8-Bit Rebellion! Makes Linkin Park Seem Cool
By Benjamin Opal
I don’t purport to have a finger on the pulse of youth culture, but I hope the kiddies appreciate the retro stylings of Linkin Park 8-Bit Rebellion! (Exclamation mark theirs). The side-scrolling beat-em-up game is out now for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, for $4.99. In 8-Bit Rebellion!, players must bring down Pixxelkorp, a ruthless corporation whose penchant for high-definition graphics could ruin gaming. Music from the band, both regular and chiptuned, are integrated into the game, and beating the game gives you exclusive access to an unreleased track, “Blackbirds,” recorded specifically for the game.
Mike Shinoda, who raps, writes, produces and plays keyboard and guitar for Linkin Park, told MTV News that he and his bandmates were heavily involved in creating the game. Shinoda designed half the characters, and each band member was responsible for one level of the game. Though the game is a scrolling (virtual) button masher at its core, Shinoda also calls it a “massive multiplayer game” in that you can chat with friends as you play and send them weapons between missions, and he said that the band plans to add more content over time through updates. That is, if Linkin Park’s music doesn’t depress you too much to download. [via Wired and MTV News]
