Angry Puppy

Our latest vlog episode is up at AfterElton.

Topics:

• Headlines: Caprica, Stardust, Mass Effect, Rock Band, Arthur C. Clarke and the recently Dumbledored Tom from Lost
• Funny Games, the new remake of Michael Haneke’s Austrian nerve-wrecker
• The Last House on the Left (the original, not the soon-to-come remake)
• Torchwood: “A Day in the Death” and “Something Borrowed”
• South Park: “Britney’s New Look”

And be sure to join us on Facebook, where you can meet other people who inexplicably sit through these vlog episodes. (Thanks for the reminder, Ron!)

In the comments to my review of the new Nine Inch Nails DLC for Rock Band, Phil says:

“I haven’t played Rock Band but just the thought of trying to play the drum solo in The Perfect Drug, whether by use of real drums or whatever is used to simulate the drumming, sounds rather intense.”

Though actual drumming has a lot of subtle nuances that aren’t captured by Rock Band, the drumming gameplay comes a lot closer than the bass or the guitar to the actual experience of being a musician (the music part, not the lifestyle). In this photo of the drum kit, you can see (from left to right) a snare drum, two tom-toms and a crash cymbal. The foot pedal is used for the bass drum.

So, yes, playing the drums in The Perfect Drug is terrifying. I’ll admit that I flunked it on easy, though, in my defense, the drum kit has been disassembled and stored behind the couch since the last time it was used in November. (It takes up a lot of space and is too loud for casual use.)

Also in my defense: I rock on the guitar. Fer reals, yo.

This video of someone playing on Expert might help you understand just how hard this song is.

[Via Destructoid]

I’ve been neglecting my quest for the goat head guitar on Rock Band, but today’s new DLC has pulled me back in. Trent Reznor loves any time signature but 4/4, so these are a little more engaging than some of the other tracks we’ve seen, i.e. you have to pay attention.

Nine Inch Nails Pack - 440 MS Points or 160 MS points per track

The Collector

• Guitar - There’s a long silence at the beginning, but several half-note runs give you a chance to really rack up the points. I found it really satisfying, like Paranoid. They’ve turned the little piano part at the end of the song into a guitar solo.
• Bass - It’s fairly repetitive and not too engaging, though there are several “bass grooves.” You get the same half-note runs as on the guitar.
• Drums - I’m not a fan of the Rock Band drums, but this one wasn’t bad.

March of the Pigs

• Guitar - This one’s tougher than The Collector, but also really satisfying when you get it right. There are a couple of long silences during the 4/4 parts (”All the pigs are all lined up…”) and no solo.
• Bass - Holy Mother of God, this is the hardest bass song I’ve played on Rock Band. Fun.
• Drums - Pretty rough, but I could get through it.

The Perfect Drug

• Guitar - I found this one easier than the other two, but the song has so many different sections that as soon as you get settled in, everything changes. No solo.
• Bass - If your bassist needs a break after March of the Pigs, this is a good. Except for one tricky riff, it’s kind of dull, and there are two lo-o-ong silences (at the beginning and during the drum break).
• Drums - Don’t even try unless you like playing the drums. Even on easy. Really. I’m seriously.

If you’re at all a NIN fan, this is one pack you could splurge for. If you only want one track, then any are great for the guitar, it’s March of the Pigs for bass, and The Perfect Drug is the way to go for dums.

Those who enjoyed yesterday’s Garfield sans Garfield post will get a kick out of this bonus video. You’ll see the connection to this post about 30 seconds in.

NO!  But I could play Barracuda on Guitar Hero III or Crazy on You on Guitar Hero II.

“But, Lee,” I hear you ask, “how can you possibly keep track?”

MTV’s Rhythm Game Track Finder, of course!

The database covers 7 platforms, a couple dozen games (Rock Band, Guitar Hero, Dance Dance Revolution, etc.) and hundreds of songs.  The interface is fairly straightforward, though I had to switch from Safari to Firefox because of errors and weird layout issues.

Via MTV Multiplayer Blog

I finally pried Marc away from Mass Effect so that I could check out yesterday’s DLC for Rock Band.  None of the songs are particular favorites of mine, but all around, it’s a good set.  You can’t get them in a pack, so it’ll cost you 160 MS points per track.

• Die, All Right! by the Hives (Best of the bunch for guitar.)
• Interstate Love Song by Stone Temple Pilots
• The Number of the Beast by Iron Maiden (with a couple of guitar solos)

I haven’t played since the last update, but I’m still well on my way toward that Goat Head Guitar.  At this rate, it will only take me 66 more months…