Music game fans looking for a family-friendly experience need to look no further than Lego Rock Band.  The game is packed full of whimsy and has some decent tunes too.  Bolstering the song library are most of the tracks on your hard drive, but beware not all tracks are compatible (most songs with blatant drug or sexual references are omitted.)

The first thing that sticks out is the art style, staying true to previous Lego incarnations like Lego Indiana Jones and Lego Batman. Its still fun to see your childhood toys come to life in high definition.  The stages become increasingly detailed as the player tours the world, unlocking humorous cut scenes along the way.

Hardened Rock Band fans will appreciate the detail in the characters and scenery in the other Rock Band titles more after playing this version of Rock Band.  Normally focused on the incoming notes, the average player sees more of the background action than previously realized.  It becomes clear that the action in the periphery adds more to the game play than you’d think. The other thing that experienced Rock Band players will notice is of course the set list.

The set list is all over the map, and in the best way possible.  In keeping with kid-friendliness, younger bands like Sum 41 pop up in the game.  But kid-friendly does not equal suck, as Queen and other surprise legends help balance out the set list.  And the players pushing 30 will appreciate belting out Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters” at the top of their lungs. Although songs with blatant sexual and drug references are not (supposed to be) playable, there are so many downloadable songs in the library that a few slip through the cracks.  Take that as a positive if you’re an adult with no kids, or as a warning if you do.  Downloadable track “I Need A Miracle” by the Grateful Dead includes the lyric “Ride her like a surfer ridin’ on a title wave,” and is totally playable.  But best of all, if a new copy of the game is purchased, a code can be redeemed to export the tracks to Rock Band 2.  If you haven’t amassed a library of downloadable songs, the shortened set list in Lego Rock Band is repetitive, so consider yourself warned.

My final verdict is buy this game, but wait for it to hit the bargain bin.  Buying it new will allow you to export tracks to Rock Band 2, and is the deciding factor in recommending purchase.  The stand-along game is fun and has, to my surprise, some laugh-out-loud moments.  If you have kids around your house, this is a great way to play a game with them that frankly doesn’t suck and isn’t embarrassingly childish (plus the super easy mode was made just for them.)  I honestly had fun touring with my virtual band The Skidmarks, even without online play.  And guys, just so you know, there are some girlfriend-friendly tracks like Bon Jovi  and Rascal Flatts that might get your better half to play Rock Band with you instead of just watching you play.

Lego Rock Band is rated E-10+ (Everyone age 10 and up) by the ESRB for comic mischief, mild cartoon violence, mild lyrics.  It is available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo Wii, and a similar game is available for Nintendo DS.

About the author: Kevin “Mello Joe” Mercer is a former radio personality and a lifelong gamer. You can find him on Xbox Live and Playstation Network, Gamertag: Mellojoe. View the world as he sees it at www.youtube.com/user/mellojoe. www.myspace.com/charlesk