While a return of Harmonix’s hit and beloved Rock Band series of music games has been teased and rumored for a while now, we haven’t exactly had anything concrete. This… is not it either. If anything, it sounds like Harmonix is stoking the fires even more, just to lean back and enjoy the frenzy.

Harmonix today released brand new DLC for Rock Band 3 (yes, I know, DLC for such an old game, this, folks, is how you do it)- these were two new songs with rather alarmingly communicative titles- Tenacious D’s Rize Of The Fenix and Weezer’s Back to the Shack. Both names are, of course, indicating some form of revival and return to business.

Harmonix, for their part, were perfectly coy about this.

“They are awesome songs with great titles,” Harmonix community manager Aaron Trites said, whistling nonchalantly. “Rock on!”

The DLC is available only on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game, incidentally, so if you own the Wii version, you are out of luck. This, too, may be a hint to the future of the series.

To begin with, the Wii has become notorious for its shovelware- while no one is for a minute denying that there are good games to be found on the system (some of this generation’s best games are to be found on Nintendo’s little white box, after all), the problem that they are so greatly outnumbered by buggy and glitchy half assed titles that going shopping for Wii games is literally like finding a needle in a haystack.

The problem is further compounded when one considers that quality third party support on the Wii is increasingly becoming a thing of the past. Although we still get gems like No More Heroes 2 and Monster Hunter, most developers and publishers are increasingly washing their hands off the Wii, claiming any kind of success on the console is hard to be had. They do have a point, though: quality third party games on the Wii have, with few exceptions, bombed hard. Add to that the fact that the Wii is considerably weaker than the other current gen consoles and the PC, and one can see why most developers refrain from releasing any of their popular multiplats- like Red Dead- on the console.

The final problem that the Wii faces, of course, is WiWare. It’s a great service- in theory. But Nintendo’s archaic online policies have been the bane of the service, with WiiWare missing out on so many quality games that it’s not even funny. Some ridiculous restrictions- like the 40 MB size cap- have ensured that most indie developers give WiiWare a miss entirely. The few gems that are to be found on the service almost never make their money back, simply because Nintendo cannot be bothered to promote the service, or its titles.

With so many problems to face, ans the competition becoming increasingly competitive- both in price, and in the motion sensing capabilities on offer- the Wii went into 2010 facing its toughest year on the market ever. Was 2010 the year when the Wii finally lost relevance, fading into the background to become the shortest lived mainstream console ever? Or was it the year when against all odds, the little white box gained favor with the fickle hardcore crowd? Read on…

Q1 2010:

Travis Touchdown kicked off 2010 for the Wii in style

The Wii was in a largely comfortable position coming into 2010, at least from a financial perspective- Q4 2009 had been its most successful tenure on the market, and it was riding on the blockbuster success of New Super Mario Bros. Wii, a title that perhaps single handedly salvaged 2009 for Nintendo, as far as software sales for their flagship console were concerned.

Its lineup for 2010 looked interesting, if somewhat niche, and it certainly looked better than the pathetic 2008 and 2009 that the Wii had suffered. The Wii kick started 2010 silently, although with a showing of strong third party support. Within the first three months, the Wii got several quality titles that silently swelled its library to surprising proportions- and barring one, not a single one of them was a Nintendo title.

So, from January to March 2010, we got Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, the atmospheric and chilling reimagining of the original Playstation Silent Hill, No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle, the sequel to the stylish 2008 game featuring wiseguy Travis Touchdown, Tatsunoko vs Capcom, a crossover fighting game that, against all odds, had somehow managed to find its way overseas, and outside of Japan,  Endless Ocean: Blue World, Nintendo’s sequel to its unusual ocean exploration game, Sonic and Sega: All Stars Racing, Sega’s surprisingly competent take on the mascot kart racing formula and Red Steel 2, Ubisoft’s sequel to its 2006 launch title that righted all the wrongs of the original game, and made good on its promises.

What was even more surprising about these three months was the unusually strong showing exhibited by WiiWare- the service that is oft neglected by most developers saw some genuinely good games hit it in this timeframe that simply could not be missed. So, in this period, we saw WiiWare getting the definitive version of Cave Story, the darling hit PC indie title, Mega Man 10, Capcom’s continuation of its retro reinterpretation of its robotic mascot, and  of course, Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 5, which for many provided the return to the Golden Days of Lucasarts’ adventure games that they had so long been yearning for.

Clearly, this was an unusually strong quarter for Nintendo, as far as software was concerned. Quite a lot of titles hit the system in this period, and while most of them were too quirky to truly be mainstream (and hence achieve commercial success), they were all excellent and well made games, that ensured that the Wii’s library would have several gems when all was said and done.

Q2 2010

Behold one of the highest rated (and arguably the best) rated games of this generation, and of all time

But surely the Wii was running out of steam by now? After all, what major announced title for the system was left for release? A couple, that would be done with in the coming three months, and then what? Would the console be done?

Q2 2010 demonstrated that Nintendo had different ideas about where its system was going. Clearly pissed at the Wii’s perceived lack of hardcore games, these three months represented Nintendo jamming themselves into the drivers seat, and pushing down the pedal hard.

The Wii started Q2 2010 in style, with Capcom’s long awaited third entry into its divisive Monster Hunter series hitting the system exclusively in April. Critic scores were favorable, for once, and the response from the audiences was receptive- here was a third party game for the Wii that demonstrated quality, and achieved proper success, both critically and commercially!

As far as third party support is concerned, the Wii saw a respectable quarter. It got Trauma Team, which was the series’ debut on Nintendo’s motion wielding console, the Motion Plus enabled Tiger Woods PGA 11, and multi platform titles like Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (arguably the best on the Wii), Green Day Rock Band, and LEGO Harry Potter Years 1-4. On its part, the WiiWare service continued to host some good games, with the most notable being Bit.Trip Runner.

However, these three months will be remembered not for what the third parties managed on the Wii, but for what Nintendo did. First of all, of course, was Nintendo’s Super Mario Galaxy 2. The first direct sequel to a console Mario in over two decades, Super Mario Galaxy 2 had been unveiled at E3 last year to a lukewarm reception at best, with many leveling allegations that the game was a glorified expansion pack. Of course, that couldn’t have been farther from the truth, as it eventually turned out. Super Mario Galaxy 2 was not only a breath of fresh air in a stale genre, it also was the best produced, best made Wii game, best 3D platformer ever, in the running for best platformer ever, best Mario game ever, and out and out in the running for best game ever. Critics went berserk awarding the game perfect scores, citing its variety and its creativity. Gamers went nuts purchasing the game in large numbers, as the game managed to sell in excess of five million units in a very short time. Super Mario Galaxy 2 represented Nintendo at its best, and delivered a very strong message- the Big N was back.

Clearly, because they followed up the success of Super Mario Galaxy 2 with a stupendous E3 showing, which revealed a lineup of several blockbuster Wii games all due in 2010- but we’ll get to that later.

Q2 2010 also had Nintendo following up on the success of Super Mario Galaxy 2 with a much less significant, although no less unique, game- Sin and Punishment: Star Successor was the sequel to the N64 cult hit, a shoot em up game that was as quirky as it was fun, and that (shock! horror!) represented a genuine effort on Nintendo’s part to implement online in a self published game.

The Wii, which had looked to be on the verge of fading into irrelevance, had bought itself time, and had gained some momentum with the release of one landmark title- would it be enough to tide the Wii over for the rest of the year?

Q3 2010

Also behold the most controversial game of 2010. Yeah, the Wii was where it was at in 2010.

Q3 2010 probably represented the quietest bit of the year for the Wii- probably it was the lull before the storm (but more on that in the last section).

These three months were marked with the release of a grand total of one major title on the system (two if you count the somewhat subdued Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock). However, that one title was controversial enough to keep things moving, and moreover, to keep things exciting on a system that was largely ignored by the gaming media.

The game I’m talking about is of course Metroid: Other M. Now, Nintendo has always been known to experiment with the Metroid series- no two titles are ever truly alike, and all of them do something new, whether its the forced challenge of Metroid II, or the first person view of Metroid Prime. With Other M, Nintendo and developers Team Ninja decided to take a dramatic step in a direction no one had foreseen- they decided to make the Metroid experience more guided, more cinematic.

So, in a shift from tradition, we had a Nintendo produced game heavy on the cutscenes and on voice acting, and a Metroid game that held the player’s hand and showed him where to go. Naturally, such a change was met with stiff resistance from the fans, who cried foul, claiming that the spirit of the series had been compromised.

However, the single most divisive aspect of this game was perhaps its portrayal of famed series heroine Samus Aran. With little or nothing to go by, fans had, over the years, formed a mental construct of who they believed Samus really was- a stoic, silent, brooding survivor, who was on a mission to help the galaxy. Naturally, when the portrayal of the game differed from their own interpretation, they screamed- nearly three decades of pedigree had been staked here.

In a year when there were MANY controversial games, Metroid: Other M stands out for the risks it took with one of the most hallowed franchises in gaming. Was it a good game? Sure. Was it a good Metroid game? That depends on where you stand, and on what your definition of a Metroid game really is. Be as it all may, Other M was the lone standout for the Wii in a rather quiet Q3 2010.

Q4 2010

Donkey Kong. 'Nuff said.

And at this point, I officially give up.

Q4 2010 can be described using two words as far as the Wii is concerned. One word is Oh. The other is F**k.

Remember how I’ve been hinting at a ‘storm’ and ‘Nintendo taking charge’ all throughout this article? Well, this, buddies, is it- this is when shit hit the fan. This is when Nintendo unleashed the Wii in a bellow of fury at everyone around, bolstered by jaw dropping third party support, to prove, once and for all, that the Wii was relevant, that it was here to stay, and that the competition better watch out.

There are so many games to list out! Beginning with the adorable and fresh new take on a beloved character with Kirby’s Epic Yarn, to the return of the undisputed king- I mean Kong- of gaming, with Retro Studios’ finely crafted Donkey Kong Country Returns, to the re imaging of one of the most beloved games of all time in Goldeneye 007,  to the triumphant return of Sega’s mascot in Sonic Colors, the game that finally got Sonic in 3D right, to Warren Spector’s finely made yet divisive epic, Epic Mickey, to Treyarch’s Call of Duty: Black Ops, which for once represented a third party game not compromised on the Wii, to the surprisingly party title Wii Party, to the sequel of the dance hit, Just Dance 2, to the return of a much loved SNES classic in NBA Jam, to Nintendo’s blast from the past with Super Mario All Stars, to the third hurrah of star music game series with Rock Band 3…

And even WiiWare got in on the fun. Whether we talk about Bit.Trip Fate, the last entry in the retro rhythm game series that truly was a fitting farewell to the beloved saga, or of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1, which was Sega’s attempt at taking Sonic back to his roots, the downloadable service was in full form these three months.

I mean, what were they smoking? How can one console see so many worthwhile and un-missable releases in so short a time frame?

If this is where the Wii picks up from in 2011, then well, I’m gonna have to throw my cynic hat away.

CONCLUSION

There’s a reason why so many people proclaim the Wii ‘won’ 2010- the console was a beastly juggernaut. Just look at that list of software. It’s not even half of what the console had to offer. Many worthwhile releases had to be trimmed down from this piece, just because this article was running so long.

2010 is the year when Nintendo took charge- it’s the year when they returned to their roots. Even as Microsoft and Sony began to chase after the fickle casual crowds with their own takes on motion control (with, I may add, varying degrees of success), Nintendo finally acknowledged the hardcore gamer, and gave him his due.

2010 was the year when the Wii’s library swelled to epic proportions. At this point, anybody who buys a Wii really has no right or reason to complain- there are too many darn games to play on the system!

2010 was the year when third parties game appeared on the Wii, and they actually sold. It was the year when Nintendo ditched the motion control act, and went after the traditional way of gaming. It was the year when the WiiWare service finally came into its own. The year when Nintendo’s sales, ironically, slowed down to such an extent that even company head honcho Iwata expressed concerns.

As always, it was a year riddled with contradictions. But, for the first time, it can also well and truly be said that this, this was the year of the Wii.

Harmonix today announced that the legendary music of The Doors will be the first available for download in Rock Band 3 when the game launches Oct. 26 in North America and Oct. 29 in the rest of the world for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 , Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS, and MTV Games and Harmonix are giving away three of The Doors’ songs for one week to any fan that purchases Rock Band 3 and plays online to celebrate the release of the game.

“I’m very excited that keyboards are finally a part of Rock Band. It’s about time you guys got hip to the necessity of keys in rock,” said Ray Manzarek, keyboardist for The Doors. “This is going to be great for all the gamers, because it’s a lot more difficult.  Rock Band 3 will require some brainwork, so let’s ‘Break On Through!’  By the way, get those free downloads: ‘Light My Fire,’ ‘Riders On the Storm’ and ‘Touch Me’ are all great keyboard songs. And look out for The Doors’ lost masterpiece, Live in Vancouver, when it releases Nov. 22!”

“At the outset of the Rock Band 3 project, we identified The Doors, with their powerful songs driven by intricately woven keyboard, guitar and drum parts, as an ideal partner for our game,” said Paul DeGooyer, Senior Vice President of Music, Electronic Games and Programming for MTV Networks. “As they are also one of the greatest rock bands of all time, we are tremendously proud that they will be the first artist featured in the Rock Band 3 download store and that we’re able to bring this special offer of their music to everyone who buys Rock Band 3 the week it releases.”

On Oct. 26, 12 of The Doors’ most-loved songs, including three tracks with the Pro Guitar and Pro Bass feature, will be added to the Rock Band 3 Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii. It was previously announced that The Doors’ quintessential song, “Break On Through (To the Other Side)” is featured in the on-disc soundtrack of Rock Band 3 and is also the soundtrack for the game’s opening cinematic clip.

A three-pack of songs that feature Pro Guitar and Pro Bass upgrade downloads will be available for free to fans that purchase Rock Band 3 and play online during the first week the game is available (Oct. 26 – Nov. 1). The free pack, which is available only through the Rock Band 3 in-game Music Store, includes “Light My Fire,” “Riders on the Storm” and “Touch Me,” which incorporate five-button guitar and bass, Drums, Pro Drums and Keys, Pro Keys and harmonies, where applicable, as well as a free expansion that will add Pro Guitar and Pro Bass parts.

Additionally, a nine-pack of songs from The Doors will also be available for download that week. This includes some of the classic rockers’ most-loved songs, like “Hello, I Love You,” “L.A. Woman,” “Love Her Madly” and “Roadhouse Blues,” all featuring Drums, Pro Drums, five-button guitar and bass parts and, where applicable, harmonies and Keys/Pro Keys parts. A complete list of the songs that will be available is as follows:

“Light My Fire” (Free from Oct. 26 – Nov. 1 in game, features Pro Guitar and Pro Bass)
“Riders on the Storm” (Free from Oct. 26 – Nov. 1 in game, features Pro Guitar and Pro Bass)
“Touch Me” (Free from Oct. 26 – Nov. 1 in game, features Pro Guitar and Pro Bass)
“Hello, I Love You”
“L.A. Woman”
“Love Her Madly”
“Love Me Two Times”
“Peace Frog”
“People Are Strange”
“Roadhouse Blues”
“Soul Kitchen”
“The Crystal Ship”

Beginning Nov. 2, The Door’s Rock Band downloads will be available for purchase only as individual songs or in a bundle of all 12 songs.

1. Amy Winehouse – Rehab
2. Anthrax – Caught in a Mosh
3. At the Drive-In – One Armed Scissor
4. Avenged Sevenfold – Beast and the Harlot
5. The B-52s – Rock Lobster
6. The Beach Boys – Good Vibrations (Live)
7. Big Country – In a Big Country
8. Blondie – Heart of Glass
9. Bob Marley & The Wailers – Get Up, Stand Up
10. The Bronx – False Alarm
11. Chicago – 25 or 6 to 4
12. The Cure – Just Like Heaven
13. David Bowie – Space Oddity
14. Deep Purple – Smoke on the Water
15. Def Leppard – Foolin’
16. Devo – Whip It
17. Dio – Rainbow in the Dark
18. Dire Straits – Walk of Life
19. The Doobie Brothers – China Grove
20. The Doors – Break on Through (To the Other Side)
21. Dover – King George
22. Echo & the Bunnymen – The Killing Moon
23. Elton John – Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting
24. Faith No More – MidLife Crisis
25. Filter – Hey Man, Nice Shot
26. The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1
27. Foreigner – Cold as Ice
28. Golden Earring – Radar Love
29. HIM – Killing Loneliness
30. Huey Lewis and the News – The Power of Love
31. Hypernova – Viva la Resistance
32. INXS – Need You Tonight
33. The J. Geils Band – Centerfold
34. James Brown – I Got You (I Feel Good)
35. Jane’s Addiction – Been Caught Stealing
36. The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Crosstown Traffic
37. Joan Jett – I Love Rock N’ Roll
38. John Lennon – Imagine
39. Juanes – Me Enamora
40. Lynyrd Skynyrd – Free Bird
41. Maná – Oye Mi Amor
42. Marilyn Manson – The Beautiful People
43. Metric – Combat Baby
44. The Muffs – Outer Space
45. Night Ranger – Sister Christian
46. Ozzy Osbourne – Crazy Train
47. Paramore – Misery Business
48. Phish – Llama
49. Phoenix – Lasso
50. The Police – Don’t Stand So Close to Me
51. Poni Hoax – Antibodies
52. Pretty Girls Make Graves – Something Bigger, Something Brighter
53. Primus – Jerry Was a Race Car Driver
54. Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody
55. Queens of the Stone Age – No One Knows
56. Rammstein – Du Hast
57. The Ramones – I Wanna Be Sedated
58. Raveonettes – Last Dance
59. Rilo Kiley – Portions of Foxes
60. Riverboat Gamblers – Don’t Bury Me… I’m Still Not Dead
61. Roxette – The Look
62. Slipknot – Before I Forget
63. Smash Mouth – Walkin’ on the Sun
64. The Smiths – Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One Before
65. The Sounds – Living in America
66. Spacehog – In the Meantime
67. Steve Miller Band – Fly Like An Eagle
68. Stone Temple Pilots – Plush
69. Swingin’ Utters – This Bastard’s Life
70. T.Rex – 20th Century Boy
71. Tears for Fears – Everybody Wants to Rule the World
72. Tegan and Sara – The Con
73. Them Crooked Vultures – Dead End Friends
74. Tokio Hotel – Humanoid
75. Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers – I Need to Know
76. The Vines – Get Free
77. War – Low Rider
78. Warren Zevon – Werewolves of London
79. The White Stripes – The Hardest Button to Button
80. Whitesnake – Here I Go Again
81. The Who – I Can See for Miles
82. Yes – Roundabout

Rock Band 3 comes out with its real guitars and new keyboards October 26th for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Wii as well as a Nintendo DS version.

Rock Band 3 Setlist OFFICIAL Comment from Harmonix on Vimeo.

Here’s the supposed full tracklist:

-Dio – Rainbow in the Dark
-Huey Lewis and the News – The Power of Love
-Jane’s Addiction – Been Caught Stealing
-Jimi Hendrix – Crosstown Traffic
-Joan Jett – I Love Rock and Roll
-Juanes – Me Enamora
-Metric – Combat Baby
-Night Ranger – Sister Christian
-Ozzy Osbourne – Crazy Train
-Phoenix – Lasso
-Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody
-Rilo Kiley – Portions of Foxes
-Smash Mouth – Walkin’ on the Sun
-Spacehog – In the Meantime
-Stone Temple Pilots – Plush
-The Cure – Just Like Heaven
-The Doors – Break On Through
-The Vines – Get Free
-The White Stripes – The Hardest Button to Button
-Them Crooked Vultures – Dead End Friends
-Whitesnake – Here I Go Again
-Yes – Roundabout
-B-52′s – Rock Lobster
-Def Leppard – Foolin’
-Filter – Hey Man, Nice Shot
-Foreigner – Cold as Ice
-Marilyn Manson – The Beautiful People
-Tears for Fears – Everybody Wants to Rule the World
-David Bowie – Space Oddity
-Bob Marley & The Wailers – Get Up, Stand Up
-INXS – Need You Tonight
-Poni Hoax – Antibodies
-Rammstein – Du Hast
-Roxette – The Look
-Tokio Hotel – Humanoid
-HIM – Killing Loneliness
-Maná – Oye Mi Amor
-Slipknot – Before I Forget
-War – Low Rider
-Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers – I Need To Know
-Blood, Sweat, & Tears – Spinning Wheel
-Chicago – 25 or 6 to 4
-Faith No More – Midlife Crisis
-T.Rex – 20th Century Boy
-Rush – TBD
-Avenged Sevenfold – Beast and the Harlot
-Amy Winehouse – Rehab
-Anthrax – Caught In A Mosh
-The Beach Boys – Good Vibrations (Live)
-Devo – Whip It
-The Police – Don’t Stand So Close To Me
-Queens Of The Stone Age – No One Knows
-The Ramones – I Wanna Be Sedated
-The Smiths – Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One Before
-Steve Miller Band – Fly Like An Eagle
-Tegan and Sara – The Con
-Warren Zevon – Werewolves Of London
-The Bronx – False Alarm
-Lynyrd Skynyrd – Free Bird
-Riverboat Gamblers – Don’t Bury Me… I’m Still Not Dead
-Blondie – Heart of Glass
-The Who – I Can See For Miles
-James Brown – I Got You (I Feel Good)
-John Lennon – Imagine
-Big Country – In a Big Country
-Primus – Jerry Was a Race Car Driver
-Echo and the Bunnymen – Killing Moon
-Dover – King George
-Raveonettes – Last Dance
-The Sounds – Living in America
-Phish – Llama
-Paramore – Misery Business
-At the Drive-In – One Armed Scissor
-The Muffs – Outer Space
-Golden Earring – Radar Love
-Elton John – Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)
-Deep Purple – Smoke on the Water
-Hypernova – Viva La Resistance
-Pretty Girls Make Graves – Something
-Bigger, Something Brighter
-Swingin’ Utters – This Bastard’s Life
-Dire Straits – Walk of Life
-Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1

We’ll keep you posted as more info comes our way.

Tracks for Rock Band 3:

Tracks for Dance Central:

• “Drop it Like it’s Hot” – Snoop Dogg
• “Push It” – Salt N’ Pepa
• “Bust a Move” – Young MC

Here’s a rundown of what you can expect on third main game in the series.

• 83 songs out of the disc.
• Over 2000 songs available totalling all the games and the Rock Band store by the game’s release.
• 7 players making up the band.
  • 2 Guitars
  • Midi Keyboard
  • Bass
  • 3 on vocals
  • Drums
• Overshell feature enables drop-in/drop-out of players at any time playing from anywhere.
• New way to manage the Music Library allows you to select multiple options to remove from your list of songs any of these that don’t think your selected criteria. Want to only play only 80s songs that are heavy metal and you don’t want your Rock Band 1 tracks to be included? That’s no problem. The list is fully customizable.
• You can rate songs after playing them. Rate them low and they’ll be removed from your play list.
• Three games in one
  • Party Shuffle Mode – Step right in play mode when you have guests home
  • Campaign/Career mode
  • Road Challenges – Multiplayer bite-size career mode you can clear in an evening
• In career modes, you can now save and share  set lists.
• You can change a song’s difficulty at any time while you’re playing it.
• “Pro Mode” for guitar and keyboard has you playing with an actual real six strings guitar or uses all the keys on the keyboard. This mode works on all difficulty levels and the game offers a trainer to help you get started.

As you can see, Harmonix has put a lot of work in this new version of Rock Band and included features you wouldn’t even dream of adding to the game. The Pro mode is surely going to revolutionize music games as real musicians won’t be able to laugh at you anymore for playing plastic instruments!