In this ongoing look at significant moments in the history of video game design, we have already taken a look at Bungie’s Halo & Halo 2, Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls series, Nintendo’s Kid Icarus and several others. The goal of this series is to go beyond simple gaming magazines and iPhone Apps reviews, and take a closer look at what defines memorability and quality in game design. In this seventeenth part of the series we will examine some more of those classic moments where video game designers undoubtedly got it right and delivered a memorable, enduring and progressive gaming experience.

Beatles Rock Band (Xbox 360) – It wasn’t the first rhythm game, not even close. Games like PaRappa the Rapper and Frequency had released years earlier, and the Guitar Hero and Rock Band games already had several sequels, variants and copycat titles on the market when Beatles Rock Band (BRB) was released. Nor was it the first music game devoted to a single band or artist, that distinction goes to Aerosmith, whose Guitar Hero game was released in 2008. However, BRB was a very different animal from its Aerosmith counterpart.

It must be considered that The Beatles are perhaps the most popular group in music history. The expectations placed on their videogame debut were much higher than were perhaps fair. However, developer Harmonix, working closely with representatives of each Beatle, delivered an experience that surpassed the highest hopes of even the most ardent Beatles fan. Harmonix approach can be broken down into three elements that worked together to create this incredible game. Those three features, the dreamscapes, detail and downloadable content, are the focus of this entry in the series.

Dreamscapes – These imaginative videos allowed the developers to showcase their design skills and Beatles knowledge while aiding the gameplay dramatically in the process. The vast majority of rhythm games had, to that point, shown the performing band in either the studio, a concert or a relevant venue as the song played and the player played along. The dreamscapes in BRB took the player on visual adventures that tied in with the music and stayed true to the spirit of the band. Among some of the hardcore fans, these dreamscapes were even more adored than the actual gameplay.

Detail – Snippets of the Beatles tuning up and counting in preceded many of the performances in the game. Actual audio of them blowing takes was played when the player failed a song. The games 100+ achievements each have a relevant name that ties in with the Beatles canon. Still, these details are mere hints of what lies within the depths of BRB. The wind blowing during the Rooftop Concert is eerily similar to the actual wind that was blowing that day in 1969.  The boys’ facial expressions, instrument fingerings and even clothing are almost exact representations of the real thing. Even a Beatles purist with a personal vendetta against developer Harmonix would have a difficult time locating any portion of this game that was not given some TLC and gone over with a well schooled brush.

Downloadable Content – Shipping with 45 songs, BRB was one of the more lacking titles in the history of the genre. However, the inclusion of this smaller total of songs was a purposeful act. Within 3 months of release, 3 full albums had been made available to download, each with the same quality as the included tracks. This after release support may have been a well calculated ploy to increase the game’s sales figures, but the result was an even more complete package for fans of the band and the game.