Rock Band Matures With Beatles Edition

The Beatles: Rock Band successfully brings the winning music-game formula to one of rock’s biggest names, writes Elizabeth Landau for CNN. Designed to be played by as many as six, the game "does make for a great time and will probably be a hit at parties." Meanwhile, spectators "can watch animated re-creations of the Beatles rocking out on the TV screen, and enjoy the colorful graphics, while your friends try to hit the notes."

The formula has been slightly tweaked to accommodate the band, Landau writes: you play to unlock musical memorabilia, and there’s no booing from the crowd when you lose. The vocal aspect of the game has also been expanded, so players can mimic the group’s signature multi-part harmonies. And the original vocal tracks are louder than in other Rock Band games, making it “clear that you’re singing with the Beatles and not replacing them.” (More Beatles stories.)