Rock Band (iPhone)

The best song in the world can sound unpleasant if the band is out of tune. Rock Band is right on pitch when it comes to Bluetooth multiplayer, affordable song packs, and great rhythmic gameplay, yet its vocals are about a half-step off the mark.

Guitar, bass, drums, and vocals - Rock Band brings them together to form a virtual band guided by taps of your fingers. It's the same basic rhythmic gameplay that made the series a hit on consoles and PSP transposed for touchscreen play.

Notes stream down the screen along four coloured note tracks, and tapping the corresponding buttons at the bottom plays the notes as they pass. Special guitar solos add flair, although drum fills are sadly absent.

Nailing passages of special glowing notes grants overdrive, activated by flicking your handset. The effect of doubling your points multiplier naturally nets you more points, which in turn increases your star performance rating critical to progress in the game's single player World Tour mode.

Five venues, each possessing a four-track setlist, serve as stops in World Tour. Posting three-star performances on the first four tracks of each location unlocks the hidden fifth. Pass this song and you open up the next stop on the tour. Don't worry, though - you don't have to channel the skill of Jimi Hendrix to draw crowds.

It's pretty easy getting through World Tour mode thanks to simple note choreography and the ability to switch instruments between songs. Reducing the number of note tracks by one from the series' standard five automatically lowers the difficulty, though the note patterns are generally simpler than those on console and PSP.

Not being forced to stick with one instrument through the course of World Tour mode also makes it much easier to complete. You're granted freedom to choose whichever instrument suits you best, so if you're unable to make it through a tune on guitar you can try again on bass or drums.

It's also beneficial in allowing you to avoid the abysmal vocals setup. Instead of seizing the potential for compelling vocal play with the built-in microphone on iPhone, Rock Band opts for a pathetic tap mechanic that makes Fergie seem like an operatic diva. Similar to guitar, bass, and drums, you tap notes as they stream across the screen - this time they scroll right to left rather than top to bottom.

Lame is the only way to describe it. Why you would want to play vocals over the other instruments is beyond us, if only because the mechanic is essentially the same. Had a mechanic been devised that more appropriately reflected vocal play, perhaps there would be a reason to actually try it out.

Guitar, bass, and drums still entertain and the game's multiplayer and in-app purchasing features provide a nice encore once World Tour has been completed.

Bluetooth cooperative multiplayer enables you to strike up a band with up to three friends, each person taking up an instrument. It's a great feature, though real-time competitive and full network play are missing. Additionally, there's no customisable avatar, which would be ideal given the Facebook component.

New tracks can be purchased from within the game, coming in conveniently priced pairs. At 59p/99c, they're reasonable enough to be competitive against Tap Tap Revenge 3. It's also worth noting that these iPhone downloads are significantly discounted from their PSP and console counterparts that routinely ring up at double the price for a single track.

The only unpleasant note regards the track selection. Compared to the wide range of genres available in Tap Tap Revenge 3 - dance, pop, rock, fusion - Rock Band goes for a purer rock 'n' roll line up. That limits its appeal, despite it having superior gameplay.

Rock Band is ultimately only as strong as its weakest member and its lame vocals prevent it from bringing down the house. Bluetooth multiplayer and reasonably priced song packs keeps it entertaining, though better vocal play, personalised avatars, and expanded multiplayer options are needed before it becomes a show fully worth taking on the road.