Fourth and Inches

I’ve been tearing through Medium level songs on Rock Band 2 these last few nights. One day, I can’t get through Medium, the next I five star nearly every song I play, with 95% ratings to boot.

The difference? I scooted back half a foot from the kit.

The bass drum has long been my Achilles’ Heel (bahaha). I had my foot at a constant 45 degree angle with the floor and the strain of maintaining that position tired my foot and ankle muscles, making it almost impossible to play difficult bass drum parts. I could roll through Easy levels songs because the bass drum is almost non-existent. But Medium adds the bass drum liberally, often pairing it with a red or blue beat. The beat patterns also get more difficult, so much so that hitting the bass drum requires instinctual timing and reaction.

So the other night, I thought about my foot getting tired and scooted my chair half a foot from the kit. At first, I didn’t like this position because the drums felt like they were too far away. But when I placed my foot on the drum pedal, I knew I was in flavor country. To test my new footing, I went back and started playing early songs on Medium. I tore through them just like I do Easy. Less than a foot back and Medium becomes the new Easy. Who knew?

This weekend, I’m going to fire up Hard and see how I fare.

Oh, and before you opine me as some kind of drumming genius, Motorhead’s Ace of Spades came up the other night and I failed it miserably on Medium. It wasn’t even close. Even more embarrassing, I failed the song while Wifezilla kept strumming along. I swear there’s a metal heart lurking deep within the ribcage of my wife. I played the song later on Easy and barely survived at 67%, a three star rating.

God I loath that song.

Rock Band Song List Transfer to Rock Band 2

G4 reports that Rock Band 2 owners will be able to transfer the original game's song repertoire for a mere $5. Three songs won't transfer though, presumable because of licensing issues. Da man gots to be paid!

Rock Band 2 is due out in less than two weeks and I'm starting to get tingling all over thinking about playing my new favorite band, The Silversun Pickups. Their song, Lazy Eye, made the Rock Band 2 cut and I can't wait to pound the hell out of that song. I'm also looking forward to belting out Billy Idol's White Wedding. I've had his classic sneer down for years and I sing White Wedding to grand applause when I'm showering.

Too Human Demo

I bought a Xbox 360 for Rock Band. I'm a PC man until the day the format ceases to exist. Which is predicted every year by some gaming pundit trying to make a name for himself. The PC apocalypse never seems to materialize. If anything thing, the more pundits that predict it, the better the PC industry does that year.

As a PC gamer, I'm adept at mouse and keyboard. Don't get me wrong; I don't tear it up on shooters, even on the PC. But the control scheme is second nature to me, so much so that I can pick up just about any game on the PC and immediately start playing it reasonably well.

The Xbox controller? Not so much.

Even so, I've heard some hype about the upcoming Xbox exclusive title, Too Human. It's billed as an action/RPG, the same description as the Diablo series, so I decided to download it and give it a spin. Suffice it to say, my clumsiness with the controller impedes my ability to judge the game. I imagine I looked like a monkey trying to use a TV remote and not getting the channel he wanted. The Discovery Channel, I'm sure.

I think I did make it to the end of the demo. I made it to a boss, at least. Skullcrusher was his name. He reminded me a bit of Void Reaver, though a raiding party at my back was conspicuously absent. I got Skull down to half health, but after that my sword blows were damageless. After I died a couple of times, I tried some new strategies. One in particular, running behind the steaming machine and jumping, proved the right track. A tiny cut scene depicted me jumping on top of Skull's head; I looked like a was riding a mechanical bull. But when I started to mash some buttons in an ignorant attempt to spring an attack, I slid off harmlessly instead. I eventually got bored and quit.

The game shows promise though. I doubt it's anything I'll pick up. About the only Xbox game I'm thinking of purchasing outside of Rock Band 2 is The Force Unleashed. And even then I'm going to wait for some reviews first.