This Wii exclusive game concentrates on single player mode - play a gig (career mode), practice your technique, or edit your drummer wardrobe with different styles. The graphics look sharp and colorful providing some appeal in five venues – live houses, halls, arenas, stadiums and illusions.
The game’s title refers to difficulty and control scheme, as well as being an alternative, yet familiar title to a game that say, ends with the word “Hero”. The drums range from your basic tom, snare and bass to hi tom, lo tom, snare, cymbal, hi-hat and bass. Tutorials, combination bonuses and the optional metronome can help you find your inner rhythm.
Rolling Stone: Drum King has the same issues as Rock Revolution did – using cover songs instead of paying the licenses for the original works. The 30-song set includes hard driving modern hits like “Click Click Boom”, “All Star”, and “Feel Good Inc” supplemented with classics like “We Will Rock You”, “I Fought the Law” and “Be My Baby”.
The cover bands have talent, but when you’re playing a game where you must mimic the exact performance to succeed (from AAA grade down to F); you experience unexpected hiccups and tweaks, which teaches improvisation and quick adjustment, but also adds to the frustration factor.
You basically have to learn that beloved song over again, which is a daunting task because the pick-ups and control reactions are challenging enough plus the visuals often do not match the song. The timing adjustment function in the options menu can help give you a little buffer zone, but it's not enough for an overall improvement.
Using real wooden drumsticks can have the same feeling as playing baseball. If you don’t feel the impact of the bat it’s not quite right. There are still no games that simulate that bat whack, but Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero: World Tour do offer those electronic drum kits, so players have come to expect that option.
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