Imagine Rock Star is a game of customization. The game’s premise centers around the creation of a band and the continual move by the band up the ladder of success, ultimately culminating in performances at the largest venues. However, being in a band is not just about the music, but about the image that they portray. Thus, players of Imagine Rock Star have to give their band the hair, make-up, and outfits that they need to ultimately succeed. The multiplayer option is perhaps the strongest selling point for Imagine Rock Star, as it allows up to four players to get together and rise through the ranks of superstardom, as long as each have the game and a DS.
If players have previously played others in the Imagine series, such as Imagine Master Chef, Imagine Figure Skater, or Imagine Fashion Designer, expect the same high qualities. While the game had previously been marketed to a 6-14 female demographic, I see nothing that really keeps individuals in older or male demographics from playing the game – the allure of the ability to fully customize a band and involve themselves in their meteoric rise to the top is a dream that all players, young and old, and of any sexual identity will have. However, rather than gussying up the underlying game play from Imagine Fashion Designer with a rock and punk flair, the game mixes in elements of Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution in a way that will keep players playing until their DS’s run out of juice.
Ubisoft may be doing the Imagine games at a horizontal level, picking out a number of vocations, but I would really like to see them come back with a sequel to Imagine Rock Star. The game play is solid, the possible fan base large, and it just seems like a great idea for Ubisoft to strike when the iron is hot. If they do not do that, Imagine Rock Star is still a great game, and one that will be in my DS for months to come. While the difficulty of Imagine Rock Star is well below that of actually learning an instrument, hopefully the game will achieve its intended goal and get anyone that may be playing it the desire to actually pick up an instrument and go as far as possible with it.
Rating: 8.6/10
Imagine Rock Star (DS) / 2008 Ubisoft / http://www.ubi.com /