Rock Band 2 is a 2008 music video game developed by Harmonix and distributed by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. The game, a sequel to Rock Band, has been released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and PlayStation 2.[1] Rock Band allows one to four players to simulate the playing of rock music by providing the players with peripherals modeled after musical instruments (a guitar peripheral for lead guitar and bass gameplay, a drum peripheral, and a microphone). The gameplay in Rock Band 2 is nearly identical to the original Rock Band, while also comparable to that in Guitar Hero.
The game disc features 84 songs, all of which are master recordings.[2] In addition, the game supports existing downloadable content from Rock Band, as well as tracks which have been exported from other Rock Band game discs.[3] Twenty additional tracks were released exclusively for Rock Band 2 as free downloadable content after the game was released. A redeemable code that allows the player access to these songs is included with new copies of the game,[3] except for the Wii version, where no code is required.
With Rock Band 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii players could export 70 of 84 songs by purchasing an Export Key for US$9.99. The 9 songs from bands fronted by Harmonix staff members are not offered in the initial export package; however, these songs are offered at no cost in the "Rock Band Free 01" pack for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, released on January 4, 2011.[4] The export for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions requires the code located on the back of the Rock Band 2 instruction manual; this is the same code used for the redemption of the aforementioned bonus content. The process for export differs slightly on both platforms: Xbox 360 users only need to redeem the manual code directly within Rock Band 3 while PlayStation 3 users must redeem the manual code on the Rock Band website and then use the code given from the website within Rock Band 3. EA support will accommodate users who may have lost or discarded their previous code. Wii users only need to have a Rock Band 2 save file present and pay the export fee to perform the export function; however, tracks are downloaded individually, allowing the user to delete unwanted songs.[5][6] As of 2017, the ability to export Rock Band 2 to later Rock Band titles had expired; however, users who have previously exported Rock Band 2 are eligible to receive the songs in Rock Band 4.[7]
Five songs were not exportable to Rock Band 3: "Let There Be Rock" by AC/DC, "Any Way You Want It" by Journey, "Battery" by Metallica, "Give It Away" by Red Hot Chili Peppers and "Spoonman" by Soundgarden. "Give It Away" and "Spoonman" were included as part of the Rock Band Blitz soundtrack, of which can be exported to Rock Band 3.[8] The two songs were also later released as downloadable singles for Rock Band 3, and both are available with pro guitar and bass upgrades.
Track listing
editEach of the 84 songs is categorized on-disc by difficulty (0 dots being the easiest and 5 red dots being the most difficult) for each instrument, as well as the entire band. Players can also choose from one of four skill levels (Easy, Medium, Hard, and Expert). Unlike previous installments in the Guitar Hero and Rock Band series, the nine bonus songs are integrated with the other 75 songs in the game's track listing. Each on-disc song in this game's setlist has received their "Supervision-Recommended" song content ratings instead of their "Family-Friendly" song content ratings.
| Song title | Artist | Year | Genre | Exportable? | Rewind DLC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "A Jagged Gorgeous Winter"a | The Main Drag | 2007 | Indie Rock | Rock Band Free 01 | Yes |
| "Ace of Spades '08" | Motörhead | 2008 | Metal | Yes | Yes |
| "Alabama Getaway" | The Grateful Dead | 1980 | Classic Rock | Yes | No |
| "Alex Chilton" | The Replacements | 1987 | Rock | Yes | No |
| "Alive" | Pearl Jam | 1991 | Grunge | Yes | No[a] |
| "Almost Easy" | Avenged Sevenfold | 2007 | Metal | Yes | No |
| "American Woman" | The Guess Who | 1970 | Classic Rock | Yes | No |
| "Any Way You Want It" | Journey | 1980 | Classic Rock | No | No |
| "Aqualung" | Jethro Tull | 1971 | Progressive | Yes | No |
| "Bad Reputation" | Joan Jett | 1980 | Punk | Yes | Yes |
| "Battery" | Metallica | 1986 | Metal | No | No |
| "Bodhisattva" | Steely Dan | 1973 | Classic Rock | Yes | No |
| "Carry On Wayward Son" | Kansas | 1976 | Progressive | Yes | Yes |
| "Chop Suey" | System of a Down | 2001 | Nu-Metal | Yes | Yes |
| "Colony of Birchmen" | Mastodon | 2006 | Metal | Yes | No |
| "Come Out and Play (Keep 'Em Separated)" | The Offspring | 1994 | Punk | Yes | Yes |
| "Conventional Lover"a | Speck | 2007 | Pop/Rock | Rock Band Free 01 | Yes |
| "Cool for Cats" | Squeeze | 1979 | New Wave | Yes | No |
| "De-Luxe" | Lush | 1990 | Alternative | Yes | No |
| "Down with the Sickness" | Disturbed | 2000 | Nu-Metal | Yes | Yes |
| "Drain You" | Nirvana | 1991 | Grunge | Yes | No |
| "E-Pro" | Beck | 2005 | Alternative | Yes | No |
| "Everlong" | Foo Fighters | 1997 | Alternative | Yes | Yes |
| "Eye of the Tiger" | Survivor | 1982 | Rock | Yes | Yes |
| "Feel the Pain" | Dinosaur Jr. | 1994 | Alternative | Yes | No |
| "Float On" | Modest Mouse | 2004 | Indie Rock | Yes | No |
| "Get Clean"a | Anarchy Club | 2008 | Metal | Rock Band Free 01 | Yes |
| "Girl's Not Grey" | AFI | 2003 | Alternative | Yes | No |
| "Give It All" | Rise Against | 2004 | Punk | Yes | No |
| "Give It Away"bc | Red Hot Chili Peppers | 1991 | Alternative | No | No |
| "Go Your Own Way" | Fleetwood Mac | 1977 | Classic Rock | Yes | Yes |
| "Hello There" | Cheap Trick | 1977 | Rock | Yes | Yes |
| "Hungry Like the Wolf" | Duran Duran | 1982 | Pop/Rock | Yes | Yes |
| "I Was Wrong" | Social Distortion | 1996 | Punk | Yes | No |
| "Kids in America" | The Muffs | 1995 | Pop/Rock | Yes | No |
| "Lazy Eye" | Silversun Pickups | 2006 | Indie Rock | Yes | No |
| "Let There Be Rock"d | AC/DC | 1977 | Rock | No | No[a] |
| "Livin' on a Prayer"c | Bon Jovi | 1986 | Rock | Yes | Yes |
| "Lump" | Presidents of the United States of America | 1995 | Pop/Rock | Yes | No |
| "Man in the Box" | Alice in Chains | 1990 | Grunge | Yes | Yes |
| "Master Exploder" | Tenacious D | 2006 | Rock | Yes | Yes |
| "Mountain Song" | Jane's Addiction | 1988 | Alternative | Yes | No |
| "My Own Worst Enemy" | Lit | 1999 | Pop/Rock | Yes | Yes |
| "New Kid in School" | The Donnas | 2007 | Rock | Yes | No |
| "Night Lies"a | Bang Camaro | 2008 | Rock | Rock Band Free 01 | Yes |
| "Nine in the Afternoon" | Panic! at the Disco | 2008 | Pop/Rock | Yes | Yes |
| "One Step Closer" | Linkin Park | 2000 | Nu-Metal | Yes | Yes |
| "One Way or Another" | Blondie | 1978 | Pop/Rock | Yes | Yes |
| "Our Truth" | Lacuna Coil | 2006 | Metal | Yes | No |
| "Painkiller" | Judas Priest | 1990 | Metal | Yes | No |
| "Panic Attack" | Dream Theater | 2005 | Progressive | Yes | No |
| "PDA" | Interpol | 2002 | Indie Rock | Yes | No |
| "Peace Sells" | Megadeth | 1986 | Metal | Yes | Yes |
| "Pinball Wizard" | The Who | 1969 | Classic Rock | Yes | No |
| "Pretend We're Dead" | L7 | 1992 | Grunge | Yes | No |
| "Psycho Killer" | Talking Heads | 1977 | New Wave | Yes | No |
| "Pump It Up" | Elvis Costello | 1978 | Rock | Yes | No |
| "Ramblin' Man" | The Allman Brothers Band | 1973 | Southern Rock | Yes | No |
| "Rebel Girl" | Bikini Kill | 1993 | Punk | Yes | No |
| "Rob the Prez-O-Dent"a | That Handsome Devil | 2008 | Rock | Rock Band Free 01 | Yes |
| "Rock'n Me" | Steve Miller Band | 1976 | Classic Rock | Yes | No |
| "Round and Round" | Ratt | 1984 | Metal | Yes | Yes |
| "Shackler's Revenge" | Guns N' Roses | 2008 | Rock | Yes | No |
| "Shooting Star" | Bad Company | 1975 | Classic Rock | Yes | No |
| "Shoulder to the Plow"a | Breaking Wheel | 2008 | Metal | Rock Band Free 01 | Yes |
| "So What'cha Want" | Beastie Boys | 1992 | Rock | Yes | Yes |
| "Souls of Black" | Testament | 1990 | Metal | Yes | No |
| "Spirit in the Sky" | Norman Greenbaum | 1969 | Classic Rock | Yes | No |
| "Spoonman"bc | Soundgarden | 1994 | Grunge | No | Yes |
| "Supreme Girl"a | The Sterns | 2006 | Pop/Rock | Rock Band Free 01 | No |
| "Tangled Up in Blue" | Bob Dylan | 1975 | Classic Rock | Yes | No |
| "Teen Age Riot" | Sonic Youth | 1988 | Alternative | Yes | No |
| "Testify" | Rage Against the Machine | 1999 | Alternative | Yes | Yes |
| "That's What You Get" | Paramore | 2007 | Pop/Rock | Yes | Yes |
| "The Middle" | Jimmy Eat World | 2001 | Pop/Rock | Yes | Yes |
| "The Trees (Vault Edition)" | Rush | 1978 | Progressive | Yes | No |
| "Today" | The Smashing Pumpkins | 1993 | Alternative | Yes | No |
| "Uncontrollable Urge" | Devo | 1978 | New Wave | Yes | No |
| "Visions"a | Abnormality | 2007 | Metal | Rock Band Free 01 | No |
| "We Got the Beat" | The Go-Go's | 1981 | Pop/Rock | Yes | Yes |
| "Welcome to the Neighborhood"a | Libyans | 2008 | Punk | Rock Band Free 01 | No |
| "Where'd You Go?" | The Mighty Mighty Bosstones | 1991 | Alternative | Yes | No |
| "White Wedding (Part 1)" | Billy Idol | 1982 | Rock | Yes | Yes |
| "You Oughta Know" | Alanis Morissette | 1995 | Pop/Rock | Yes | Yes |
|}
^a This song is offered in the "Rock Band Free 01" pack on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.[4]
^b This song is included in the Rock Band Blitz soundtrack.[8]
^c This song is also available as a downloadable single for Rock Band 3.
^d A live version of this song is available on the AC/DC Track Pack.
References
edit- ^ HMXHenry (2008-10-16). "RB2 Launch Info For PS3, PS2 & Wii". Harmonix. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
- ^ "Official Rock Band 2 Set List!". Harmonix. 2008-07-14. Archived from the original on 2008-12-06. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ a b Goldstein, Maarten (2008-07-14). "New Rock Band 2 Bands, Details Announced". Shacknews. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ a b "DLC Week for 1/4". Harmonix. 2010-12-30. Archived from the original on 2011-01-02. Retrieved 2010-12-31.
- ^ "Joystiq--Rock Band 3: how to import Rock Band 2 songs". Joystiq.com. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
- ^ "How do I export Rock Band songs for use in Rock Band 3 or other Rock Band games?". Rock Band website. Archived from the original on 2011-08-16. Retrieved 2010-10-27.
- ^ "How do I export Rock Band 2 into Rock Band 4?". Harmonix Music. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
- ^ a b "Full Rock Band Blitz Setlist Announced!". Harmonix. Archived from the original on 16 August 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2012.