We're getting the band back together.
I've been the owner of the Xbox 360 version of Rock Band for quite some time now, so the Wii version of Rock Band was nothing new to me. If you're interested in the game at all, it probably isn't anything new to you, either. But if you know not of this music game, Rock Band recreates a four-person band made up of a guitarist, a bassist, a drummer, and a singer.
The full retail package for Wii includes the game, one guitar, a drum kit, and a microphone to get things going. The standalone guitar will be available at the game's launch, as will a game-only version in case you just want to get the guitar and the game separately. The Rock Band Fender Stratocaster guitar controllers are wireless; however, they don't use the Wii Remote to connect to the console like the Guitar Hero III Gibson guitar controllers. Instead, they have their own built-in transmitters that make the guitars one big giant controller. The microphone and drum kit are connected to the Wii via a USB connection.
Rock Band for Wii in action.
Unfortunately, the Wii version of Rock Band does not have online play or downloadable content. The game is essentially a port of the PlayStation 2 version, which does not have online functionality, so coupled with Nintendo's poor track record of online support, this missing feature shouldn't come as a surprise. However, Matt Kelly, a producer at Harmonix, told Nintendo World Report that Harmonix is still pursuing DLC for the Wii version of Rock Band in some form or another. How it can happen after launch is an unknown, but at least Harmonix is still looking into it.
The Wii version of Rock Band will be available on June 22.