Guitar Hero III - Game Only (Xbox 360)

The game that killed the air guitar is back with the first in the series not to be developed by Guitar Hero creators Harmonix (they’ve been bought by MTV to make Rock Band). With Tony Hawk’s developer Neversoft taking over the basics are nevertheless still the same as you use the series’ signature guitar shaped controller to play along to a greatest hits line-up of rock classics. The new wireless controllers for this version are based on a Gibson Les Paul (or a Kramer for the PS2 version) and even have customisable faceplates and a removable neck for easy storage.

The gameplay seems simple enough at first, as a cursor highlights which of the five fret buttons to press at one time. All you have to do then is press the right one and strum along on the flipper. Which of course sounds incredibly easy, until you’re trying to keep up with Rock you like a Hurricane as the virtual crowd bays for your blood.

New for this sequel is an extra multiplayer mode called Battle where you play against another player and try to put him off with special attacks like breaking their strings or overloading their amp. Naturally the graphics are all new, including new characters (plus Slash as an end of level boss) and venues but the most important feature is simply the soundtrack. Over 70 songs are featured, half of them originals, with everyone from Queens of the Stone Age to Smashing Pumpkins to Metallica and Slayer. In short: the game rocks.

The initial list of face-melting awesomeness includes:

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock continues to build on Guitar Hero's successful easy to play, but difficult to master gameplay mechanic to take the franchise to a whole new level. With master tracks from legendary bands like Sex Pistols, Guns N Roses, Rolling Stones, Metallica, and Pearl Jam, along with original music composed specifically for the game by iconic guitarists Slash and Tom Morello, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock sports the greatest soundtrack to ever find its way into a videogame. Vastly improved graphics immerse gamers into their rock arenas and heighten their visual experience while the new wireless Gibson guitar controllers allow the players to channel their inner guitar gods. The arcade-inspired battle mode, expanded co-op career and boss battles add depth and extend gameplay for countless hours of shred time.

Track Listing:

Beastie Boys - Sabotage

Living Colour - Cult of Personality

Muse - Knights of Cydonia

Rolling Stones - Paint It Black

Smashing Pumpkins - Cherub Rock

Tenacious D - The Metal

Weezer - My Name Is Jonas

Pearl Jam - Evenflow

Priestess - Lay Down

Guns N Roses - Welcome To The Jungle

Dragonforce - Through The Fire And The Flames

Iron Maiden - Number of The Beast

RHCP - Suck My Kiss

AFI - Miss Murder

Queens of the Stone Age - Threes and Sevens

Slayer - Raining Blood

The Strokes - Reptilla

Backyard Babies - Minus Celcius

Die Toten Hosen - Hier Kommt Alex

Gallows - In The Belly Of A Shark

Hellacopters - In The Band

Heroes Del Silencio - Avalancha

In Flames - Take This Life

Kaiser Chiefs - Ruby

Lacuna Coil - Closer

Revolverhead - Generation Rock

Naast - Mauvais Garcon

Superbus - Radio Song

Matchbook Romance - Monsters

Slipknot - Before I Forget

Sonic Youth - Kool Thing

Rage Against The Machine - Bulls on Parade

Brett Michaels Band - Go That Far

An Endless Sporadic - Impulse

Dope - Nothing For Me Here

The Fall of Troy - F.C.P R.E.M.I.X

Killswitch Engage - My Curse

Lions - Metal Heavy Lady

Prototype - The Way It Ends

Rise Against - Prayer of The Refugee

Scouts of St. Sebastian - In Love

Senses Fail - Can't Be Saved

The Sleeping - Don't Hold Back

Sex Pistols - Anarchy In The UK

Aerosmith - Same Old Song and Dance

Bloc Party - Helicopter

Disturbed - Stricken

The Killers - When You Were Young

Game Only - Guitar Required To Play

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock boss battles give fans a chance to compete against legendary guitarists such as Slash and Tom Morello. Players are required to deplete the boss` Rock Meter before the boss goes into their Death Drain solo, which always means `lights-out.` After defeating a boss, players unlock that guitarist as a playable character and continue to the encore for the set list, which is a master recording of one of their respective bands` most well-known tracks. for instance, When Morello is defeated, the next performance is "Bulls on Parade," during which Morello performs on stage alongside the player.

Guitar Hero 3 Features:

Slash’s Original Boss Battle Recording
Welcome to The Jungle (by Guns N’ Roses)
One (by Metallica)
Paint It Black (by The Rolling Stones)
Cherub Rock (by Smashing Pumpkins)
Sabotage (by Beastie Boys)
The Metal (by Tenacious D)
My Name is Jonas (by Weezer)
Knights of Cydonia (by Muse)
Even Flow (by Pearl Jam)
Lay Down (by Priestess)
Cult of Personality (by Living Colour)
Miss Murder (by AFI)
Through Fire and Flames (by Dragonforce)
Number of the Beast (by Iron Maiden)
3`s and 7`s (by Queens of the Stone Age)
Suck My Kiss (by Red Hot Chili Peppers)
Raining Blood (by Slayer)
Reptillia (by The Strokes)
Paranoid (as made famous by Black Sabbath)
Cities on Flame (as made famous by Blue Oyster Cult)
Mississippi Queen (as made famous by Mountain)
La Grange (as made famous by ZZ Top)
Rock and Roll All Nite (as made famous by Kiss)
School’s Out (as made famous by Alice Cooper)
Rock You Like a Hurricane (as made famous by Scorpions)
Slow Ride (as made famous by Foghat)
Barracuda (as made famous