The internet at large has been joking about it long enough -- "hey, where's Keyboard Hero?" Well, here it is, and it's pretty killer. We're on the fence on how to describe our experience withRock Band 3'snot-a-keytar, because in many ways it's reflective of your own thoughts on the rhythm genre and pianos in general. Those with actual musical backgrounds are likely to scoff at the easy mode's use of five arbitrary keys for the tune -- not the groupings you see above, but a different set of colors, one per white note in the right half, with indicators just above the notes on that crevice between the top panel and keys themselves (picture's after the break). Even if the actual song calls for a F# note, hitting a F or even a B might be called for instead. It's a mentality that's as old as the genre, that what we're really doing is pantomiming instruments -- or in the case of drums, just hitting key notes and letting the game fill in the blanks on lower difficulties. This, however, is an actual piano. The over-simplification is probably a necessary illusion in standard mode -- or even when the keyboard is used as a replacement guitar / bass -- but having actual proper keys will probably drive the more musically apt insane. Then again, if you're not of that mindset, none of this will probably bother you at all, so feel free to ignore our impressions and bang away.
Pro mode, on the other hand is pretty killer, for all the reasons that standard mode can be irksome. Even at the simplest levels, you're actually getting to play proper notation. Perfect for us, no matter how badly we flubbed up "Crosstown Traffic" on Expert. Sight-reading is a challenge, but nothing worse than actual notation. As we've seen before, the main lane doesn't show all two octaves, but the warning we're given before shifting to the right or left is easy enough to follow, but just like when you first grabbed the plastic axe, expect a good bit of adjustment frustration. See more pics below, and video after the break.
Update: Clarification added to the different color groupings used for Pro and Standard mode.
@grumbles The game isn't out yet, so we don't know if speed mods will be in there. Hopefully yes (and more than just two settings), but we'll have to wait until the game is released to know.
@grumbles They say that all in love is fair yeah, but you don't care But you know what to do when it gets hold of you and with a little help from above you feel the power of love you feel the power of love Can you feel it ? Hmmm
Some pleeeeease tell me what they mean by "proper notation". I keep reading it everywhere, and no screen shot to show me what this means.
Does that mean I actually get to read like a proper music score? I don't think I can actually play a piano with falling rectangle blocks. What do they mean by proper notation?
And when they say I can attach a midi keyboard, does that mean I actually get 88 key mode? Or I can attach my own midi keyboard but only get to play 25 keys anyway? (So the point is to...save money? I guess and use my nicer keyboard?)
@mattstar In part 4 we find out that Doc Brown is Marty's son who found the time machine and went back in time but got stranded and the car blew up causing Brown to forget who he was. He created his name out of the first things he saw. He saw a sign that said Immediate Danger, but due to his current shocked and fragile state he read it as Emmet. He next saw a cow. The sun had caught his eye at a bad angle and made the cow's spots appear brown.
pardon my French, but go suck an egg... I don't play left for dead because I want to learn how to kill zombies, I don't play red dead redemption to learn how to ride a horse while shooting bandits with a winchester... I enjoy sitting on my couch in my underpants playing these and all games, I'm not trying to learn anything from my xbox... ever
noone cares that you dont like the music games, and everyone has heard "its not like playing a real guitar" 5 million times, if you do not know its not like playing a real instrument, you should be force fed a plastic guitar. If anyone has any interest in playing a real instrument, I'm sure they aren't waking up at 9 am to go to best buy to buy rock band.
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posted June 16th 2010 2:47AM
Sweet, another music game where you hit... hit keys, albeit still with no speed mods like the ones Konami released a decade ago.
@grumbles It seems like neither of those games teach players anything but reflexes. And there are better games for that and don't make you look lame.
@grumbles and tai376
You two are just ants at a picnic.
@grumbles The game isn't out yet, so we don't know if speed mods will be in there. Hopefully yes (and more than just two settings), but we'll have to wait until the game is released to know.
@grumbles
They say that all in love is fair
yeah, but you don't care
But you know what to do
when it gets hold of you
and with a little help from above
you feel the power of love
you feel the power of love
Can you feel it ?
Hmmm
Oh boy!
/sarcasm
I would like them to update Rock Band: Beatles to include the keyboard.
That would be swell.
@Meekermoloko
If I can import all of my rb1-2 beatles etc stuff into rb3 and play pro mode on them that would be the beez kneez.
Wouldn't take them too long to do IMHO and lets face it a lot the best songs are done.
@Meekermoloko and add Hey Jude!!
Some pleeeeease tell me what they mean by "proper notation". I keep reading it everywhere, and no screen shot to show me what this means.
Does that mean I actually get to read like a proper music score? I don't think I can actually play a piano with falling rectangle blocks. What do they mean by proper notation?
And when they say I can attach a midi keyboard, does that mean I actually get 88 key mode? Or I can attach my own midi keyboard but only get to play 25 keys anyway? (So the point is to...save money? I guess and use my nicer keyboard?)
yes yes yes
Ronald Reagan? The actor?
@mattstar In part 4 we find out that Doc Brown is Marty's son who found the time machine and went back in time but got stranded and the car blew up causing Brown to forget who he was. He created his name out of the first things he saw. He saw a sign that said Immediate Danger, but due to his current shocked and fragile state he read it as Emmet. He next saw a cow. The sun had caught his eye at a bad angle and made the cow's spots appear brown.
Real piano hero: http://www.synthesiagame.com/
Fløjte Hero...now there's something for the ladies...keepin it classy!
@fast
for all the non-danish readers....
Fløjte = whistle
I'm nauseous from watching that "video". I think there's literally 2 seconds of footage that you can make out what is going on.
@nicklar
Agree, that was impressively bad video.
@nicklar Seriously. It's like the camera was mounted on one of the players' guitars. Come on, engadget!
Can we get some Wings music now? I'll nail the Linda McCartney (RIP) part.
Thats not a video. that's a haze and a terrible singer. sheesh
@music-games-suck-because-its-not-teaching-you-how-to-play-an-instrument-people
pardon my French, but go suck an egg... I don't play left for dead because I want to learn how to kill zombies, I don't play red dead redemption to learn how to ride a horse while shooting bandits with a winchester... I enjoy sitting on my couch in my underpants playing these and all games, I'm not trying to learn anything from my xbox... ever
noone cares that you dont like the music games, and everyone has heard "its not like playing a real guitar" 5 million times, if you do not know its not like playing a real instrument, you should be force fed a plastic guitar. If anyone has any interest in playing a real instrument, I'm sure they aren't waking up at 9 am to go to best buy to buy rock band.
@zoltek Nobody complained when pushing the colored buttons didn't produce "real" music and they called it "Simon."
Man that's a tiny keyboard though for real playing.
Is there a job opening at Engadget for a videographer?