Electronic Arts' upcoming Rock Band for Wii will include the basic gameplay of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions, but without online play or downloadable content.

Recently, Electronic Arts announced that it will be bringing its acclaimed Xbox and PlayStation title, Rock Band, to the Nintendo Wii on June 22nd in North America. Though the game will retail for the expensive price of $170, it will come packaged with a drum set, microphone, and wireless guitar.

The Basics

The title of the game really says it all -- "Rock Band" allows gamers to play an instrument in an up-and-coming rock band. Gamers can play the part of the drummer, singer lead guitarist, or bass guitarist. Similar to Guitar Hero, notes that flash across the screen indicate when the player must hit the drums, sing a certain pitch, or hold down the right guitar notes.

Though gamers can play by themselves, Rock Band is at its best in the four-player multiplayer mode. Players will often rack up bonus points for playing in unison, and inexperienced players who fail in hitting the right notes can be "bailed out" by their friends. Though the game does come with one wireless guitar, those who want to play as a bass guitarist in a four-person game will have to provide their own guitar, sold separately. (Unfortunately, the Guitar Hero guitar is not supported by Rock Band for Wii).

Song List

The Wii version of Rock Band will include 63 songs in all. This number includes the 58 songs found in the other Rock Band games -- from Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" to Fall Out Boy's "Dead on Arrival" -- as well as five Wii-exclusive songs that will be announced at a later date. Though most of the tunes on the song list are the original tracks, at least seven are covers. For the full list of songs, see the IGN website.

Less Features for the Wii

Unfortunately, Electronic Arts will not be including all the features found in the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 games in the Wii version. Most notably, there will be no online play and no downloadable content. (For the Xbox and PlayStation versions, over seventy new tracks have already been released.)

The game will also not include a customizable character creator, as found in the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions. This is also disappointing, given that many Wii games allow players to import their customized 'Mii' characters into their games.

Outlook

Rock Band for Wii's lack of features compared to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions puts the Wii version at a disadvantage. The Wii version is being compared to the PlayStation 2 version. And while the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions have received an excellent average rating of 90%+, the PlayStation 2 version has received an average rating of only 80%, according to Game Rankings.

Thus, those who own the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 systems are advised to buy Rock Band for those consoles rather than waiting around for the Wii version. However, for those who only own a Wii, Rock Band should still be a very fun game when it releases on June 22nd, especially for those who have worn out their Guitar Hero controllers.

Fans of the music and rhythm genre may also be interested in three other cheaper music games releasing this summer -- Samba de Amigo for Wii, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith for Wii and Battle of the Bands for Wii.