New Rock Band Reloaded for iPhone Puts a Party in Your Pants

Available now via Apple’s App Store, music and rhythm game Rock Band: Reloaded for the iPod, iPhone and iPad hopes to literally put a party in your pants, new karaoke features included. With 15 tracks to start, including Nirvana’s “In Bloom” and “A-Punk” from Vampire Weekend, players can keep the good times rolling with free and paid song downloads from artists like Flogging Molly and Bang Camaro.

Guitar, bass, drums and vocals are controlled by tapping the device’s touchscreen in time with color-coded prompts, with new options allowing lead singers to also play by crooning into their microphones. A career mode tracks achievements as you progress, with WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity allowing up to four-man jam sessions. iPhone and iPod editions cost $4.99, with an HD version for the iPad, which adds exclusive extras including head-to-head split-screen multiplayer and oversized drum pad options, priced at $9.99. Premium track packs from the likes of Third Eye Blind and Blink-182 will also be available for in-game purchase.

Hoping to reverse the decline in music game sales that’s plagued sister titles like the critically-acclaimed Rock Band 3, prompting Viacom’s decision to sell creator Harmonix, the new title promises several advantages over set-top cousins: similar play at a budget price, an obligation to buy only as many songs as you like and the ability to rage along with Drowning Pool’s “Bodies” while on the can.