"Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero" are now on even ground in terms of drums.
Mad Catz have released cymbal packs that add much-lusted-after cymbals to the "Rock Band 2" kit. If you have the original "Rock Band" drum set, however, it won't do anything. There's nowhere to plug it in.
But for gamers who've graduated to "Rock Band 2" drums, this adds an extra dimension to the experience. Is it worth paying $29.99 for?
We tested it.
The "Rock Band" cymbals are, thankfully, universally compatible with every "Rock Band 2" drum set. If you buy the cymbals for your own copy of "Rock Band 2" on Xbox 360, but your friend has the PlayStation 3 version, that's no problem. The cymbals doesn't care which platform they're tied to. They will even work on Wii.
Attaching them is a chore, though. The directions aren't particularly detailed and left me dumbfounded for a good 15 minutes. Then again, I also have trouble putting together IKEA furniture, so maybe that issue is mine alone.
Unlike the "Guitar Hero" kit, you have some customizability with the "Rock Band" cymbals. You can arrange them any way you like on the kit, height included. You can have them level with one another, as "Guitar Hero" does, or make one higher or lower, better simulating a real drum set. There's even an option to allow three cymbals at once, though that seems overkill, unless Harmonix adds a new note down the line.
Playing the cymbals takes a little getting used to. The cymbals are not part of the kit, so they don't feel as sturdy as the "Guitar Hero" cymbals do. When you're knocking away at the cymbals and stomping on the kick pedal, the drum kit has a tendency to shake around. It never seemed to interrupt my playing, but it was definitely rattling around during complicated songs.
The cymbals themselves are seemingly hit or miss. Sometimes it felt like I was missing notes because of the cymbal sensitivity, not my own skill. Going back to playing without the cymbals seemed to confirm that, except there would be plenty of times where I'd be playing with the cymbals and having no problem. There's reason to believe I'm simply not used to the cymbals setup, though. Only through continued play will I be able to report back and say one way or the other.
"Rock Band" does not add another note to the game's charting with the addition of the cymbals. The cymbals simply take the place of exiting notes. You can even switch around which notes it takes the place of. On the back of the kit, there are plugs to assign the cymbals to green, blue or yellow. Or, if you buy two sets of cymbal kits, you can essentially have three cymbals to choose from.
I'll be sticking with two, though. Cymbals were the reason I picked up "Guitar Hero: World Tour." Now, I have cymbals on both. Will you be picking up the "Rock Band" cymbals?
Related Posts:
To Fix Our Drums, We Tested The ‘Guitar Hero: World Tour’ Drum Tuning Kit
How ‘Rock Band’ Drums Feel In ‘Guitar Hero’
Testing The ‘Guitar Hero’ Drums In ‘Rock Band 2′
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