8-Bit Rebellion!

8-Bit Rebellion!
Score by Linkin Park
Recorded:	2009-2010
Released:	April 26, 2010
Producer:	Linkin Park, Artificial Life

8-Bit Rebellion! is a massively multiplayer online and single player video game released by Linkin Park in 2010 for iOS.

Gameplay

The band's rundown of the game from the official trailer says, "From the imagination of Linkin Park comes 8-Bit Rebellion, the only game app that turns Linkin Park's world into your gaming reality. Take on action-packed missions as you fight your way through 6 Linkin Park-themed districts. Customize your own apartment and connect with friends in a massively multiplayer experience."

The goal of the game is to take down PixxelKorp as a part of the plot, who has decided to take over the 8-bit world. Players take on missions that lead them through several levels called "dicts", each one based on one of the band's members. For example, Chester's dict has Club Tattoo and Mike's has a lot of musical gear. The game features Linkin Park promotional art all throughout it, including posters on the walls, paintings by Mike Shinoda himself, and all six band members drawn as 8-bit styled characters.

Artificial Life said about the game, "It was a unique experience to work with Linkin Park to create one of the most innovative mobile gaming experiences to date. Our close co-operation with the band has led to a cool and fun game play, a great design and a groundbreaking app that pushes the limits of the iPhone gaming experience and sets new standards for music based games. Throughout production the band worked closely with our designers intimately contributing to the creative process for character designs, in-game artwork, mission structure and, of course, the music in the game! 8-Bit Rebellion helps fans get closer to the band by drawing them into the virtual world that they have helped to create as well as providing their global fan base with an exciting community experience. It's a must for all Linkin Park fans."

Mike Shinoda designed the 8-Bit Rebellion! avatars for each of his bandmates and oversaw the new app's writing, story and gameplay. Mike told MTV, "I was a total gamer when I was a kid. My parents actually worried about me, I was playing video games so much. [Our] game is a massively multiplayer game. It's an RPG, it's a scrolling format, there's a heavy community component to the game, and as you play, you beat missions, you can talk to your friends."

Music

Each level in 8-Bit Rebellion! includes 8-bit and original versions of Linkin Park songs. The announcement for the game said, "This marks the first time that Linkin Parks music has been reinterpreted using old-school video game sounds." Mike composed the music himself while on tour with Linkin Park in 2009. Specifically, the LPTV episode for 8-Bit Rebellion! shows Mike showcasing the new versions of the songs to the band in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan in 2009.

After beating the game and stopping PixxelKorp, the player unlocks a previously unreleased Linkin Park song, "Blackbirds" along with the song's video. "Blackbirds" is a song that was recorded in the Minutes To Midnight sessions but did not make the album. It was one of seventeen songs the band had whittled down and finished from over one hundred and fifty seeds. Additionally, "Blackbirds" was one of six songs that had strings recorded for it by David Campbell during the process along with "Leave Out All The Rest", "Shadow Of The Day", "Hands Held High", "The Little Things Give You Away", and bonus track "No Roads Left". After it was released on 8-Bit Rebellion!, Warner Bros. also released "Blackbirds" as a bonus track on digital editions of A Thousand Suns.

The soundtrack for the game contains the 8-Bit remix/instrumental of some of Linkin Park's biggest songs.

Release

The official trailer for the game was released on March 26, 2010.

Mike announced on January 7, 2010 that the game would be coming soon and announced that a Linkin Park song would be released through the game.

In the 8-Bit Rebellion! press release, Mike said about "Blackbirds", "We really liked the song and thought this would be a unique way to give it to our fans."'

The game was officially released on April 26, 2010. Before the official release, the band allowed LP Underground members in Los Angeles and Hong Kong exclusively test the game. Both Joe and Mike called in to talk to the LPU members at the events.

8-Bit Rebellion! Music

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1	One Step Closer (8-Bit)	Linkin Park	2:40
2	Crawling (8-Bit)	Linkin Park	1:50
3	In The End (8-Bit)	Linkin Park	2:17
4	Faint (8-Bit)	Linkin Park	2:26
5	QWERTY (8-Bit)	Linkin Park	2:49
6	Hands Held High (8-Bit)	Linkin Park	2:47
7	No More Sorrow (8-Bit)	Linkin Park	3:43
8	New Divide (8-Bit)	Linkin Park	2:51
9	Apartment Theme (Bonus)	Linkin Park, Mark Wrong	0:49
10	Boss Theme (Bonus)	Linkin Park, Mark Wrong	3:11
11	Mall Theme (Bonus)	Linkin Park, Mark Wrong	0:53
12	Pre-Boss Theme (Bonus)	Linkin Park, Mark Wrong	1:39
13	Blackbirds	Linkin Park	2:59