Merry Christmas!

No reviews this week.  Next week I'll look at three games I think were the best of 2009, one of which will be my choice of Game of the Year.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and if I missed a holiday in there, may it be happy and good for you.

Christmas Shopping Quick Hits

So this week I'll take a quick look at a bunch of games and give you a quick reaction on them.  Full reviews will be coming forth, but we're getting closer to Christmas.  Those Xmas shopping days are counting down.  I'll break it down into some groups here.  Kids, Family, Teen +, Mature, Music, and Flashback.

Kids, as in kids.


Littlest Pet Shop Friends

So Littlest Pet Shop Friends.  Suffice to say, I'm not a little girl, this game was in no shape or form made for me.  The game based on the popular toys has all the cuteness you can stand.  The story is the Pets are putting on a party for a new pet that is arriving.  This means searching the town for things for the party, getting all "dressed up" and mini-games.The gameplay is simple enough and easy to understand.  The mini-games run the gauntlet of "skee-ball" to a version of the "magic 8 ball."  (I asked the ball if I'd win the lottery this week, it said "Purr-obably not.")  The only thing that really bothered me about the game was the animals "talking."  They just made the same noises over and over.  The dog, "ruff-ruffing," the bird "tweet-tweeting," the bear...um "inhale whezzing?"  The bear did sound a little weird, but overall I think this would be a good game for any little girl.  Even better if she's into Littlest Pet Shop already, because the game comes with codes you can use in their online game.  The game can be played with two players, so mom or dad can play along too.

Nerf N-Strike Elite

OK I never had toys this cool as a kid.  Nerf N-Strike Elite is pretty cool in a couple ways.  One, it comes with a Nerf gun. Two, the Nerf shooting mechanism can be swapped out for the Wii remote so you can shoot Nerf darts in the game!!!  The story is a group of kids are infiltrating....storming?  Well they are going into a base filled with Nerf shooting robots that are bad.  As light as the story is the game is very fun.  It's an on rails shooter like the light gun games you've played at the arcades.  The game has a bunch of things to unlock, such as in game real and fictional Nerf guns.  The game also uses "Red Reveal Tech" which is the old red filter to reveal hidden clues trick.  It works well and here it not only helps reveal clues, but weaknesses in the robots also.  Pretty much an young boy is gonna want this game.  You can buy a second Nerf gun if you want for two-player action, but it's not absolutely needed, you can just aim a plain Wii remote.

My Sims Agents

My Sims Agents is a bit like The Sims, but with adventure.  You are an up and coming "spy," more like a detective that gets gadgets.  You solve cases while your best friend (and narrator of the story) creates comic book based on your adventures.  The game is well done and reminds me of the old point and click adventure games a bit.  You have to look for clues, interview people to find out the truth and solve the case.  This one can be for boys or girls as your agent can be either.

Family, everyone join in the fun.

Hasbro Family Game Night 2

Hasbro Family Game Night 2 raids Hasbro's closet of board games and adapts them to video games again.  Each game gets a remix twist that makes the old classics feel new again.  While the games are easy to play I highly recommend that you play through them individually first to learn how to play them before jumping in with the family and playing the big party game that mixes them all together.   Especially for Bop-It!  In fact I'd have to say Bop-It! was the one game my party did not like as a video game.  Overall though, get out the 4 Wii remotes and have fun.

Buzz Quiz World

Buzz Quiz World was lot of fun.  You are on a quiz show, complete with studio audience.  Players are given a choice of categories and then a series of questions from that category.  Each round plays a little differently, such as Point Builder, where everyone that answers correctly gets points or Boiling Point, first one to answer six questions correctly wins or Over the Edge, where every wrong answer pushes you closer and closer to getting dunked in green slime.  Throw in a smart-alec host and you have Buzz.  There are tons of questions, though I did manage to see one repeat.  Highly recommended.

Forza Motorsport 3

Yes, a racing game for the family.  Forza Motorsport 3 is for the family because they have made the controls so anyone can race a Ferrari at a 150 mph on the Le Mans track.  This is THE racing game to get if you own a Xbox 360.  If you need more reasons, read my full review.

Teen +, almost old enough.

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time

Somehow I've managed to not have played through a Ratchet and Clank title and I'm not sure why.  Humor reminiscent of The Simpsons, gameplay falling somewhere between platformer and shooter Ratchet & Clank Future is a good game.  Thankfully they summarized some of the back story at the beginning of the game.  The game is also one of those that you loose track of time easily with.  Just one more level, just one more planet, just a little bit further.  And I wonder why I'm so tired the next day.

Uncharted 2; Among Thieves

Lovable rouge, Nathan Drake is back.  This time he's looking for the lost fleet of Marco Polo.  Which means Nathan is in over his head again.  In some ways that commercial Sony has been airing about Uncharted 2 is right.  Uncharted 2 is so well written it does play out almost like an action movie.  This game is on a lot of short lists for game of the year and for good reason, it's that good.  If you haven't played either Uncharted games yet, think of them like this, they are the Indiana Jones of video games. (If there were never any Indiana Jones games ever made.)  Developer, Naughty Dog also added an online multiplayer to this for up to 3 player co-op play and 5 on 5 battles.

Mature, there will be blood.

God of War Collection

Sony had a hit with God of War.  God of War II cemented it's status as PS2 classics.  Now with God of War III looming on the horizon Sony has decided to get everyone psyched up for it by rereleasing the first two.  Not just rereleasing, but giving them a full upgrade for release on the PS3.  Improved graphics, remastered for full HD.  It looks beautiful.  Kratos, a brutal warrior wants nothing more than to kill Ares the God of War.  The game play is the same and the game is still epic in nature.  A very clever interpretation of the Greek mythos.  If that wasn't enough, there is a voucher for the God of War III E3 Demo, so you can get a taste of what is being called the final chapter on this great series.

Halo 3 ODST

Halo 3 ODST is not your dad's Halo.  Sure there are some similarities, but to me it was different enough to blow some fresh air into the series.  Master Chief is not in this title at all.  This story follows a team of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers on a mission that goes wrong form the start.  Separated, you follow "The Rookie" for most of the time, but you end up in the boots of all of them at some point.  This was another one I really liked this year.  You can read my full review here.

Dragon Age: Origins

When I said there will be blood, I could have been talking about the God of War Collection, but I wasn't.  Because while God of War does have it share of blood, it disappears after that first burst.  Not in Dragon Age.  Your character will be splattered with it and it will take time to fade away.  But there has to be more than just blood for a game to be good.  Developers, BioWare always bring their A-Game.  Creators of some of the greatest role-playing games such as Balder's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars; Knights of the Old Republic, and Mass Effect.  Their last four games while great RPGs, all have been away from the swords and sorcery fantasy worlds.  With Dragon Age: Origins they return to the fantasy setting with a vengeance, and a bit of self-deprecating humor.  After you defeat some giant rats in your first encounter, one of the non-player characters with you remarks that fighting the giant rats was, "like every bad tale I heard growing up."  Which is a wink and nod to the fact that practically every fantasy based RPG has you killing giant rats as one your first monsters.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Really, do I need to say anything?  It's only sold over a bazillion gillion copies.  Developers, Inifinity Ward are having fur sinks and gold toilets installed at their offices.  This will get voted as game of the year by numerous game news outlets and it's worth every bit of it's praise.  This one I have also already given a full review and you can read about it here.

Music, time to 'rock the casaba'.

DJ Hero

Different, but the same DJ Hero is the newest in Activision's music Hero games.  Instead of mimicking a guitar, bass, drums or trying to sing on key, players mimic DJ'ing.  I myself was very surprised at how fun this really is.  Recently I had a friend play it.  She was lovin' it so much she would start dancing to the music and mess up in the game.  I also fully reviewed this one earlier.

The Beatles Rock Band

There were a good number of music games released this year.  The one I felt that stood above them all was The Beatles Rock Band....and I'm not a Beatles fan, I am more of a Rolling Stones fan.  That said the visuals and the music of this game won me over, so much so I have considered going out and buying some Beatles albums.  The thing is developers, Harmonix really didn't add much to the basic gameplay of Rock Band.  They added three part harmony vocals and that was it really.  Everything else about the gameplay is strictly Rock Band.  Visually they took cues from all the styles the Beatles used over the years, especially the years they no longer toured.  This could also fall into the the family category, as I could easily see baby boomers getting into this game.

Flashback, didn't these come out last year?

These last two games did indeed come out last year.  But because they were such huge sellers they both got rereleased as Game of the Year Editions this year.

LittleBIGPlanet Game of the Year Edition

Sackboy.  So cute, so fun, so beat to hell and back.  If you own a Playstaion 3 and have not gotten this game I highly highly suggest you shut your computer off and go out now and buy it.  The lovable, highly customizable Sackboy of LittleBIGPlanet lives in a pod that overlooks LittleBIGPlanet.  A planet "made of dreams"......ok in really it is made of millions of levels made by people like you and me.  LittleBIGPlanet is a platformer game at it's heart, but it's the fact that developers Media Module have given the players the tools to create their own levels that makes it more than that.  Yes a majority of the levels that people have made will be platformers.  But I have played though a level that a guy managed to make into a 2D space shooter.  I've played through a level that was a giant pinball game.  Heck I even played one that was just a giant calculator, really I'm not kidding.  That is the amount of freedom and power you have in the creation of a levels.  The Game of the Year Edition comes with some of the DLC that was available for purchase, such as the Metal Gear Solid levels, costumes, and art pack, as well as 18 levels buy top community level creators and interviews with those creators.....P.S.  Please play my level Metal Gear Solid Temple, just do a search for it.  ;)

Fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition

Fallout 3 was done by the same developers that have done the Elder Scrolls series of games.  Fallout 3 is set in Washington D.C. after the cold war of the '50s turned hot, nuclear bomb hot.  You are born in a fallout shelter.  You father is a doctor and your mother dies giving birth to you.  The fallout shelter or Vault as it's called, is your home until you become a young adult.  All this time you are told that nobody can leave the vault because the radiation is so bad outside.  Shortly after you reach young adulthood, your father breaks out of the vault.  Thinking you had some thing to do with it, the overseer of the vault comes after you.  You have no choice but to flee the vault yourself.  And that's where the game really starts.  From there you can do anything you want in this first person shooter.  Try to find your father, wander the wasteland formally know as Washington D.C., do evil or good.  It's all up to you.  I know a friend of mine just decided to wander and discover the whole map.  Myself I decided to chase down my father, something I'm still in progress of doing.  There is so much to discover and do you can easily loose track of time playing this game.  The Game of the Year Edition adds all five DLC packs that were released for the game.

Lips Number One Hits

This week it's Lips Number One Hits.  Microsoft's karaoke game with the cool wireless microphones.  I think somewhere someone wants to punish me, with Top 40 music.  Well let's get down to it.

Story:

No story to this game, it's a pure party game.  Pick up the mic, find a song and sing.  No need for a story.

Gameplay:

If you have ever gone to a bar and gotten talked into getting up in front of everyone and sang a karaoke song then you know how to play this game.  The only difference this one keeps score.  OK it's a little more than that, but that is the basics.  You do have to try to sing in key, but you can sin in an octave range that works for you.  So no worries about hitting those ultra high notes.  Because the microphones have motion sensors you also have to mimic the movements of your Avatar on-screen and shake it for noise makers.  Well actually you can shake the mic anytime for noise makers (ie tamborine, hand claps, etc.), but they give on-screen cues for when you have to shake it.

Multiplayer has some different modes to it.  There is the "Battle," "The Lovers," and "Bomb."  These are pretty simple.  "Battle" has you battling on stage.  "The Lovers" has you trying to get a boy and a girl together for a kiss.  "Bomb" has you trying to keep your bomb from blowing up by singing better than the other player.  There is also a duet mode.

Also you can plug in a MP3 player or USB drive with MP3s on it and you can sing along with those songs if the included songs are not enough, which they probably aren't.  If you own the original Lips game you can sing those songs too by swapping discs.  I don't so I don't know how smooth that is, I've read it's kind of cumbersome.

Controls:

Pretty simple.  Use the controller to navigate the  menus, use the microphone to sing and mimic the onscreen action (Avatar movement or noise maker).  Simple enough anyone of any age can get into it.

Graphics and Sound:

Sound is great as it should be for a music game.  Graphics are bright and colorful in the menus.  Each song comes with it's corresponding music video, if one was ever made for it.  If the song never had a music video there will either be some visual thrown in or a slide show.

 

Overall:

If you like singing this game is fun.  I think of myself as a singer, of sorts, so this was fun.  Although I did learn sadly that I can't rap to save my life.  Lips shines more as a party game though, and that's what it was made for.  The multiplayer is as easy as shaking the second mic to turn it on and you are playing with friends.

The one drawback that I see is the number of songs, only 40 songs.  In this day when Guitar Hero and Rock Band are packing over 80 songs in the game, Lips seem lacking.  It does come with a voucher for your choice of one of three 5-song packs that cover 3 genres (Hip-Hop, Rock, or Pop) which stretches it out to 45.  There are songs that you can buy off Xbox Live that will expand the library out to a total of 211 songs.  The music is kind of scattered across the genres, but in karaoke that's part of the fun, getting up and embarrassing yourself by singing Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby."

As a party game this gets a 4.5 out of 5, single player gets 3.5 our of 5. 

Lips Number One Hits is rated T for Teen for Lyrics, Mild Cartoon Violence, Sexual Themes, and Use of Tobacco.

Songs included on Lips Number One Hits;

• "Viva la Vida" - Coldplay
• "Don't Matter" - Akon
• "The Tide is High (Get the Feeling)" - Atomic Kitten
• "Loser" - Beck
• "Don't Phunk With My Heart" - Black Eyed Peas
• "Heart of Glass" - Blondie
• "Big Girls Don't Cry" - Fergie
• "Broken Strings" - James Morrison feat. Nelly Furtado
• "She Drives Me Crazy" - Fine Young Cannibals
• "Around The Way Girl" - LL Cool J
• "How You Remind Me" - Nickelback
• "Love Generation" - Bob Sinclar
• "Don't Worry Be Happy" - Bobby McFerrin
• "Bubbly" - Colbie Caillat
• "(I Just) Died In Your Arms" - Cutting Crew
• "Disturbia" - Rihanna
• "U Can't Touch This" - MC Hammer
• "More Than Words" - Extreme
• "Apologize" - OneRepublic feat. Timbaland
• "Karma Chameleon" - Culture Club
• "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye
• "Oh, Pretty Woman" - Roy Orbison
• "Ready, Set, Go!" - Tokio Hotel
• "The Look" - Roxette
• "Millennium" - Robbie Williams
• "California Love" - 2Pac feat. Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman
• "Barbie Girl" - Aqua
• "Just Dance" - Lady Gaga feat. Colby O'Donis
• "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" - Tears for Fears
• "The Fear" - Lily Allen
• "Hey Baby" - DJ Ötzi
• "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" - Scissor Sisters
• "Heartless" - Kanye West
• "Touch My Body" - Mariah Carey
• "Hey There Delilah" - The Plain White T's
• "Always On My Mind" - Pet Shop Boys
• "I'm Yours" - Jason Mraz
• "I Get Around" - The Beach Boys
• "Lovefool" - The Cardigans
• "Push the Button" - Sugababes

The 3 song packs to choose from;

Lips House Party Tour

• "Going Back To Cali" - LL Cool J
• "My Prerogative" - Bobby Brown
• "Nasty" Janet Jackson
• "Straight Up" - Paula Abdul
• "This Is How We Do It" - Montell Jordan

Lips Hearts and Heartbreaker Tour

• "1973" - James Blunt
• "Bad Day" - Daniel Powter
• "Eternity" - Robbie Williams
• "If You're Not the One" - Daniel Bedingfield
• "You Were Meant For Me" Jewel

Lips Turn It Up To 11 Tour

• "From Yesterday" - 30 Seconds to Mars
• "Lost!" - Coldplay
• "Photograph" - Nickelback
• "The Reason" - Hoobastank
• "Welcometo the Black..." My Chemical Romance

 

Band Hero vs LEGO Rock Band

Well it's a battle of the kid friendly versions of Guitar Hero (Band Hero) and Rock Band (LEGO Rock Band).  Both are aimed at younger kids with a more Top 40, family friendly hits vibe.  Which is better?  Are they any good?  Will I survive the saccharine sweet songs?  Will I get to rock out?

Story:

Well they both have a little bit of story to their career modes and both follow a similar tale.  Band Hero's tale starts when a new band gets their big break when the latest pop star cancels their mall tour.  From there as you play shows you gain stars unlocking bigger and bigger venues.  LEGO Rock Band's tale starts as a band is sitting at home get inspired by watching LEGO Queen perform "We Will Rock You" on TV.  From there you get a van and start playing shows.  As you gain stars and LEGO "Studs" (LEGO's equivalent of money) you unlock vehicles that take you to bigger and bigger venues.  By the end of both games you will have become big stars.

Gameplay:

The tried and true gameplay of Guitar Hero & Rock Band continues on in both titles.  Press or hit matching colored buttons or drums to the notes on screen, or in the case of vocals, sing with the same pitch as that on screen.  Both games bring an easier mode to the game for the younger players.  LEGO Rock Band also includes an "auto bass kick" for those that have problems using the kick pedal on the drums.

Band Hero includes all the new mode it brought into Guitar Hero 5, drop-in/drop-out, any combination of four players (ie you could have four drummers or two drummers, two singers etc.).

LEGO Rock Band brings in a no fail mechanic in that if you play poorly you will lose LEGO studs, but later in the song you will get a chance to win them back by completing a "recovery phase."

Controls:

As with all Guitar Hero/Rock Band games these you need to have the guitar, drum, and microphone controllers to perform.  More than likely at this point you have them.  If not they aren't hard to find.

Graphics and Sound:

Sound is great on both, as it should be when you have a music based game.  Both have their good and bad moments in their setlists, depending on your taste in music. 

Graphically things are very different.  Band Hero is pretty much that same as Guitar Hero 5 but more brightly colored.  Lots of pink and neon and pastels.  Almost like it was gear more towards tween/teen girls.  Even all the characters from the Guitar Hero series have been given a pop makeover (punk rocker Johnny Napalm trades in his spiked mohawk for a full head of hair).  The art style overall is still generally the same as Guitar Hero 5.  In addition to the usual Guitar Hero characters, stars Taylor Swift, Adam Levine (of Maroon 5) and the band No Doubt are unlockable characters.

LEGO Rock Band on the other hand is completely different than it's predecessors.  The art style follows Traveler's Tales (who co-developed the game with Harmonix) other LEGO games and brings along LEGO versions of Queen, Blur, Spinal Tap, David Bowie, and Iggy Pop.

I'll place full setlists for each game at the end of the blog post.

 

Overall:

Both games hit the mark for being family friendly.  Both games songs have been selected to be suitable for younger players, though some have had lyrics removed to be more friendly.  That said some song edits are....curious.  For example Don McLean's "American Pie" in Band Hero has had the word whiskey removed from the song yet leaving rye which is also a type of hard alcohol.

Band Hero to me feels like Guitar Hero 5 "reskined." This is not necessarily a bad thing since Guitar Hero 5 is one of the better versions of the series.  So the only thing new here is the music.  So if you were turned off by Guitar Hero 5's hard rock or felt it was a bit too adult for your kids, then Band Hero's Top 40 focus may be for you.  Additionally Band Hero will import songs from Guitar Hero World Tour and Guitar Hero 5 as well as certain DLC songs as long as they meet the family friendly criteria.

LEGO Rock Band feels like a new game on the other hand.  While the basics are the same, the LEGO style makes it feel new.  Additionally the LEGO graphics make it feel more kid friendly than Band Hero.  LEGO Rock Band songs can also be exported to Rock Band 1 or 2 (for a fee) and it is compatible with DLC songs that again meet the family friendly criteria.   One curious thing is that LEGO Rock Band does not have an online multiplayer mode.

In the end both games are fun, but I have to go with LEGO Rock Band for being more fun.  I mean really how can you not like LEGOs?  Band Hero gets a 4 out of 5, LEGO Rock Band gets a 5 out of 5.

LEGO Rock Band is rated E 10+ for Everyone 10 and up for Comic Mischief, Mild Cartoon Violence and Mild Lyrics.  Band Hero is rated E 10+ for Everyone 10 and up for Lyrics and Mild Suggestive Themes.

Band Hero's Setlist;

• 3 Doors Down - "When I'm Gone"
• The Airborne Toxic Event - "Gasoline"
• The All American Rejects - "Dirty Little Secret"
• Alphabeat - "Fascination"
• Aly and AJ - "Like Whoa"
• Angels & Airwaves - "The Adventure"
• Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals - "Steal My Kisses"
• Big Country - "In a Big Country"
• The Bravery - "Believe"
• Carl Douglas - "Kung Fu Fighting"
• Cheap Trick - "I Want You To Want Me (live)"
• Cold War Kids - "Hang Me Up To Dry"
• Corinne Bailey Rae - "Put Your Records On"
• Counting Crows - "Angels of the Silences"
• Culture Club - "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me"
• Dashboard Confessional - "Hands Down"
• David Bowie - "Let's Dance"
• Devo - "Whip It"
• Don McLean - "American Pie"
• Duffy - "Warwick Avenue"
• Duran Duran - "Rio"
• Evanescence - "Bring Me To Life"
• Everclear - "Santa Monica (Watch The World Die)"
• Fall Out Boy - "Sugar, We're Goin' Down"
• Filter - "Take A Picture"
• Finger Eleven - "Paralyzer"
• The Go-Go's - "Our Lips Are Sealed"
• Hilary Duff - "So Yesterday"
• Hinder - "Lips Of An Angel"
• Jackson 5 - "ABC"
• Janet Jackson - "Black Cat"
• Jesse McCartney - "Beautiful Soul"
• Joan Jett - "Bad Reputation"
• Joss Stone - "You Had Me"
• Katrina and The Waves - "Walking On Sunshine"
• The Kooks - "Naive"
• KT Tunstall - "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree"
• The Last Goodnight - "Pictures Of You"
• Lily Allen - "Take What You Take"
• Maroon 5 - "She Will Be Loved"
• Marvin Gaye - "I Heard It Through The Grapevine"
• Mighty Mighty Bosstones - "The Impression That I Get"
• Nelly Furtado - "Turn Off The Light"
• N.E.R.D. - "Rockstar"
• No Doubt - "Just A Girl"
• No Doubt - "Don't Speak"
• OK Go - "A Million Ways"
• Papa Roach - "Lifeline"
• Parachute - "Back Again"
• Pat Benatar - "Love Is A Battlefield"
• Poison - "Every Rose Has Its Thorn"
• Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue - "Kids"
• The Rolling Stones - "Honky Tonk Women"
• Roy Orbison - "Oh Pretty Woman"
• Santigold - "L.E.S. Artistes"
• Snow Patrol - "Take Back the City"
• Spice Girls - "Wannabe"
• Styx - "Mr. Roboto"
• Taylor Swift - "Love Story"
• Taylor Swift - "Picture To Burn"
• Taylor Swift - "You Belong With Me"
• Tonic - "If You Could Only See"
• The Turtles - "Happy Together"
• Village People - "YMCA"
• Yellowcard - "Ocean Avenue" 

LEGO Rock Band's Setlist;

• All American Rejects, "Swing, Swing"
• The Kooks, "Naïve"
• The Automatic, "Monster"
• KoRn, "Word Up!"
• Blink-182, "Aliens Exist"
• KT Tunstall, "Suddenly I See"
• Blur, "Song 2"
• Lostprophets, "Rooftops"
• Bon Jovi, "You Give Love a Bad Name"
• P!NK, "So What"
• Boys like Girls, "Thunder"
• The Police,"Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic"
• Bryan Adams, "Summer of 69"
• The Primitives, "Crash"
• Carl Douglas, "Kung Fu Fighting"
• Queen, "We Are The Champions"
• The Coral, "Dreaming of You"
• Queen, "We Will Rock You"
• Counting Crows, "Accidentally in Love"
• Rascal Flatts, "Life is a Highway"
• David Bowie, "Let's Dance"
• Ray Parker Jr., "Ghostbusters"
• Elton John, "Crocodile Rock"
• Razorlight, "Stumble and Fall"
• Europe, "The Final Countdown"
• Spin Doctors, "Two Princes"
• Everlife, "Real Wild Child"
• Spinal Tap, "Short & Sweet"
• Foo Fighters, "Breakout"
• Steve Harly, "Make Me Smile"
• Good Charlotte, "Girls & Boys"
• Sum 41, "In Too Deep"
• The Hives, "Tick Tick Boom!"
• Supergrass, "Grace"
• Iggy Pop, "The Passenger"
• Tom Petty, "Free Fallin"
• Incubus, "Dig"
• T-Rex, "Ride a White Swan"
• Jackson 5, "I Want You Back"
• Vampire Weekend, "A-Punk"
• Jimi Hendrix, "Fire"
• We the Kings, "Check Yes Juliet"
• Kaiser Chiefs, "Ruby"
• The Zutons, "Valerie"
• Katrina & The Waves, "Walking on Sunshine"