The battle for supremacy in the rhythm-action genre of gaming is heating up, with 'Rock Band' and 'Guitar Hero' constantly figuring out new ways to gain a competitive edge.

So it seemed that Harmonix might've struck gold when they announced a landmark deal with Apple Corps to develop a game based on The Beatles.

Upon start-up, it would seem that Harmonix has gone all-out to emulate the atmosphere of the era, as the epic introduction video can attest to. But we all know that FMVs mean nothing if the game is trite...

Fortunately though, Harmonix has stuck to what worked in the first place, instead of throwing the formula out of the window — though they did tweak the system. The ability to have up to three vocalists during the game is a welcome and fun addition.

Of course, hitting the coloured notes is still key to success (no surprises here) with repeated hits activating 'Beatlemania', giving the screen a more colourful hue as well as the opportunity to earn extra points.

Notably omitted, however, are a lot of the audience reactions, such as booing, apparently in an attempt to 'preserve the sanctity' of the music — a smart move by the game's developers.

The much-vaunted story mode makes an appearance, starting you off at the small club where The Beatles first gained fame and moving onto more iconic locales such as the roof of the Apple Corps building where the band held their final show.

Beatles fanatics will also love the unlockables featured in the game, ranging from pictures to never-before-seen video clips.

Playing it on easy is as accessible as ever — with even my mother getting into it! Ramp up the difficulty, however, and things just went downhill from there...

Of course, with a game like this, the songs are key — and 'Beatles: Rock Band' features quite a few: 45 tunes to be exact. From Yellow Submarine to Helter Skelter, many favourites are represented.

This number might looks bare compared to 'Rock Band 2's 84 songs, but there is the promise of lots of downloadable content. It's still a tad disappointing that the songs aren't exportable to other versions of 'Rock Band' though.

Graphics aren't the most important part of rhythm action games but 'The Beatles: Rock Band' still looks decent for the most part. It won't win any best graphics awards but the game manages to convey a unique, colourful art style that's far more pleasing than the generic brown of current-generation games.

Multiplayer gameplay in rhythm action games is a must — and this iteration features all the usual 'Rock Band' modes, such as quick play, tug-of-war and score-duel. After all, what would 'Rock Band' be without friends to be in the group? With the combination of drums, guitars and vocals, this always makes for a fun evening.

'The Beatles: Rock Band' goes over and above the norm for rhythm action games, delivering a game that represents what The Beatles are all about. The game also delivers some new footage and pictures for even the most ardent Beatles fan. We recommend getting this, unless you utterly hate the Fab Four.

8/10

Website: Interpals Corresponding with someone from another country has been a fun experience for decades.

Web a teen at 40 40 years after Leonard Kleinrock and his team created the internet it has become an adolescent.

Can't touch this! Hadlee Simons thinks touch-screens are a bit silly. His first Dashboard Diatribe explains why.