Rock Band helped to take the solo rock experience of Guitar Hero and add a full party experience into the mix by adding in vocals and drums into the picture. It’s hard to find a cooler simulation experience than forming your own virtual band and taking it on the ultimate ride to virtual musical fame. And, catering even further to the aesthetics of rocking, there are now additional accessories on the market to heighten the flashiness of the game, including The Ant Commandos’ attempt at adding further rock n’ roll enlightenment to your gaming experience with their Illuminated Drumsticks.
Play Loudly and Carry a Light Stick
Drumming has always had a few issues on the most recent Rock Band title, from broken foot pedals to loss of sensitivity in the pads (which is why they are releasing a new and improved wet with Rock Band 2). Despite the problems, the game still plays well and the included wooden sticks, though not anything special, are a quality set of sticks. The idea behind the Illuminated Drumsticks, though, (as could be derived from the name), is more for aesthetics than anything. However, that’s not to say that these aren’t of top quality as well.
First of all, these light-up drumsticks are composed of a highly durable acrylic material that should outlast the classic wooden drumsticks (though I haven’t had any problems with broken wooden sticks yet). Also, they’re a lot heavier and have decent grips to boot. The LED light runs on 2 AAA batteries and the drumsticks light up only when hit (and dim off a few seconds later) meaning that they should last for many hours of gameplay (“Each set of battery will last months under normal playing condition” as stated by TAC). Each time you strike with the drumsticks the LED light will hit maximum intensity, whether they’re already dimly lit or not, causing the sticks to pulse every time you hit a note. And, though the lights are a little dim when played with the lights on, they’re an excellent addition to the show in a dimly lit game room (who rocks out with the lights on anyways?).
Sticks with Design, Stuck without Functionality
Though there are few issues with the design of these light sticks, I did have some complaints with the actual functionality. The light part of the design does work very well but the actual problems deal with comfort when rocking out. First of all, the though the weight of the drumsticks makes them feel more valuable overall it can really take a toll on your gameplay. It’s not that it’s really difficult to strike the pads with the drumsticks (I was doing that just fine), it’s just that if you’re playing on some of the more difficult songs on expert, the added weight is an added difficulty, if even an annoyance. By the time you finish a brutal song on expert using these drumsticks, your forearms may feel as if you just finished rock climbing (ok maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration but you get the point).
The other design feature that leads to functionality problems is the material used, or rather the fullness of the material. See, when you strike these drumsticks, they will vibrate unless you’re gripping them extremely tight (and I’m no drummer but my preferred mode of handling is somewhat loose). Much like the vibrations of a poorly gripped baseball bat when it strikes a ball, these drumsticks produce a similar, smaller scale effect that can be disorienting while you play. I would imagine that the fragile nature of the wooden sticks is what prevents this vibrational effect (as they are allowed to bend a little upon impact to absorb the vibration). Nonetheless, the durability of these sticks is a double-edged sword for Rock Band & Guitar Hero players who wish to play drums on the highest of difficulties.
Finally, these babies are offered at an MSRP of $19.99. This is a little steep, you may say, for a mere set of drumsticks but if you’re into impressing a crowd it may be a wise investment (plus, if you already shelled out $169.99 for the entire set, this is no major setback). The price is well worth it for the aesthetics and durability alone but if you’re playing the game entirely for functionality, the free wooden sticks are all you need.
{ln Ashley Rock Axe Game Controller (PS2/PS3)}