Developer: Harmonix
Platforms: XBLA, PSN
Release Date: August 28th, 2012
Price: $14.99 / 1200 MSP
Players: 1, with online competitive challenges and leaderboards
Rock Band Blitz is a new game in the Rock Band platform of games that trades away the instruments for beatmatch gameplay similar
to previous Harmonix titles Amplitude, Frequency, and Rock Band DS/Unplugged. Instead of playing one lane at a time like previous
Rock Band titles, you switch between each lane yourself, trying to raise each lane's multiplier while juggling powerups and combo.
Blitz, being part of the Rock Band Platform, is also backwards compatible and forwards compatible with all DLC (with a couple of exemptions),
and every exportable Rock Band track from Rock Band 1, Rock Band 2, Lego Rock Band and Green Day: Rock Band. It is also compatible
with every Rock Band Network song. Purchasing Blitz also allows you to play all of the Blitz songs in Rock Band 3 instantly with no extra export
fee. At this time, it is not possible to play the Rock Band 3 disc or Beatles: Rock Band tracks inside of Blitz. When last asked, Harmonix has no plans to make a Rock Band 3 export available.
As an example, watch this Bang Camaro DLC being played in Blitz.
Tracklist:
“Kids in the Street” - The All-American Rejects
“So Far Away” - Avenged Sevenfold
“One Week” - Barenaked Ladies
“Always” - Blink-182
“Shine” - Collective Soul
“I’m Still Standing” - Elton John
“A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More ‘Touch Me’” - Fall Out Boy
“These Days” - Foo Fighters
“Pumped Up Kicks” - Foster the People
“We Are Young” - Fun. ft. Janelle Monáe
“Once Bitten Twice Shy” - Great White
“Jungle Boogie” - Kool & The Gang
“The Wicker Man” - Iron Maiden
“Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)” - Kelly Clarkson
“Cult of Personality” - Living Colour
“Moves Like Jagger” - Maroon 5
“Sing” - My Chemical Romance
“Raise Your Glass” - P!nk
“Death on Two Legs” - Queen
“Metal Health (Bang Your Head)” - Quiet Riot
“Give It Away” - Red Hot Chili Peppers
“Jessie's Girl” - Rick Springfield
“Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom)” - Shinedown
“Spoonman” - Soundgarden
“Shout” - Tears for Fears
Spoonman and Give It Away, two songs that did not export from Rock Band 2, re-appear in Blitz with RB3 features. Spoonman now features harmonies
support and a charted bass solo. Give It Away has had keys added, and is the only song in Blitz that does not support harmonies when played in Rock Band 3.
There are currently no announcements or plans for Blitz to be available for Wii.
Harmonix is releasing all of the songs from Blitz as singles (with a couple of packs for certain artists) onto the music store for all three consoles for people that don't want all of them as a pack, and so that Wii owners can acquire the songs. Some of these songs will also have pro guitar upgrades.
Of course, it'd be kind of boring if all you did was match notes and nothing else in Blitz, so the top scientists at Harmonix came up with the radical never-before-seen
in any other video game ever concept of powerups. Powerups come in two flavors: Overdrive powerups that are deployed by collecting enough glowing notes and then
going into OD, and Note powerups that are collected by finding purple notes along the way. You can choose your powerup loadout before playing each song.
Overdrive Powerups
Shockwave: Sends out a sonic wave that gives you bonus points for every note it touches down the note highway. The more OD you deploy this with, the bigger the wave. Use on songs with dense amounts of notes.
Point Doubler: A simpler powerup from a simpler time. Doubles points for notes played while deployed. Doubles end of song track bonuses if active when you hit the end of the song.
Jackpot: The powerup for the FC crowd. Triples your points for every note played, but once you miss a note the bonus entirely disappears. Use this on songs with long note chords for maximum points.
Bottle Rocket: Fires off a bottle rocket, going down the track and earning any points for notes that blows it up. You can also use this to collect notes beyond a gate to max out multiplier. Any overdrive notes it hits will also replenish your overdrive, so it's possible to chain Bottle Rockets if you know what you are doing.
Bandmate: Once deployed, it'll play that track for you and you can go off to another track to get points. The bandmate will collect any overdrive and powerup notes it plays.
Note Powerups
Flame Note: Starts a fire that you have to chase down the track for bonus points. No extra bonus points for deploying this while playing Billy Joel tracks.
Runaway Note: Once deployed, you'll have to chase a sparking runaway note around the track. Hit it for a 10k note bonus.
Road Rage: Summons the car from the RB1/2 cinematic to drive down the track, giving you points for each note it hits and increasing track multipliers / activating notes.
Pinball Note: Deploys a pinball down the track that collects points for each note it hits. To keep it in play, you must switch tracks to move yourself into position to knock it back down the highway. You can also bounce it off the theater at the end of the track for bonus points.
Track Powerups
Synchrony: For the rhythm junkie, Synchrony allows you to switch tracks on the downbeat for bonus points. Switching at the measure markers also plays notes on both tracks.
Super Drums - Bonus points for drum notes. Use on drums-heavy songs.
Super Bass - E++
Super Guitar - Bonus points for guitar notes. You'll probably be using this one the most.
Super Vocals - Bonus points for vocals notes. You'll probably be using this one the least.
Super Keys - Bonus points for keys notes. Only works on songs that support Keys, of course.
The gameplay looks stupid and only has 2 notes, I just want the music from the game. Can I do that?
Yep! You can treat Blitz as just a fat music pack for RB3. Or buy the songs as singles from the store.
Achievements
Blitz features 500 points of achievements - 400 base points, and 100 "DLC" points built into the game. The DLC achievements are aimed at rewarding those who have exported or bought a notable number of songs.
Calibrate Good Times - Calibrated your system for the optimal Rock Band Blitz experience.
Self-Taught - Completed both Tutorials.
Three for the Taking - Increased the Level Cap by 3X at 3 Checkpoints in a single song.
Blitz and Giggles - Stayed in Blitz Mode for at least 30 seconds in a single song.
Perfect Finish - Finished a song with all tracks at the Level Cap.
Never Better - Replayed a song and beat your previous high score.
This Means War - Challenged someone to a Score War.
Shredder - Played 100% of the notes in a Guitar Solo.
Good as Gold - Earned Gold stars on a song.
Having a Blast - Cleared 10 notes with a single Blast Note.
Pyromaniac - Played a chain of 10 Flame notes.
Shock and Awesome - Earned at least 10,000 points with a single use of Shockwave.
Pinball Whiz - Kept the Pinball in play for at least 20 seconds.
Rocket Scientist - Cleared 20 notes with a single Bottle Rocket.
Get Back Here - Caught 5 Runaway Notes in a single song.
High Roller - Earned at least 10,000 points with a single use of Jackpot.
All the Rage - Cleared 24 notes with Road Rage in a single song.
That Dozen Count - Played 12 of the songs included with Rock Band Blitz.
Blitzed Out - Played every song included with Rock Band Blitz.
Stellar Performance - Earned 5 stars on every song included with Rock Band Blitz.
Precious Medal - Earned Gold Stars on every song included with Rock Band Blitz.
More Power to You - Unlocked every Power-up in Rock Band Blitz.
Big Spender - Spent 10,000 coins.
Incredible - Got your Blitz Cred up to at least 1,000.
Extra Credit - Got your Blitz Cred up to at least 10,000.
DLC achievements
Greatest Hits - Played at least 50 unique songs
Consummate Collector - Played at least 150 unique songs.
Party at Your Place - Played at least 300 unique songs. Harmonix thanks you!
Loyal Fan - Played at least 10 unique songs by the same artist.
Genre Diehard - Played at least 50 unique songs in the same genre.
Decade Decadence - Played at least 50 unique songs from the same decade.
Music Historian - Played a song from every decade since the '50s
Double Coins Weeks
Each week, Harmonix selects a new artist, band, genre or specific song that will receive a double coin bonus. This usually has something to do with the DLC being released for that week.
