When they’re not trying to dominate the music charts, bands and artists are attempting to climb the video game charts. While the likes of AC/DC, Metallica and The Beatles have received Rock Band and Guitar Hero games tied exclusively to them, some musicians take it a step further.
Here are six video games featuring famous bands and/or artists:
Frankie Goes To Hollywood: The Computer Game (1985)
Platforms:Amstrad CPC,C64, ZX Spectrum
Controversial British group Frankie Goes To Hollywood were the stars of a video game. Players were placed in Liverpool (where the band originate from), with the main objective to find the Pleasuredome by finding and using various objects and playing mini-games.
The title featured 8-bit chiptune versions of a number of the band’s songs, including 1983 hit “Relax” and “Welcome to the Pleasuredome”.
Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker (1989)
Platforms: Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, MSX and ZX Spectrum
Often referred to as the “King of Pop”, Michael Jackson was also the star of his very own video game. Co-developed by the singer himself, the plot, which was taken from the film of the same name, followed Michael on his quest to save kidnapped children, using music and dance related abilities.
The game incorporated a number of Michael Jackson’s trademarks and contained synthesized versions of hits such as “Bad”, “Beat It”, “Billie Jean”, “Smooth Criminal” and “Thriller”.
Revolution X (1994)
Platforms: Mega Drive, PS1, Saturn,SNES
Before Guitar Hero: Aerosmith (2008) was even planned; the rock band had already appeared in Revolution X, an arcade rail shooter. The game featured similar gameplay to Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991).
The game’s plot saw players battling the oppressive New Order Nation regime, who have abducted Aerosmith. In order to progress, players used a mounted gun to shoot enemies using compact discs. You couldn’t do that with MP3s!
Britney’s Dance Beat (2002)
Platforms: Game Boy Advance, PC,PlayStation 2
Often regarded as the “Queen of Pop”, Britney Spears also attempted to become the queen of gaming in 2002. Britney’s Dance Beat had players passing auditions, with the overall goal to tour as one of Spears’ dancers.
The gameplay saw gamers pressing buttons in time with the music to the game’s five songs: “…Baby One More Time”, “Oops!… I Did It Again”, “Stronger”, “Overprotected” and “I’m a Slave 4 U”. There was also backstage video footage of Britney herself.
50 Cent: Bulletproof (2005)
Platforms: PlayStation 2,PlayStation Portable,Xbox
Whereas the previous titles listed didn’t receive rave reviews, 50 Cent appeared to break the music star video game curse with 50 Cent: Bulletproof. The action title saw the rapper taking revenge on the hitmen who attempted to murder him.
The game was so successful that it received a sequel four years later on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, titled Blood On The Sand.
The Black Eyed Peas Experience (2011)
Platforms: Wii,Xbox 360
Best known for hits including “Where Is The Love?”, “I’ve Gotta Feeling” and “Boom Boom Pow”, The Black Eyed Peas received their own Just Dance-like video game. Players mimicked the choreography shown on screen using Kinect or the Wii controller, acquiring points based on the performance.
As you would expect, the title featured over 30 tracks from the American hip-hop group. Perfect for any of the band’s fans.
Now that you’ve seen a few of the video games featuring music stars that are already available on the market, what do you think we’ll be seeing next? A Justin Bieber role-playing game or a Rihanna racing title? Let us know some of your suggestions in the comments.
