Grammy-winning rock band Linkin Park have teamed up with mobile game developers Artificial Life to create Linkin Park 8-Bit Rebellion, an iPhone game that looks like it could actually be highly entertaining.
The evil PixxelKorp has stolen Linkin Park's music, and it's up to you and your friends to get it back, preserving the sanctity of the 8-bit world in the process. Following in the footsteps of bands like Journey and Aerosmith, Linkin Park's game isn't a rhythm music title, but an action-adventure, complete with community features like friends lists, IM chats, in-app messaging, and your own personal space to decorate with items you unlock by playing the game.
Items including "Blackbirds," a never-before-released track from the band, debuting for the first time in this iPhone application. It's crazy.
"The collaborative process with Artificial Life was exceptional," says Linkin Park vocalist Mike Shinoda, who worked with the game company to design the characters and score the game. "They were able to turn my sketches and our creative ideas into a living, breathing world that we think gamers will thoroughly enjoy. This game is not just made for Linkin Park fans-anyone will be able to play and enjoy 8-Bit Rebellion.' My bandmates and I grew up playing games like ‘Metroid,' ‘Donkey Kong,' ‘Zelda,' ‘Space Invaders,' ‘Mega Man' and ‘Rygar.' We wanted this game to have the feel of a vintage game, and a big part of it was the music."
Speaking of music, the game is littered with Linkin Park tunes in both their original and 8-bit forms, with "One Step Closer," "Crawling," "No More Sorrow," and many more.
While I'm not what anyone would call a Linkin Park fan, I have to admit, this app looks quite compelling. With so many features, retro style, and 8-bit musical reinterpretations of the band's greatest hits, Linkin Park 8-Bit Rebellion looks like it'll be far more than a two-bit marketing tie-in. There's classic gaming love here, and it shows.
Look for the game "soon."