The three live Paul McCartney tunes Luke mentioned yesterday are joined by The Ramones classic "Rock N ' Roll High School" in the Rock Band Music Store next week, together completely overshadowing the contributions of The Psychedelic Furs and Blink 182.

It was close at least for the Furs. If one more song was included along with "Love My Way" and "Sister Europe" they would have been just about on the same level as the one song from The Ramones, but two tracks just doesn't cut it.

Blink 182, on the other hand, could have dropped their entire catalog onto the store and it wouldn't have made a ripple. "Adam's Song," "First Date," and "I Miss You" never stood a chance.

Check out the full listing of next week's tracks below, with the plus signs indicating that the tunes are valid for LEGO Rock Band as well.

Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (Jan. 5) and PlayStation3 system (Jan. 7):

· Paul McCartney – "Band on the Run (Live)" +
· Paul McCartney – "Jet (Live)" +
· Paul McCartney – "Sing the Changes (Live)" +
· Blink-182 – "Adam's Song"
· Blink-182 – "First Date" +
· Blink-182 – "I Miss You"
· The Psychedelic Furs – "Love My Way" +
· The Psychedelic Furs – "Sister Europe"
· The Ramones – "Rock ‘n' Roll High School" +

My buddy Andrew and his housemates have been playing Rock Band for ages, so it wasn't much of a surprise to see them there at the event. What I didn't know is that they'd be bringing their LEGO heads. Other great acts of the night include Ironheade in full cosplay gear and the girls that rocked the Dixie Chicks.

That pink and black smudge with the tiara in the bottom right hand corner of the screen is actually me acting as Stage Manager Fairy, writing out Chris Kohler's script for the next act. Next year I think I'll procure walkie-talkies for the stage crew. Or possibly a bullhorn just for myself. Either way, I still don't have a voice today — but I have a ton of fun memories and a wonderful feel-good glow that comes from donating time, money and swag to Child's Play.

Thank you to everybody who came out. We'll see you next year!

It's coming up on Thanksgiving weekend in the states, so Harmonix has gotten next week's Rock Band Music Store additions announcement out of the way so the team can get down to the serious business of eating until they can't move. Next week brings three new Nirvana tracks to Rock Band, including the Nirvana track, along with a strangely crippled 3-pack debut for 80's icons Night Ranger.

Nirvana Pack 02 comes complete with "Smells Like Teen Spirit," which is the one Nirvana song everybody knows, as well as the Live at Reading version of "Lithium" and the MTV Unplugged version of "Come As You Are," the latter of which is strangely available for LEGO Rock Band as well.

Night Ranger's 3-pack consists of "(You Can Still) Rock in America," "Don't Tell Me You Love Me," and "You're Gonna Hear It From Me," all three of which can be purchased in both normal and LEGO Rock Band. A lovely selection, but without Sister Christian this track pack is dead to me. Dead I tell you!

You're motorin'!

While the list below isn't a rundown of all of the reviews that ran this year on Kotaku, it is a fairly strong sampling. Use it to help you decide what you should and shouldn't get.

Which games make your list for wishlist or gift list?

A Boy and His Blob

Price: $39.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Platformer
Subject Matter:A Boy and His Blob is a platform game in which the titular duo use their wits and the Blob's transformative powers to overcome obstacles as they try to save the planet from an evil alien overlord.
Value: Moderately lengthy for a platformer, A Boy and His Blob's main draw is it's combination of platforming and puzzle-solving, using the unique morphing blob mechanic to create ladders, holes, trampolines and more to help traverse increasingly hostile environments. The graphics are gorgeous and the presentation is charmingly bare. It's almost artistic.
Buy it for: fans of the original game and people with a strong bond to their pets
Read the Full Review

Bakugan Battle Brawlers
Price: $49.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Marble-shooting, creature-battling action game.
Subject Matter: Based on the wildly popular collectible toy game and cartoon series, Bakugan follows in the footsteps of Pokemon but adds transforming marbles to the mix. The game does a good job of capturing the essence of the franchise.
Value: With a relatively robust single-player campaign and ability to battle up to three friends on one television in a slew of interactive arenas, this game is a pretty good deal.
Buy it for:fans of Bakugan and maybe even curious fans of Pokemon.
Read the Full Review

The Beatles: Rock Band
Price: The stand-alone game sells for $59.99, the Limited Edition Premium Bundle sell for $249.99, the Rickenbacker 325 Standalone Guitar and the Gretsch Duo Jet Standalone Guitar sells for $99.99.
Rating: Teen
Genre: Rhythm music game
Subject Matter: The Beatles: Rock Band is a musical journey through the history of one of the world's most popular bands.
Value: For those new to the Rock Band phenomenon and fans of The Beatles, this 45-track game is well worth a purchase because this is the only way you'll play The Beatles music in a Rock Band game. If you're not into the band, give this a pass.
Buy it for: huge Beatles fans.
Read the Full Review

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex
Price: $49.99
Rating: M
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Subject Matter: The Call of Duty series jumps from old school wars to modern combat in an edgy politically-charged tale of nuclear warfare.
Value: With Wii shooters few and far between, this is a must-have for FPS fans.
Buy it for: FPS fans who also happen to be Wii owners. Or your grandma, if you're trying to get un-invited to the family reunion.
Read the Full Review

Contra ReBirth

Price: $10.00 (WiiWare)
Rating: Teen
Genre: Action
Subject Matter: A new entry in the Contra series in glorious, Super Nintendo-era 2D.
Value: It's short and hard, like a body-building elf. ReBirth takes the classic 2D run-and-gun gameplay of the Contra series and...doesn't do all that much with it. It's a new game with an old look.
Read the Full Review

Dead Space Extraction
Price: $49.99
Rating: M
Genre: Dynamic on-rails first-person shooter.
Subject Matter: Sci-fi horror prequel to 2008's Dead Space, featuring survivors on the run from alien horrors.
Value: A short Wii game, but one of the best-looking and most exciting ones in recent memory.
Buy it for: Fans of the Dead Space series and Wii gamers looking for a game targeted to an older crowd; this one's too profane for kids.
Read the Full Review

DJ Hero
Price: $119.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Rhythm
Subject Matter: DJ Hero is a rhythm game featuring a replica DJ turntable so players can mix and scratch to the beat of original music mash-ups.
Value: DJ Hero features upwards fo 100 different DJ-driven mash-ups featuring songs from the 70's on up to present-day hits. Unlike the latest Guitar Hero or Rock Band games, however, it's only good for one or two players, so the party element just isn't there. The innovative turntable-based gameplay makes it a breath of fresh air in the currently band-centric music genre, but it certainly isn't as social.
Buy it for: Fans of eclectic music mixes and lonely Guitar Hero fans.
Read the Full Review

Excitebike: World Rally

Price: $10 (download only)
Genre: Arcade racer
Subject Matter: An update to the classic Nintendo racer Excitebike, with a few minor gameplay tweaks and a revised link.
Value: A touch pricey for what is essentially a modern day port of a classic racer, but I suppose nostalgia has no price.
Buy it for: fans of classic Nintendo games and pick up and play gaming.
Read the Full Review

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life As A Darklord

Price: $10 (download only)
Rating: E10+
Genre: Tower Defense
Subject Matter: In an twist on the genre, evil princess gets to stack one tower against invaders.
Value: Lots of levels, but the creators charge extra for a lot of the cooler items and features.
Buy it for: Tower defense fans who want a major change to the traditional formula
Read the Full Review

Ju-on: The Grudge

Price: $29.99
Rating: M
Genre: Horror, Action
Subject Matter: Relive the eeriness of the Japanese horror sensation in this "haunted house simulator."
Value: With a second Wii Remote, you can randomly inflict scary "haunting" moments on the person playing the game by mashing A.
Buy it for: Japanese horror film fans and anybody you secretly hate but don't dare give lumps of coal to.
Read the Full Review

LEGO Rock Band

Price: $49.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Rhythm
Subject Matter: It's the family version of Rock Band, with adorable LEGO characters.
Value:The value in LEGO Rock Band comes mainly from knowing your children won't be exposed to any suggestive lyrics or imagery, so if you're the type of parent/aunt/uncle that actually worries about such things, then there you are. Otherwise, you get somewhere around 44 songs that will just be released as downloadable content for the main game anyway.
Buy it for: Younger fans of good music who already have access to Rock Band instruments.
Read the Full Review

Little King's Story

Price: $49.99
Rating: T
Genre: Role-playing game mixed with empire-building
Subject Matter: A fairy-tale-style king at odds with increasingly clever and culturally-interesting enemies tribes and kings.
Value: High. Lengthy, imaginative single-player quest.
Buy it for: Wii owners who want a game that will last; fans of quirky, more artsy video games.
Read the Full Review

LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias

Price: 1000 Wii Points
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Platform
Subject Matter: It's the sequel to 2008's LostWinds with the new ability to switch between seasons (winter and summer).
Value: Small touches, like the character being realistically refracted when standing behind ice, made us forget this is not a packaged retail release. The graphics and music are both deliver — as does the Wii Remote gameplay.
Buy it for: Gamers looking for a breezy and cute platformer.
Read the Full Review

Marvel Super Hero Squad
Price: $39.99
Rating: Everyone 10+
Genre: Beat-em Up
Subject Matter: A standard tale of good versus evil told with tiny, superdeformed Marvel characters
Value: While the adventure mode will only last a couple of hours, Marvel Super Hero Squad features a Battle Mode that lets your kids fight against each other using iconic Marvel Comics characters, so there is some lasting value there, if only for the youngins'.
Buy it for: kids old enough to enjoy Marvel Characters but not old enough to handle Captain America getting shot and killed
Read the Full Review

Muramasa: The Demon Blade

Price: $49.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Action RPG
Subject Matter: A highly Japanese hack and slash RPG with very striking 2D visuals.
Value:A gorgeous single-player action RPG, Muramasa has a great deal of gameplay but very little in the way of story development. Lots of over-the-top action and some very impressive boss fights make up for the overall lack of depth.
Buy it for: Japanese RPG and anime fans.
Read the Full Review

MySims Agents

Price: $49.99
Rating: E
Genre: Action/Adventure
Subject Matter: Make your MySim into the ultimate secret agent by unraveling a huge mystery.
Value: Lots of customizable costumes and outfits, plus a secret alternate ending and bonus puzzles lend the game replay value.
Buy it for: Your kids and play it when they aren't looking.
Read the Full Review

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Price: $49.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Side-scrolling, nostalgia-tugging platformer
Subject Matter: New Super Mario Bros. Wii doesn't explore any new narratives, you're still Mario who is still trying to save the princess, but this time around you can play with three friends, and the game is there to help you when you get stuck.
Value: New Super Mario Bros. Wii feels like two games in one, and there are several mulitplayer modes to add to the fun after you've beaten the game.
Buy it for: Anyone with a Wii, anyone considering a Wii.
Read the Full Review

Rabbids Go Home
Price: $49.99
Rating: E10+
Genre: Comedy platformer
Subject Matter: Three manic rabbit-like creatures and their shopping cart put to task to rob humanity of its junk in order to build a pile and pathway to the moon. Plus, the Rabbids can and must yell the clothes off ridiculous people.
Value: A pleasant and funny adventure that will last a weekend, but longer for those who want to collect 100%.
Buy it for: Gamers who want a game that makes them laugh out loud; fans of platforming looking for a Mario alternative; people looking for the Rabbids to finally star in something that isn't a mini-game compilation.
Read the Full Review

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
Price: $49.99
Rating: M
Genre: On-rails shooter, Resident Evil retrospective
Subject Matter: Single-player or co-op light gun shooter takes on Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil Code: Veronica, wrapped up in a short, new pre-Resident-Evil-4 campaign, all presented with RE's mix of horror and cheese (though this one isn't scary).
Value: Light gun games are usually very short, but this one has three campaigns and enough unlockables to offer at least nine hours of first-time play.
Buy it for: Resident Evil fans; people looking for a less innovative Wii light gun game than Dead Space Extraction and a less outrageous one than House of the Dead: Overkill, but, of the three, the one with the most content. A solid game.
Read the Full Review

Spyborgs

Price: $19.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Beat-em Up
Subject Matter: Spyborgs is a simple arcade-style beat-em up with cartoon tendencies.
Buy it for: Young children and early teens who've yet to develop discerning tastes.
Value: $19.99 could very well translate into keeping your kids quiet (or at least only yelling at each other) for a few hours, or some quality parent-child bonding time. It's not particularly exciting, but it'll do in a pinch.
Read the Full Review

Sword & Soldiers

Price: $10 (download only)
Rating: E10+
Genre: Side-scrolling real-time-strategy game.
Subject Matter: Vikings vs. ninjas vs. Aztecs
Value: High, given the amount of levels, the gleefully violent cartoon visuals and the creative campaign.
Buy it for: Fans looking for cartoon violence on the Wii and fans of Patapon the only game remotely like this.
Read the Full Review

Wii Energizer 4X Charging Station

Price: $49.99
Rating: N/A
Genre: N/A
Subject Matter:An induction panel that charges up to four remotes at a time.
Value: With four rechargeable battery packs included with the induction panel, this seems like a fairly good deal.
Buy it for:Wii owners sick of burning through batteries and people who have their console set up in a place where space is at a premium.
Read the Full Review

Wii Fit Plus

Price: $19.99 (game only), $99.99 (with Balance Board)
Rating: E
Genre: Fitness, Sports
Subject Matter: A slew of next mini-games and a handful of new exercises round out Nintendo's home fitness tool.
Value: With a new multiplayer function and the ability to weigh your cat, baby or dog, Wii Fit Plus pushes its fun on the whole family.
Buy it for: Yourself because you're too lazy to go to the gym, your grandparents who need help getting over last year's hip surgery, or your brother-in-law who should really be watching his weight.
Read the Full Review

Wii Sports Resort

Price: $49.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Casual sports
Subject Matter: Wii Sports Resort drops you on an island with a dozen sports to attempt using the Wii's new, more accurate MotionPlus device.
Value: Packed with a MotionPlus remote add-on and a hefty collection of sports, this is a must have for Wii owners.
Buy it for: Fans of Wii Sports, casual gamers, anyone looking for some family time on their Wii.
Read the Full Review

Not only does next week's Rock Band Music Store update bring six live tracks from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, it also gives us insight into what Harmonix feels is family friendly. For instance, "Refugee," "A Thing About You," and "Here Comes My Girl" are all available for LEGO Rock Band as well as the normal version, while "American Girl," "Even the Losers," and "Mary Jane's Last Dance" are not. All of the tracks are from The Live Anthology, in stores November 24th.

Kelly Clarkson makes her Rock Band / LEGO Rock Band debut with "Miss Independent,", rounding out a non-Petty, family-friendly trio that includes the Go-Go's "Our Lips Are Sealed" and Pink's "Who Knew."

Things can only get worse.

Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (Nov. 24) and PlayStation 3 system (Nov. 26):

· Go-Go's – "Our Lips Are Sealed" +
· Kelly Clarkson – "Miss Independent" +
· P!nk – "Who Knew" +
· Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – "A Thing About You (live)" +
· Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – "American Girl (live)"
· Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – "Even the Losers (live)"
· Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – "Here Comes My Girl (live)" +
· Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – "Mary Jane's Last Dance (live)"
· Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – "Refugee (live)" +

Like Activision's recently-released Band Hero, LEGO Rock Band seeks to be the E for Everyone answer to the band-based rhythm genre, delivering songs that parents don't have to explain to their children while blushing profusely. Unlike Band Hero, however, LEGO Rock Band has the power of one of the world's most popular toy lines behind it. There's really no doubt that the familiar red logo on the front of the case will attract game buying parents like moths to a flame. Will they get burned?

Loved
Rock Band's Gameplay: It's the same Rock Band gameplay we've all come to know and love, plastic instruments and all. Cosmetic changes aside, there's nothing stopping anyone who has played previous Rock Band titles from picking up the mic, drumsticks, or guitar and rocking out.

LEGO Charm: If you don't find the LEGO video games charming on some level, you might as well treat LEGO Rock Band as a giant, $50 track pack. If you do find the LEGO-brand cuteness adorable, then the game has plenty for you to gush over, from the LEGO block notes on the highway to the ridiculous hijinks your band and crew get up to during jam sessions. New venues are opened up by unlocking new, increasingly absurd LEGO vehicles, with each new location loaded with cute little touches that you'll only notice if you are watching someone else play. Once again, Traveller's Tales manages to squeeze refreshing water from a LEGO block.

Rock Challenges: While they aren't particularly challenging, LEGO Rock Band's Rock Challenges do split up the monotony of playing song after song after song. These special stages have specific goals, like blowing up a building with the power of rock, or ridding a haunted mansion of ghosts. In single player you simply play through the song presented as per normal, but with a friend the action is broken up, giving each player a bit of solo time to accomplish their goals. Again, not all that challenging, but a welcome distraction. Plus, the Ghostbusters challenge features some of the most adorable moments in gaming this year. To quote my girlfriend, "Cutest. Thing. Ever."

Eclectic Selections: Despite its family-friendly theme, LEGO Rock Band has managed to gather together a nicely varied list of music that might not have seen the light of day in any other Rock Band title. The introduction of my favorite band, Counting Crows, to the Rock Band universe was almost worth the game's $50 price tag for me, while songs like "Kung-Fu Fighting," "Ghostbusters," and "Walkin' on Sunshine" are exactly the sort of light-hearted fare that other Rock Band games lacked.

It's A Brick House: Like other LEGO games from Traveller's Tales, LEGO Rock Band is all about collecting bits, and once you've collected those bits you can use them at the in-game store to buy new outfits, instruments, staff members, and even decorations for your LEGO headquarters. Your headquarters acts as the main menu for the game, so being able to add your own personal touch is kind of nice. This is really the feature that separates the game from the rest of the Rock Band lineup, even if it doesn't allow for in-depth customization of your pad.

Super Easy: A new addition to the standard Rock Band difficulty settings, Super Easy means even your most uncoordinated friends can pick up a guitar and play, as long as they have even the most rudimentary grasp of the concept of rhythm. Just push any button and strum, or hit any drum pad. We don't care which, just pound the damn thing. There, now you're playing Rock Band. Perfect for those singers in your group who are afraid of the plastic instruments.

Export Business: If all else fails, LEGO Rock Band functions as a 44 song track pack. A code included with the game allows you to export the songs on the disc to regular Rock Band for $9.99, meaning that if you'd like to play "Accidentally in Love" with your friends without worrying about LEGO Rock Band's lack of online multiplayer, you still have another option.

Hated
Skimpy Track List: Three years ago we would have been perfectly happy with 44 songs, but these days that's around half of what we generally expect. The songs might be a nice collection of tunes, but when you have to play them over and over again throughout your career in order to progress, they wear thin rather quickly. In one venue I played through two songs I wasn't particularly fond of, only to have both of said songs show up in the mystery set list I played next. That's not fun. That's annoying.

Offline Only: I suppose stripping away the online play from previous Rock Band titles was one way of making LEGO Rock Band more family friendly, but its presence is definitely missed.

LEGO Rock Band makes several painful trade-offs in order to present a game that can be considered family friendly, and your enjoyment of the game hinges on whether or not you can handle the changes. You get half as many songs as a normal Rock Band release and no online multiplayer, in exchange for a rhythm game that's brimming with unique LEGO personality and music you won't find anywhere else, until Harmonix releases the tracks as paid DLC for the regular versions. Plus, LEGO Rock Band is by far the most accessible of the Rock Band titles, with a lower level of difficulty making it an excellent gateway game.

There's a lot to love in LEGO Rock Band, as long as you don't try and take it too seriously.

LEGO Rock Band was developed by Harmonix and Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo Wii. Retails for $49.99 USD. A copy of the game was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes. Played through complete career mode on the Xbox 360 version both alone and with a friend.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

"I think my Lego character is wonderful. I want one," he said, according to BangShowBiz.com "We had discussions about the hair, there were a few emails. They had to negotiate to use my likeness, but it's a nice thing."

That's May's plasticy perm above, depicted with Lego Freddy Mercury in the game. May said a jealous Joe Elliott, the Def Leppard singer, called him up to complain that he didn't get a minifig version. "Joe Elliott rang me up and said he was pissed off because they didn't make one of him," May said.

See? Not everyone hates being paid to appear in a video game ...

Brian May's Lego Hair Demands [BangShowBiz.com on Yahoo! UK, via Eurogamer]

Old Navy isn't known for its video game deals, but they'll be handing out copies of LEGO Rock Band on Black Friday nonetheless, along with free guitar controllers with any purchase of Rock Band 2. It's all part of the Black Friday event the chain is calling Gobblepalooza, with "3 days of rockin' deals" for fans of Harmonix music games and affordable yet fashionable clothing for adults and teens.

It's a bizarre little promotion, really. So odd that you might actually have a chance of scoring a copy on Black Friday, if you can avoid being trampled. Old Navy is a scary place on Black Friday.

Old Navy Black Friday Ad [BlackFriday.info - Thanks Nikki!]

Traveller's Tales does what they do best in this cinematic launch trailer, lampooning existing properties through gratuitous use of LEGO blocks. Why simply stop at a tour bus, when the whole of LEGO creation is at your fingertips?

Sure, Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury might have passed, but including a virtual representation of him in LEGO Rock Band is okay, since it's just adorable. Besides, he wasn't the voice of a generation, like other deceased lead singers we could mention.

Check out a clip of LEGO Queen declaring themselves the LEGO champions in the LEGO gallery below. Also, LEGO.

You may remember Blur from their runaway hit "Song #2," which made its way into nearly every sports game published in the late 90's, early 2000's. The song's profound lyrics included the haunting "Woo-hoo," which brings to mind carefree reveling and the strangling of unsuspecting owls. "Song #2" is one of the tracks in LEOGO Rock Band, and all four members of Blur have gotten the tiny LEGO guy treatment , joining Iggy Pop, David Bowie, and Queen in the family-friendly LEGO lineup. Woo-hoo.

Rolling Stone has a video of the band's LEGO avatars doing their thing, so click the link below if you feel the desperate need to.

Blur Join "LEGO Rock Band": See the Band's Avatars [Rolling Stone - thanks Noble!]

LEGO Rock Band's support of Rock Band store purchases is limited to only those songs "identified to be suitable for all ages," according to a press release.

"Those cleared songs are the only tracks that will appear within the LEGO Rock Band store for purchase. The LEGO Rock Band store will continually highlight any new family-friendly tunes that can be played across the Rock Band platform as they are released for Rock Band. "

While I understand why Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and MTV Games might think this is a good idea (and maybe this is a ratings issue), shouldn't they let parents make the decision on which music their children can listen to?

Songs included on LEGO Rock Band can be transfered to your hard drive to play on other Rock Band games for $10 for all but the Wii version.

Here's your full listing of songs for the game due out on the Playstation 3, Wii and Xbox 360 this holiday. I've also listed out the 23 songs included on the DS version of the game.

PS3/Xbox 360 Version
All American Rejects, "Swing, Swing"
The Kooks, "Naïve"
The Automatic, "Monster"
KoRn, "Word Up!"
Blink-182, "Aliens Exist"
KT Tunstall, "Suddenly I See"
Blur, "Song 2"
Lostprophets, "Rooftops"
Bon Jovi, "You Give Love a Bad Name"
P!NK, "So What"
Boys like Girls, "Thunder"
The Police,
"Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic"
Bryan Adams, "Summer of 69"
The Primitives, "Crash"
Carl Douglas, "Kung Fu Fighting"
Queen, "We Are The Champions"
The Coral, "Dreaming of You"
Queen, "We Will Rock You"
Counting Crows, "Accidentally in Love"
Rascal Flatts, "Life is a Highway"
David Bowie, "Let's Dance"
Ray Parker Jr., "Ghostbusters"
Elton John, "Crocodile Rock"
Razorlight, "Stumble and Fall"
Europe, "The Final Countdown"
Spin Doctors, "Two Princes"
Everlife, "Real Wild Child"
Spinal Tap, "Short & Sweet"
Foo Fighters, "Breakout"
Steve Harly, "Make Me Smile"
Good Charlotte, "Girls & Boys"
Sum 41, "In Too Deep"
The Hives, "Tick Tick Boom!"
Supergrass, "Grace"
Iggy Pop, "The Passenger"
Tom Petty, "Free Fallin"
Incubus, "Dig"
T-Rex, "Ride a White Swan"
Jackson 5, "I Want You Back"
Vampire Weekend, "A-Punk"
Jimi Hendrix, "Fire"
We the Kings, "Check Yes Juliet"
Kaiser Chiefs, "Ruby"
The Zutons, "Valerie"
Katrina & The Waves, "Walking on Sunshine"

DS Version
All American Rejects, "Swing, Swing"
P!NK, "So What"
The Automatic, "Monster"
The Primitives, "Crash"
Blur, "Song 2"
Queen, "We Are The Champions"
Carl Douglas, "Kung Fu Fighting"
Queen, "We Will Rock You"
Counting Crows, "Accidentally in Love"
Rascal Flatts, "Life is a Highway"
David Bowie, "Let's Dance"
Ray Parker Jr., "Ghostbusters"
Europe, "The Final Countdown"
Spin Doctors, "Two Princes"
Good Charlotte, "Girls & Boys"
Sum 41, "In Too Deep"
Iggy Pop, "The Passenger"
Supergrass, "Grace"
Jackson 5, "I Want You Back"
Tom Petty, "Free Fallin'"
Kaiser Chiefs, "Ruby"
Vampire Weekend, "A-Punk"
Katrina & the Waves, "Walking on Sunshine"
We the Kings, "Check Yes Juliet"
KT Tunstall, "Suddenly I See"

This is not the David Bowie Lego minifigure I would have preferred, but seeing as he'll be performing "Let's Dance" with a Lego version of his band in a stage modeled after the music video, I guess it'll have to do in a pinch. I would have much preferred the Ziggy Stardust Bowie, or perhaps a bit of Jareth the Goblin King, but you take what you can get.

USA Today points out the connection between Bowie and Iggy, with Bowie producing several Iggy Pop albums and the two co-writing one of Bowie's greatest hits, "China Girl."

More musicians will be announced for Lego Rock Band as it gets closer to release later this year. I'm holding out for a Lego Adam Duritz, complete with smelly dreads.

Lust for LEGOs? [USA Today]

Iggy Pop's "The Passenger" will be featured in LEGO Rock Band soundtrack as will the singer himself, looking far more pear-shaped than he's ever looked. Let's all pray for Iggy's continued health until the release of LEGO Rock Band, lest things get any weirder around here.

Iggy Pop monte sur scène dans LEGO Rock Band. [JeuxVideo.fr]

So if you own Rock Band, Rock Band 2 and LEGO Rock Band, you can put all your songs in one place, and never have to swap discs ever again. Like Rock Band 2's import feature, there'll be a small fee, but as Rock Band 2 showed, people are willing to pay for that convenience.

Rock Band News: Lego Songs Exportable, Deets on Queen, White Stripes [Wired]

Maybe this isn't exciting for you, but damn if it doesn't do just the trick for me. Why the hell do we need a LEGO Rock Band? This right here. Take the same gameplay everyone loves and give it a new, humorous purpose, and you've got a Rock Band game with charm that goes beyond simply playing the music. I kinda dig it.

Jonathan Smith from British developer Traveller's Tales confirmed to game site VG247 that the Jackson 5 tune will be appearing in the game. Other newly announced titles are "Breakout" by the Foo Fighters and "A-Punk" from the Vampire Weekend.

The teen and tween geared game already boasts some of these tunes: Blur's "Song 2", Carl Douglas' "Kung Fu Fighting", Europe's "The Final Countdown", Good Charlotte's "Boys and Girls" and Pink's "So What".

Multiplayer LEGO Rock Band is slated for later this year.

Jackson track confirmed for Lego Rock Band [VG247]

Because if you don't have kids, this game is largely pointless. It's Rock Band, except with a more pedestrian songlist, and no real changes to the way the game is structured, or plays.

But that's if you don't have kids. If you do have kids around, and want a game to play with them, well. This looks pretty damn good.

What Is It?

It's Rock Band, only with LEGO. Meaning those sultry rock stars are replaced with LEGO characters (including the "themed" ones like pirates and vikings), and the coloured note blocks are replaced by, yes, coloured LEGO blocks.

What We Saw

I saw a few tracks being played by Telltale staff, before jumping on stage and playing a Foo Fighters track myself (on guitar).

How Far Along Is It?

Aside from a few bits of unfinished graphics in the background, the game looks mostly done. It's due out this holiday season.

What Needs Improvement?

LEGO Feedback: The one area that LEGO Rock Band tries to actually change the game, instead of just its characters and display, is in a new "challenge" mode, where bands must successfully complete sections of a song in order to accomplish a single goal.

For example, everyone passes a section of a song and part of a building in the background is knocked down. Complete the whole song and the building comes down.

It's a nice progress meter for kids, but you're concentrating so hard on the notes that you barely notice what's happening in the background. It could do with being shown a little more prominently.

What Should Stay The Same?

LEGO Sliding Difficulty: While this is a kids game, adults are going to want to play it too, whether they're parents or just hardcore LEGO fans. So the game features an ever wider variety of difficulties than regular Rock Band, from expert for the adults all the way down to LEGO Easy, which will let kids keep playing even if they're smashing on the drums (though they'll have to be doing it with some kind of timing; the game will measure their beat, not the colour they're hitting).

There's also the standard "no fail" mode in there as well.

Final Thoughts

With its cute aesthetic, LEGO brand, Rock Band brand and an excellent scaling difficulty system for all ages, it's hard not to see LEGO Rock Band as one of the better family gaming options this Christmas.