'Beatles' game is a blast

"The Beatles: Rock Band" by MTV Games and Harmonix for Xbox 360, rated "T" for Teen, reviewer's rating: 9 (out of 10)

This has been my most anticipated game to get released for any of the guitar or rock karaoke genre. Being a huge Beatles fan could skew this review a bit, but if my kids are any indication of non-bias then everyone who plays it will have a blast.

The opening sequence is proof positive just how much time and effort was put into "The Beatles: Rock Band." The animation is breathtaking and well crafted. The animations continue throughout the game as the Beatles' career is reconstructed with each level.

The environments from the Beatles' early days at the Cavern Club to the set at "The Ed Sullivan Show" and all the way to the rooftop concert in London are fantastic.

And there's an option to experience the performance like the Beatles. For example, while performing at Shea Stadium the audience was so loud that it was often hard to hear yourself or the other band members. It does give you a sense of what it must have been like to be the Fab Four on that day. And the crowd's reaction is wonderfully re-created.

When the band stops touring you find yourself performing in the studio. Not to fear, Harmonix created a wonderful set of dreamscapes that aren't far out of line with some of the things the Beatles released back during that era. In "Yellow Submarine" pieces from the animated cartoon are interwoven into the performance, and "I Am The Walrus" has the group in outfits that fit their video released at the time.

Other dreamscapes find the band walking through fields and singing as they look full of never-ending joy. It's a nice diversion from doing nothing but watching four guys sitting around in a studio.

Fans of the Beatles will enjoying singing along with friends. One of the game's best attributes is the ability to have up to three vocalists combining for harmonies. Either this version of Rock Band is easier than most or I know the songs all too well. It makes "The Beatles: Rock Band" great for kids and families, but it might bore those players who love a good challenge and don't necessarily love the Beatles.

We reviewed the game without the premium bundle that comes with the guitar and drum controllers modeled after Paul McCartney's H?ner violin bass and Ringo Starr's Ludwig drum kit, one microphone and a mike stand. You can also buy George Harrison's Gretsch Duo Jet guitar and John Lennon's Rickenbacker 325 for around a hundred bucks. It seems fairly pricey considering for the cost of the bundle and the extra guitars you could buy a used guitar, mic, amp and drum set and start a real band.