So, I’m back with another review. This time for a game I didn’t think I’d really ever play. I mean, I really enjoy Rock Band (partial to the drums) but I just didn’t think Rock Band with Lego would be that exciting. I did love the earlier Lego games such as Lego Star Wars, but Rock Band is Rock Band. How different could it be?

The first thing that got me more interested is when I saw the soundtrack. Harmonix was clever and put a bunch of songs that are not available elsewhere onto this game. Songs like “You Give Love a Bad Name” by Bon Jovi, “We Are the Champions” by Queen, and “Word Up” by Korn. But, the final straw was, obviously, “The Final Countdown” by Europe. I have now played that song and now reached the top of the virtual band mountain. I’m pretty sure it’s all downhill from here.

All kidding aside, the game is actually very well done. I guess I shouldn’t have expected different from Harmonix. They’ve done pretty well in the past. If you break it down into the basics, this is just a standard Rock Band game. You play solo or with others, pick an instrument, and then try to hit the notes. Bing. Bang. Boom. From there, the game is full of the great humor and silliness that has come in the previous Lego games. You’re able to customize your player with different Lego heads, bodies, and legs. You are also able to customize your “Rock Pad” with objects you unlock while playing in “Career” mode. Almost everything looks as though it’s made from Lego, even the colored notes on the instrument highways. The venues are also very neat. Traveller’s Tales does a good job designing these ares with a very Lego feel. From train stations to pirate ships to race tracks.

Besides the game having a Lego theme, it’s also labeled as “Family Friendly.” All the songs are pretty safe for all ages. Most of your DLC from the previous Rock Band games will work. I say “most” because it only allows the songs that they deem “Family Friendly.” Not a lot of our metal songs made the cut, but there were a few. The game could probably get pretty repetitive without some DLC to go along with it.

If you have kids or love collecting all of the songs you can for Rock Band, definitely pick this up. I mean, it has The Final Countdown in it. You can also export the songs from the game so that they’ll work in the other Rock Band games (except The Beatles Rock Band.) Note: If you planned on renting it to do this, it won’t work. I originally had the idea before we bought it, but we noticed it comes with a one-time use code for the export.

Sideshow’s Verdict: Again, it depends on if you either love the songs, love Lego, or have kids. But, I’d say this is a BUY for Rock Band fans. You get a pretty good selection of songs (a few weak ones) and a fun twist on the normal Rock Band gameplay.