the day, posting it. And I created *that* post about a year into the blog’s history as it was!
And I’ve found a doozy for Day 999.
This is no rhythm game, despite its trappings. It’s a side-scrolling beat-’em-up (think iRem’s “Vigilante”, Data East’s “Double Dragon”, “Bad Dudes” by… whomever was bad enough to make Bad Dudes, etc.). “Heroes Of Rock” continues that esteemed tradition (including some deliberately cheesy elements, all part of the fun of this genre), but adds something interesting and surprisingly appropriate… guitar controller support!
Dust off that “Rock Band” or “Guitar Hero” controller, and a dust some enemies with it. Sure, you can use the regular controller, but half the fun is beating the enemies with the power of rock! I love it when indies keep something alive that the mainstream game publishers have abandoned (games designed around guitar controllers), and especially love it when they add innovations of their own at the same time. And it gave me the opportunity to reference Irem’s “Vigilante”, so it’s a banner day 999 here.
An appropriately hard rock soundtrack rounds out the 80 Microsoft Point package. Go download it now. And if you’re looking for other guitar controller games, go download “Battle Beat” (a strategic rhythm warfare game… I kid you not).
Here’s what the developer (11 out of 10 Studios) has to say about the game:
“Guitar Hero 5 has been cancelled and Rock Band has stopped DLC. Heroes of Rock gives gamers a chance to rock out again but in a whole new way – through an action game. Heroes of Rock is a side scrolling action game designed for the guitar peripheral and injected with Heavy Metal influence. Experience original heavy metal music composed by Leeland Campana and take on the satanic music industry.”
P.S. Last I checked, while there was no professional DLC being released by Rock Band, there was still an indie scene of Xbox 360 Rock Band DLC via the Rock Band Network.
Writings of Mass Deduction 