By Carlos McElfish

KOEI is most widely known for kicking out strategy games. So the last thing this reviewer was expecting from them was an extremely entertaining music/rhythm game. KOEI has managed to not only avoid the common pitfalls of breaking into a new genre but also manages to kick the entertainment value up a notch or two — or three.

Gitaroo Man is the story of a kid named U-1, who, despite his highly original name, is constantly picked on by his classmates and picked over by the girlies. What no one knows (including himself) is that U-1 is the last of the legendary “Gitaroo Man.” Aided with a psychotic-looking guitar and a sarcastic, talking, transformable pet dog, U-1 is charged with saving the planet of Gitaroo from the clutches of the sinister Gravillians family. Along the way U-1 will learn to believe in himself, fall in love with a Bajoran and save the universe with the sound of music.

All in a day’s work.

Gitaroo Man is a musical-rhythm game along the same lines as Um-Jammer Lammy, or Space Channel 5. However, this game goes far beyond simple ‘hit the corresponding button at the appropriate time’ philosophy. When you are playing, because of the intricate motions that you have to go through to make your guitar sing, you feel as if you really are a skilled guitarist. You feel as if the awesome sounds being emitted from the TV should somehow be credited solely to you. KOEI has done a terrific job in keeping the transcending feeling of creating music intact.

There is a girl named Kirah who U-1 finds on a foreign planet and attempts to serenade her. The game’s manual describes Kirah as “shy and reserved with the heart of a warrior.” This suspiciously named girl is wearing a dress, on which the Star Trek Federation Communicator symbol is blatantly embroidered.

Graphics are cartoon styled, but not flat like Parappa. As you are engaged in musical-combat the action will evolve into a crazy, beautiful, 3D rendered cartoon. Having to pay undivided attention to making sure you are hitting the right buttons, and pushing the left analog stick in the proper direction makes it easy to overlook the wonderfully rendered on-screen action. Watching someone else play the game can be nearly as entertaining as actually playing it for that reason. Perspective changes around like a wild 3D cartoon hopped up on an illegal substance but can be most closely likened to a Parappa-view.

Gitaroo Man’s soundtrack is definitely it’s crown jewel, the music in the game sports some of the most catchiest tunes ever to grace a video game. The Japanese music group COIL produced the musical aspect of the game. Everything from heartfelt, catchy, guitar riffs to happy-happy J-pop is in attendance. There are 12 songs in total. You cannot help but bob your head in rhythm with the music along with Gitaroo-Man and his entourage. At times the grooves are so jammin’ that you will find yourself making a complete ass out of your person by providing auxiliary sound effects, sporting crazy guitar-playing-facial-gestures, and trying to get that trademark guitar “twang” by shaking the dual shock.

Voice acting is unique and fits the theme and style of the game flawlessly. From the high-pitched voice of Panpeus (the game’s equivalent of Glass Joe) exclaiming, “The Gitaroo is mine! Can I eat it?” to the leader of the Gitalline people of the planet Gitaroo who sounds nearly identical to the obnoxious old man in Ninja Scrolls or Goku’s mentor in Dragon Ball.

There are three different phases per round: Charge Phase, Battle Phase and Final Phase. The Charge Phase is your chance to increase the life-bar of U-1 by using the left analog stick along with the ‘O’ button to perform various guitar riffs. The Battle Phase will have you executing the same tricky-stick combinations but instead of charging your strength it will damage the enemy, also in Battle mode the enemy will instrumentally attack you so you must hit the correct sequence of buttons to defend. The final phase has you laying down the block-rockin’ beats to perform an aural fatality on the opposing character. It may sound complicated but believe me, after 10 minutes you will be kicking out the jams like a pro. What it all boils down to is that if you play good then you deal the enemy damage. If you play poorly, then you take damage.

One annoyance with the game though is that when you hit pause for whatever reason, you are forced to restart the level from the beginning.

Finishing the game once through on normal mode will open up “Master’s Play.” Master’s Play will take you through the same 10 levels but this time around you will be required to shred your axe in rhythm even faster, and enemy attacks are more devastating as well. There also seems to be some minor modifications to the levels as far as background characters and various on-screen goings-on.

Aside from the standard single player mode KOEI included a few additional modes and bonuses to extend the life of the game. Vs Play is a worthy addition, allowing you to play against a human opponent. The gameplay dynamics are the same, allowing you to charge your energy, attack, defend, and deliver a finishing blow. This mode screams ‘on-line play’ but as we all know, internet connectivity is not something Sony seams to want to deliver on until they can get a system up and running that they can charge for. You can also assign your opponent in VS mode to be computer controlled if all your friends are on vacation. The other bonuses are Theater and Collection. Theater allows you to view all the CG cinemas you have witnessed thus far. Collection offers up illustrations of characters and vehicles in the game, complete with bios. You will have to beat the game on Master’s Play in order to “catch’em all.”

Gitaroo Man is a surprising, welcome, diversion to the as-of-lately stagnant music/rhythm genre. Fans of previous rhythm games will eat this title up like a kid in a candy store, and even casual gamers who rarely enjoy games of this nature will surely find a place in their heart for Gitaroo-Man. Quite simply, Gitaroo Man lays the funk down on all competing musical games currently on the market with enough left over style to put a particular K9 back in the doghouse

Activision, publisher of all things Guitar Hero knows this and speaking with GI.biz, Guitar Hero Business CEO Dan Rosenweig said:

“We have a sophisticated way, in our music team around the world who work with the studios to really… once it’s determined what the focus of the game is about, what would be the kinds of songs that go in there. Then you do a scientific analysis of the popularity of that song, how you group the songs together, how many songs should be in there.

And then you do the magic part which they’re focused on, which is the stuff statistics can’t tell you. Some of it is factual – who’s going on tour, who’s interested in promoting, but really they blend the science and the art together.

Then the last component goes to the studio, which is, is it fun to play? If it’s not fun as hell to play, it’s not going to make the game. That’s the common element, and the reviews have been spectacular on it. To say there aren’t legendary songs today… there are – it’s just different themes.”

I’ve always had my minor gripes with every Guitar Hero game Activision puts out, but that’s based on personal issues with songs. Guitar Hero 5, the subject of the interview, had the most varied setlist to date. The result?

Rosenweig left with a scathing remark regarding sales of Guitar Hero 5 versus The Beatles: Rock Band in the UK.

“We’re pretty happy, and as you look at the European sales and our ability to outsell The Beatles: Rock Band 2-to-1 on their home field… that would suggest it was a good decision.”

The USA Today reports that U2 was very interested in starring in their own Rock Band game last year, but for some reason decided against it.

But now that the Irish rockers have seen the success of The Beatles: Rock Band, or at least its apparent success, they want in.

“We definitely would like to be in there, but we felt some of the compromises weren’t what we wanted,” Adam Clayton told USA Today. “That could change. I love the idea that that’s where people are getting music, and we’d love to be in that world.”

The group was concerned about their digital portrayal, and rightfully so, but when Harmonix pulled it off with The Beatles, they were quick to become enthused again.

“What The Beatles have done, where the animation is much more representative of them, is what we’re interested in, rather than the one-size-fits-all animation. We didn’t want to be caricatured.”

Anyone up for a U2-flavored Rock Band game? They do have the catalogue of songs neccessary to pull it off, not to mention Bono.

Source: Kotaku

Activision hasn’t told us much about the game, but now that some guy in Minnesota received his copy, we’ve got screenshots and information previously unavailable.

First off, the game doesn’t come in a full-sized box, rather only a DVD sleeve with the words “Not For Resale” slapped on the front. Does that mean your local GameStop won’t give you money for it? We’re not sure!

Also, as of today, the tunes on-disc, can’t be exported to Guitar Hero 5. But hopefully, when the game officially launches December 22, Activision will have cleared that issue up.

Additionally, the game is said to mirror that of Guitar Hero: Metallica, only with Eddie and Alex instead of Kirk and Lars.

The setlist for the game is actually pretty killer, and if you took advantage of the promotion and scored the freebie, you should be in for a treat.

For more check out the full story @ 5Frets

Beginning Thursday, Oct. 1 and running straight through till October 29, Activision will release a triple-shot of new tracks into the in-game music store for the ever-thirsty music-gamer.

Excuse me as I get excited over the “All Hallows’ Eve” pack. Anyone else see anything worth buying?

October 1

Queens Of The Stone Age Track Pack

• “Mexicola”
• “Avon”
• “How to Handle a Rope”

October 8

Billy Squier Track Pack

• “The Stroke”
• “Everybody Wants You”
• “When She Comes To Me”

October 15

Wolfmother Track Pack

• “Pilgrim”
• “California Queen”
• “Cosmic Egg”

October 22

Classic Rock 2 Track Pack

• The J. Geils Band – “Freeze Frame”
• Peter Frampton – “Show Me The Way (Live)”
• Triumph – “Lay It On The Line”

October 29

All Hallows’ Eve Track Pack

• GWAR – “Gor Gor”
• Marilyn Manson – “Beautiful People”
• The Misfits – “Astro Zombies”

via Joystiq

The selection is what Microsoft calls “Guitar Hero Favorites,” but we’ll let you decide. Here’s the full list, once priced at 160 MS Points, and now available for 120 Points.

The Killers- “Mr. Brightside”

Travis Barker- “Low”

Blink 182- “What’s My Age Again”

Rick Springfield- “Jesse’s Girl”

Queen- “We are The Champions”

Ram Jam- “Black Bettty”

Nickelback- “Because of You”

Smashing Pumpkins- “1979″

Foreigner- “Hot Blooded”

Blind Melon- “No Rain”

All songs are compatible with both Guitar Hero: World Tour and the recently released Guitar Hero 5 and are, thankfully, master recordings. Too bad I already own most of these.

Deal of the Week @ Major Nelson

What does this mean? Well, with the advancement and penetration rate of high-definition televisions, that is, those capable of 1080p streaming, the ability to plug your Guitar Hero game straight into your TV, without a system, is right around the corner.

Kotick also remarked about how, if the strategy is indeed employed, would open up an entirely new business model, namely in terms of additional song downloads, a sector the Guitar Hero brand has always paled in comparison to Rock Band.

“I think what the untethered Guitar Hero does is it maybe equals the playing field a little bit more and gives you leverage with first parties on downloadable content and the business model,” he said.

Whatever the future holds, we’re excited, and you should be too!

via IGN

A brand new stylish and wireless drumset and a sleek Iron Maiden modeled guitar await Wii gamers, while Xbox 360 fans are treated to a fully collapsable and performance-ready drum kit.

Logitech hears you, Wii gamers, and did not skimp on production value for the guitar, as it is crafted with the exact same materials as its Xbox 360 and PS3 companions. You’re getting a maple neck, rosewood fingerboard and full-on metal frets. Aesthetically, the guitar has a white body with a black pickguard with realistic looking humbuckers and whammy bar.

Additionally, the drumset features adjustable drum pads and cymbals and utilizes a recessed rim design making it easier for the living room rocker to earn high scores and avoid those lousy accidental rim shots. The kick pedal is built with stainless steel and promises a “durable, responsive experience.” The Xbox 360 drumset fits the previous description word for word and only differs in its sans-Wii Remote nature.

Your Wii remote easily snaps into both the guitar (in the back where, thankfully, it cannot be seen) and the drum kit (awkwardly placed in front). Now for the damage. The Wii Logitech guitar will set you back $199, while the drum-set will run you $229 (Xbox 360 too).

Logitech neither confirmed nor denied compatibility with Rock Band games, but when we hear, you’ll hear.

Xbox 360

Watch this man describe the Xbox 360 drumset.

But today, for this hour, the news is all about The Rolling Stones, as 5 never-before released cuts from the guys who can’t get no satisfaction were released as DLC for Guitar Hero 5.

*All tracks are live recordings.

“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”

“I’m Free”

“Prodigal Son”

“You Gotta Move”

“Under My Thumb”

Each song sells for $1.99/160 MS Points a pop or together for a bundled rate of $9.00/720MS Points.

Start your download here from the Xbox Live Web Marketplace (even if you’re at school or work)

This Risky Business advertisement focuses on pantless girls, guitars, and a robed man smoking a pipe in an easy chair. Any ideas?

You guessed it, Hugh Hefner and a cast of Playmates round out this latest TV spot, with a final tag line of “what, I like variety” from Hef either speaking about his multiple sexual partners, or the 85 songs in Guitar Hero 5, you be the judge.

According to Activision, 152 of World Tour’s 158 DLC tracks will play, after a minor patch, as fast as you can say “let’s rock!”, and “some” tracks from World Tour and Smash Hits will also make themselves available after a “a small charge to cover the licensing costs of using these songs from the original game.” Think the $5 fee Harmonix charged for the same service for Rock Band, only probably more, as we are talking about Activision here.

Oh, so I’ll just borrow World Tour and transfer all the songs to Guitar Hero 5!! Awesome! Hold on there, Activision is smarter than that. Straight from the gaping mouth of Activison: “To import the songs, you will need a 20 digit Unique Owner ID that is printed on the back of the manual of the game you are importing from.”

This news, coupled with the publisher’s even more flattering gift we revealed earlier today, are strong statements for where Activison hopes to take the Guitar Hero brand name into the future. Now we sit and wait for these endeavors to either fail, or rescue the game from the rocketing popularity of the Rock Band universe.

Guitar Hero 5 interview @ IGN

There is a slight contradiction in the idea of a full band game filled solely with songs that were initially chosen for their prominent guitar parts, and because of the need to balance the fun across four controller parts instead of one, the songs that are on the game aren’t necessarily the most fun from Guitar Hero, but are all more or less the most fun for the most people. I was disappointed by the absence of songs like “My Name is Jonas” and “Cliffs of Dover,” (both from Guitar Hero III), which have fun parts specifically for the guitar, but would understandably be less fun on the full-band set up. I was particularly disappointed that “Sweet Child O’ Mine” was not on the Smash Hits play list, but to be fair I wouldn’t want to be in a room with somebody trying to sing like Axl Rose. The songs that did make it on to Smash Hits are some of the more well-known from the Guitar Hero repertoire, as well as some of the more challenging (expert-level “Through the Fire and the Flames” is still mind-blowingly impossible, even with the addition of the new neck-slider feature), and most of the songs are pretty well balanced across all four instruments (a notable exception is “YYZ,” which doesn’t have a vocal part, but is hella fun on every other count). Unfortunately, there is no downloadable content for Smash Hits to fill in any notable gaps that you might find in the set list, so read the back of the box before you pick it up so you make sure you know what you’re getting.

The game’s mechanics, graphics, and features are very much like a no-frills Guitar Hero World Tour, with comparable character customization, band creation and music studio features. Though the game’s tracks are all master recordings, there are no “celebrity appearances” or boss guitar battles as there have been in past iterations of the franchise (sadly, no Slash, but thankfully no Ted Nugent). Again, this is not the full Guitar Hero experience, just the major bullet points condensed into a single game. If you really want the CG chick from Paramore to play onstage with your Avatar, the other games are what you’re looking for. This game is for the Guitar Hero junkie (that is to say: me) who has “Killer Queen” and “Fire and the Flames” on his iPod and  really would like to try the vocal part for once.

With this in mind, Smash Hits does do us all a favor by dispensing with the trouble of unlocking all the songs in career mode before being able to play them casually in quickplay. All the songs are available in quickplay from the get-go, because Activision realizes if you buy this game, you just want to play with your rhythm game addict buddies and want to skip over the easy setting and pop songs and crank some Skynyrd on expert without all the hassle of having to think up a band name and play boring songs for an hour to get there. There is a career mode, but even that is streamlined; more complex set lists are unlocked according to a cumulative score from all available songs rather than just the last setlist you played. This means you can unlock a wider variety of songs through good performance on easier songs, and not just adequate performance on the hardest available setlist.

The gameplay itself the tried and true Guitar Hero model with no real differences. The songs have been updated with some of the more complex note patterns that appeared in World Tour, so there are some slight differences between these songs and their originals on the older Guitar Hero releases. The addition of a few neck-slider bars isn’t enough to make the experience of playing the same songs on a new game completely fresh and revolutionary, but it does keep things from getting boring, and the differences between songs are substantial enough that it shows that Activision didn’t just re-package some old games and try to sucker you in to buying them.

Perhaps the only new addition to the actual gameplay screen is a meter that tells you how many out of five stars you have earned so far in the course of gameplay, and how far you are to earning the next one. If this sounds familiar, it’s because Rock Band has had that feature from the beginning, though I don’t mind it when Guitar Hero tries to be more like Rock Band. There are some of the old Guitar Hero-related irritations like distracting designs on the note highway, or flashes of lightning when you gain star power, but these aren’t any better or worse than they were in World Tour, and have been greatly reduced in scale from earlier versions of the game.

Blast Factor: If you haven’t already decided whether or not you really want Guitar Hero: Smash Hits, you probably don’t. At a full $50 price tag, it costs probably about as much as a used collection of Guitar Hero I, II, and III, or a brand new Rock Band II or World Tour, all of which would offer a greater variety of songs and downloadable content, and would be better especially for newcomers to the rhythm genre. However, if you like what you see and have been dying to play some of these old songs with your rhythm game buddies, then by all means, grab it up, plug it in, and rock out.

Guitar Hero: Smash Hits is available on Xbox 360 and PS3 for $49.99, and on the Wii for $39.99

But remember, with great music-game comes great amounts of plastic peripheral responsibility, and today, we finally know what the Guitar Hero 5 guitar will look like, but don’t hold your breath, it’s not a show-stopper.

Adorned with a red finish complemented by a white pick-guard and all set about a Stratocaster style guitar, this new Guitar Hero controller is pretty sexy. There, I said it.

Noted changes include a revamped strum bar built for added durability and performance, an updated slider that now sends all digital values instead of the analog ones of World Tour for increased precision, and, thankfully, reliefs on the slider so you’ll know exactly what notes your sliding your fingers to.

Not sure if anything I’ve heard so far warrants dropping more cash for the Guitar bundle, but, to each his own, and since I’ve played every music game under the sun, as they are the air I breathe, I’ll most likely pony up the cash to bathe in “the new thing.”  What do you think?

The thing is, while we can learn to play just about any video game, the skill to actually play a real guitar has always proved a bit elusive to us — we played the French horn in high school after all.

However, the time has come when Guitar Hero meets a real guitar. Fretlight is a guitar manufacturer that makes a series of acoustic and electric guitars — you know, the ones with strings — that have built in LED lights on the fret board that show you where to put your fingers to actually play notes, chords, and even music. This essentially makes learning to play a guitar as easy as learning to play Guitar Hero.

Fretlight also publishes free Mac and PC compatible software with lessons to teach you the basics and songs to let you show off your skills. There’s also a plugin for Garage Band, and a number of third party software programs available to expand your repertoire.

We’ve got ours in the mail right now, and we’ll be practicing all month. Check back later to see if we were able to build the skills to win the ex back.

Studies show that an attractive woman increases traffic by 12,783%, even if she is only tangentially related to the original content.

Because Guitar Hero: Smash Hits is just a re-release of previous tracks, I didn’t really feel it deserved its own review.  If you are interested in purchasing it, check the track list beforehand – Some songs are re-used from the Aerosmith, World Tour and GH3, so there might not be enough new content to make it worth your while.

That being said, I enjoyed it, since I am a relatively new convert to the whole Guitar Hero scene.    I still can’t use all five buttons, so I’m not good enough to be mocked on South Park, but there is something oddly hypnotic and fun about the whole concept.

Playing did make me create my own “wish list” of songs and features for future installments, though.  As a note, I tried not to include any songs that have been confirmed for future games, or use artists – Van Halen, The Beatles – who have their own games in production.  If I did mess up somewhere, feel free to e-mail me or to point it out in the comments.  In no particular order:

- “Your Love” by Outfield.  Along the lines of “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey, this is a strong karoake number that would translate well to Guitar Hero or Rock Band.  As an added bonus, it is from 1986, giving it retro points.  Covers are not acceptable, unless a bosom-y avatar for Katy Perry’s version, “Use Your Love,” is used.

- Anything by Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin, but especially “Wish You Were Here” or “Comfortably Numb” or “Kashmir“.  Although there is hope that Pink Floyd will eventually get their own game, it hasn’t happened yet, and the talks are at such preliminary stages that I feel find settling for a song or two.  I nominated “Wish You Were Here” even though it is such a sparse song because of its haunting vocals, and the guitar solo in “Comfortably Numb” is a natural for Guitar Hero or Rock Band treatment.  According to the scuttlebutt on Wikipedia, concerns about the quality of the original masters and royalty payments to the bands have caused the hold-up for both.

- More noteworthy live tracks.  Pretty much anything from Cheap Trick’s Live at Budokan would apply here; “Surrender” was in Guitar Hero 2, but it is scandalous that “I Want You To Want Me” also hasn’t gotten the digital treatment yet.  Similar to Cheap Trick, anything from Nirvana’s Unplugged album would be great, although a bit somber for a GH/RB game.  An “acoustic” game in general might be a good idea.

- More difficulty sliders.  In sports games like Madden and NBA Live, you can specify whether certain penalties and fouls will be called, or dumb down certain aspects of the computer AI.  Likewise, I’d like if I could play these rhythm games at the higher difficulties, but limit the songs to four fingers.  For example, there is a big jump in difficult in Rock Band 2 from the normal to hard difficulty.  Why not give the option of normal with more notes to hit, as opposed to jumping straight to the five-fingered hard?

So, you’ve heard my half-baked ideas.  What are some of yours?

- Steve

Adorned with metal frets, a tapping slider, maple wood neck, rosewood fingerboard, and a deep polyurethane gloss finish on the body itself, the guitar will be a collectors item of sorts, and one that’ll have all the kids on the block jealous.

What’s more is that the strum bar is “precision made” with quiet action void of the “disturbing clicking sound” found in earlier, more plasticky models. And for those of you unwilling to flail around to activate Star Power, the guitar’s double coil humbucker doubles as a Star Power activator for easy palm access.

The guitar is said to be exclusive to Xbox 360 and Guitar Hero World Tour. The guitar will set you back $199 USD and will be available beginning in August. For now, enjoy this info-heavy video detailing the product.

Esteemed Blast staff members will have both titles played, reviewed, and sent your way just as quick as possible!

Have a look below for the full list of new releases for the week of June 15

June 15 (Monday)
Eduardo the Samurai Toaster (Wii)
Terminator Salvation (PC)
Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure! (Wii)

June 16 (Tuesday)
Ghostbusters The Video Game (PS2, DS, WII, 360, PS3, PSP, PC)
Guitar Hero: Smash Hits (PS2, PS3, 360, Wii)
Let’s Tap (Wii)
Big League Sports: Summer (Wii, DS)
Vertigo (Wii)
Emergency Room: Real Life Rescues (DS)
Hurry Up Hedgehog! (DS)
Discovery Kids: Parrot Pals (DS)
Diva Girls: Divas on Ice (DS, Wii)
Roogoo Attack (DS)

June 17 (Wednesday)
Rise of Flight: The First Great Air War (PC)
America’s Army 3 (PC)
Sword of the Stars: Argos Naval Yard (PC)
Dawn of Discovery (DS)
Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers (360)
Luna Online (PC)
Dawn of Discovery (PC)

via Kotaku

We aren’t talking about your normal, everyday $5 off a used game here, we’re talking massive savings.

How about the Rock Band 2 SE bundle for PS3/Xbox 360 for $94.99 with FREE 3-day shipping. Sound good? Great because if Guitar Hero is your fancy, the World Tour bundle is available at the same price point.

As far as older games and bundles are concerned, Guitar Hero 3, and Aerosmith with Les Paul (happy 94th birthday yesterday) guitar will set you back only $34.99.

Grapevine Texas-based Gamestop promises that all games are brand new and in their original wrapping but their respective containing boxes may be a little rough around the edges. But hey, isn’t that a musician?

Hop on over to the GameStop deal page for full details and pricing.

Last week’s news of the total upward playability of World Tour’s DLC in GH5 and RockFest mode is great and all, but the week is new, and the press is running hot today.

Confirmed artists for GH5 now include Kings of Leon, The Rolling Stones, The White Stripes, Santana, Vampire Weekend, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, and interestingly, 25 additional artists from a “variety of music genres that will be making their music video game debut.”  What ever could that mean?  Hopefully the teeny bopper tunes stay in Rock Hero, so what genre has Guitar Hero not hit yet?  My vote is for hardcore Black metal, but that’s just me.

A total of  85 artists made the final build of GH5 and are all master recordings and represent, according to Activision, the “strongest, and most varied setlist to date.”  My Black metal wish may come true!

Activision also confirmed today unnamed tweaks to the Music Studio that debuted in World Tour.  Whatever they turn out to be, hopefully they draw more to the facet of the title, as it is indeed a robust feature.

As for the aforementioned Band Moments, these are achieved by perfectly executing specific strings of notes together, as group of living room rock stars.  The social aspect of Guitar Hero seems to be the focal point of this iteration, something competitor Rock Band seems to have an edge in that department.

Guitar Hero 5 is due out on PS3, Xbox 360, PS2, and Wii this fall.

If you dig emo-metal tunes and also have no available digital currency, the track pack will suit you just fine, as the songs are both challenging and enjoyable to play.

Again, the three-peat of screamo tracks are now available on Xbox Live and the PSN with an affordable price-tag of $0.00.

Follow each song’s link for Youtube video of Expert Guitar.

“Grave of Opportunity”-Unearth (this one is tough…have fun)

“Dez Moines”-The Devil Wears Prada

“On Broken Glass”-Chimaira

According to Joystiq and Kotaku the title will drop by year’s end featuring Vah Halen’s greatest hits (whatever those may be) as well as tunes from Queen, Weezer, blink-182, The Offspring, Queens of the Stone Age and many more.

Surely the title has potential, given the shredding prowess of one Edward Van Halen, but can it be bigger than Guitar Hero: Metallica?  We’ll keep you in the loop as more information surfaces.

Of the three, DJ Hero looks very, very interesting.  The publisher describes it as expanding the normative userbase by including diverse music genres including hip-hop, R&B, Motown, electronica and dance.  The game will come bundled with a turntable controller (image below) and will allow for DJs to “rule the club scene” by creating original mixes of already popular songs.  Interesting.

wow

the new peripheral

Guitar Hero 5 will be the expected, run of the mill yearly iteration but this time with the added ability to drop in and out of song, change band members, and difficulty in the heat of rock performance.  I’m not sure why we need this, but as details surface it may become more apparent.

Band Hero is where things get downright scary.  The title will be the first to be rated E10+ and will feature top 40 hits in a more approachable family endeavor from the publisher.  Get ready to hear Hannah Montana and various other teeny bopper tunes now in the living room.  We knew this day was coming, but now that it is soon to be here, I fear for the genre.  Granted it’ll sell like hotcakes, but really?

All three titles are due out this Fall. Be afraid, be very afraid.  Activision’s next step is asking for a vote in Congress.

Guitar Hero

Blue Öyster Cult – “Godzilla”
Boston – “More Than A Feeling”
Deep Purple – “Smoke On The Water”
Franz Ferdinand – “Take Me Out”
Helmet – “Unsung (Live)”
Incubus – “Stellar”
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – “I Love Rock N’ Roll”
Ozzy Osbourne – “Bark At The Moon”
Pantera – “Cowboys From Hell (Live)”
Queen – “Killer Queen”
Queens Of The Stone Age – “No One Knows”
The Donnas – “Take It Off”
The Exies – “Hey You”
White Zombie – “Thunder Kiss ‘65″

Guitar Hero II

Alice In Chains – “Them Bones”
Avenged Sevenfold – “Beast And The Harlot”
Danzig – “Mother”* Foo Fighters – “Monkey Wrench”
Iron Maiden – “The Trooper”
Jane’s Addiction – “Stop!”
Kansas – “Carry On Wayward Son”
Lamb Of God – “Laid To Rest”
Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Free Bird”
Mötley Crüe- “Shout At The Devil”
Nirvana – “Heart-Shaped Box”
Rage Against The Machine – “Killing In The Name”
Reverend Horton Heat – “Psychobilly Freakout”
Rush – “YYZ”
Stone Temple Pilots – “Trippin’ On A Hole In A Paper Heart”
The Police – “Message In A Bottle”
The Sword – “Freya”
Warrant – “Cherry Pie”
Wolfmother – “Woman”

Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s

Anthrax – “Caught In A Mosh”
Extreme – “Play With Me”
Judas Priest – “Electric Eye”
Poison – “Nothin’ But A Good Time”
Ratt – “Round and Round”
Twisted Sister – “I Wanna Rock”

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

AFI – “Miss Murder”
DragonForce – “Through The Fire And Flames”
Heart – “Barracuda”
Kiss – “Rock And Roll All Nite”
Living Colour – “Cult Of Personality”
Pat Benatar – “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”
Priestess – “Lay Down”
Slayer – “Raining Blood”

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith

Aerosmith – “Back In The Saddle

In a word. Wow. A very complete set and without fail will end up in my living room come this summer.

Highlights on the list for you?

Via IGN.com

May 7 sees the launch of the Ferret/Metal Blade Track Pack which includes:

The Devil Wears Prada- “Dez Moines”

Chimaira- “On Broken Glass”

Unearth- “Grave of Opportunity”

Best of all, the trifecta of tunes won’t cost you a pretty penny!, and is further evidence that Activision has metal on the brain.

A week later Activision changes the tone dramatically with pop sensations Pink, One Republic, and Angels and Airwaves all contributing tunes to the game.  The Pop Rock Track Pack contains the following:

Pink- “So What”

One Republic- “Stop and Stare”

Angels and Airwaves- “Everything’s Magic”

Finally, on May 21, Guitar Hero continues to represent the global stage with the fifth European Track Pack with tunes from the Sweidsh metal band In Flames, as well as the poppy and catchy French group Housse de Racket and Cody ChesnuTT, two groups made famous through their UK and Germany TV commercials.

In Flames- “Disconnected”

Housse de Racket- “Oh Yeah” (careful when you listen to this one, it’s very, very addicting)

Cody ChesnuTT- “Look Good in Leather”

The Pop Rock and European Track Pack’s will be available for $5.49/440 MS Points or individually for $1.99/160 MS Points/200 Wii Points.  And remember, the Ferret/Metal pack is FREE!!

Hit each song’s link for Youtube music video.

If the video game mega-retailer’s website is to be believed, Van Halen is indeed receiving the Guitar Hero treatment with an anticipated midsummer release date.

Official word from would be publisher Activision is absent so right now this revelation is a glorified rumor, but one that is certainly not outside the realm of definite possibility.

Listings on the GameStop website reveal PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii iterations due out July 28^th and following the normative pricing curve in regards to your system of choice.

If GH: Van Halen makes it to shelves, “Eruption” better damn well make the list.

Let us know in the comments what tracks from Van Halen’s storied discography should make the cut!

GameStop official listing.

This past weekend during the prominent college basketball games, Activision began airing a commercial promoting Guitar Hero: Metallica based on the same concept of the originals, but this time featuring famous basketball coaches humorously dressed and eventually confronted by members of the stern faced Metallica metal group.

The commercial is hilarious and features famous college basketball coaches Coach K, Bob Knight, Rick Pitino, and Roy Williams, with Knight taking the lead role belting out “Old time rock and roll” by Bob Seger.

If you’re a fan of college basketball and watched the games this past weekend you no doubt saw this funny commercial quite a few times, and it is a sure fire bet we’ll see much more of it this weekend during the conclusion of March Madness on CBS.

Head on over here for the commercial.

You (maybe) guessed it, “Guitar Hero: World Tour” took the top spot at this year’s Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, held this past Saturday night.  Of the nominees, World Tour beat out similar music title Rock Band 2, Mario Kart Wii, and Mario Super Sluggers for the crown of digital glory.

Given the M rated bar set by the Nickelodeon viewer survey, impressive games like Fallout 3, GTA IV and Halo 3, famous for the expletive screaming masses of youth, were nowhere to be found.

Full story at Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards.

Backstage offers up a Guitar Hero themed depiction of backstage at a rock show where gamers can meet up, hang out, check out videos for upcoming titles on the franchise, and maybe partake in some recreational beverages.

If chilling in the smoke filled, instrument laden back room isn’t edgy enough for you, a “match-the-chord” type mini-game; RockGod is available for you and your metal-head brethren to compete in testing your Guitar Hero brain on a lighter level.

Fire up your PS3 and stop on by, as “Backstage with Guitar Hero” is up and running as we speak.

World Tour is being ported by Aspyr, the same team that handled porting duties of Guitar Hero 3, and Aerosmith, both titles that weren’t huge successes.

World Tour PC hits retail this summer in June bundled with a single guitar, every song found in the console version and the song creation studio.  The ability to purchase DLC has not been confirmed and the previous iteration was stripped of the ability.

Drummers looking to make some noise will have to shell out the big bucks for a compatible rig, as the PS3 version is the only compatible model.  Yodelers have it easier however, as any USB microphone will work just fine with World Tour PC.

World Tour PC will ship with the same PC requirements as Legends of Rock, so if you upgraded your gaming rig in the past year you should be more than alright to rock the living room, or I guess the bathroom on a laptop?

via Joystiq

The demo measures up to a little over 1GB of storage space and is packed full with four tracks from the game, complemented by the new stage designs, the new camera angles that are so very overdue, and single-player and band quickplay, head-to-head, Face-Off, Pro Face-Off and Battle gameplay modes.

The four tracks are:

No Excuses – Alice In Chains

Sad But True – Metallica

Seek & Destroy – Metallica

Stone Cold Crazy – Queen

Start your download via the Xbox Live web marketplace here.

The latest in Guitar Hero title was officially announced yesterday via an exclusive interview with IGN.com and Beenox studios, developers of the new game, Guitar Hero: Greatest Hits.

Speaking with IGN.com, Paul Gadbois, producer at Beenox stated the new game will feature 48 tracks compiled from every previous Guitar Hero iteration.

Greatest hits will feature all master recordings with updated note tracks that Beenox promises will retain their original essence with enhanced sound quality and accuracy plus new twists to riffs, new solo challenges and a lot more.

Beenox announced 7 songs that made the cut and even with this limited example, the spectrum of genres are well covered, hopefully a sign of things to come when the full list is unveiled.

“Them Bones” by Alice in Chains

“Killer Queen” by Queen

“Nothin’ But A Good Time” by Poison

Rage Against The Machine’s “Killing in the Name”

“I Wanna Rock” by Twisted Sister

Joan Jett and The Blackhearts’s “I Love Rock N Roll,”

Heart’s “Barracuda.”

Dragonforce’s “Through the Fire and Flames!”

New features include 8 new venues everywhere from The Rain Forest to the Polar Ice Caps and even The Grand Canyon, and a stupefying drum-only Expert Plus mode aided by the functionality of the double bass pedal equipped first in Guitar Hero: Metallica.

Sadly, Greatest Hits will not allow for the transfer of downloadable content or World Tour’s plentiful song list into its own setlist, Beenox says.

“Currently, downloadable songs for Guitar Hero World Tour will work with that title only”. And “The 48 songs in this game will all be instantly playable and are designed to be playable off the disc only.”

That’s too bad, I hate swapping discs, and you probably do to.  Isn’t there a game out there that lets you pay a licensing fee to transfer all your tracks? Oh yeah, Rock Band.

Overall, Greatest Hits looks to be another run of the mill title, enabling you the full band experience you were so deprived from earlier titles.  Other than that, Greatest Hits is just a bunch of songs you’ve already played with tweaks to the experience sweetening the deal.

So far only 7 tracks have been revealed, however, you can log onto the Guitar Hero official site and register to vote for which songs are unveiled next.

Greatest Hits is scheduled to release sometime in June for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 2, thankfully GH: Metallica lands on shelves in just a few weeks, March 29^th.

Read the full IGN interview here.

Building off that, here is my list of the top 10 video games of 2008.

11. The Honorable Mentions:

Mega Man IX — Platformer

(PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii) Ladies, want to buy your 20-something man a gift that will make him giggle like an eighth grader? Spend 10 bucks on Mega Man 9, a new take on the hyper-challenging classic video game that requires quick reflexes to battle a horde of evil robots and their sinister master.

AND — Final Fantasy IV for DS, Call of Duty: World at War, de Blob for Wii

10. The Witcher Enhanced Edition — RPG

(PC) This Atari title’s beautiful visuals and compelling supernatural story will remind you why you love to play computer games. The Enhanced Edition builds in an already good game, making it a great game.

9. N+ — Platformer

(DS, PSP) Atari had a hell of a year. N+ is a sickly addictive, graphically simple platformer where you do what good platforming good guys do — jump around and collect gold.

8. Resistance 2 — Action

(PlayStation 3) This might be the best multiplayer game on the list, with as many as 60 players getting together online and shooting the bejesus out of anything that moves. There is also a gripping alternate history storyline.

Resistance 2 also boasts the best trailer.

7. Dead Space — Action

(PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC) Electronic Arts stepped way out of its comfort zone of sports games and The Sims to put together a haunting sci-fi action game that will suck you in until you’re completely addicted.

Bottom line: EA’s balls dropped this year, and they put out some sick games that are better than 18 or the last 19 Maddens.

6. Guitar Hero: World Tour — Music

(PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii) This is comparable to the first Rock Band, with players jamming on drums, guitars, and a microphone. There’s one important difference, though: With Guitar Hero: World Tour, you can compose your own songs.

Activision finally made a music game that’s as good as Rock Band, a year later. The jury is still out on the studio mode. I’m just waiting for them to put out a Rammstein track pack so I can relive high school.

5. LittleBigPlanet — Platformer

(PlayStation 3, PSP) Users create downloadable content for this game, in which you guide players called Sackboys through a variety of levels and tasks.

Xbox 360 may be killing PS3 in sales again, but PlayStation has the most best games.

4. Fable II — RPG

(Xbox 360) This cerebral game starts with a magic box that grants wishes to your character – who begins as a poverty-stricken orphan and grows up to be whoever you want him to be – good or evil, even straight or gay.

Ok, here’s where I swallow hard, because we’re at #3 and it’s an Xbox exclusive. Fable II is also one of our highest rated games.

3. Rock Band 2 — Music

(PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, Wii) It looks, feels, and plays a lot like the original Rock Band, the four-player phenomenon with guitar, bass, drum, and microphone. But Rock Band 2 has more than 80 new songs and plenty more available to purchase, plus an 18-song AC/DC concert you can buy or download.

2. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots — Action

(PlayStation 3) The only argument I might find here is that it’s not #1, which GameSpot may insist on. They gave it a perfect 10/10.

1. Fallout 3 — Action/RPG

As my review said, not only is Fallout 3 the best game o f the year, but it’s one of the best games ever made. Blast’s Best Game of E3 is also Blast’s Best Game of 2008. Fallout 3 is the best game of 2008, and may not be beat for a long time.

Aftermath

Missing Wii-only games? Yeah. We are. And it’s not just because I said Wii would fail back in 2006. You can make the case for Mario Kart, and you can argue Brawl into the mix, but 2008 was a disaster for the Wii. Nintendo also did a belly flop at E3, and we were there to see it. Funny thing is that 2007 was huge for Wii, 2008 was a write-off, and 2009 might be another huge year if the Motion Plus takes off, and I do like the Motion Plus.

We brought this to the attention of Nyko, and upon further investigation, they found that a recent PS3 firmware update is causing the FrontMan input mechanism to change. When playing Rock Band II on the PS3 with firmware version 2.52, setting the FrontMan dongle to “Rock Band” causes the guitar to not work with the game. Versions prior to this firmware work just fine, as does Rock Band I.

Full statement from Nyko:

It has come to our attention that a recent firmware update for the PlayStation3, version 2.52, has caused some changes to the input mechanism of the Nyko Technologies FrontMan guitar.

Nyko Technologies is committed to improving the gaming experience with the best quality peripherals available on the market, combined with unique value-add features that cannot be found on any other product at the time of launch. We regret that the latest firmware may cause some trouble to Rock Band II players using the FrontMan, but we fully acknowledge this issue and provide the simple afore-mentioned solution. We will continue to do our best in providing gamers with accessories that they can enjoy with the best games, and our customer support team is prepared to provide assistance to ensure a great experience with our products.

This was a big conundrum last year when we realized Activision and Harmonix weren’t going to play nice and let us use their guitars on the competing games.

We’re looking into what happened, but for sure we know that the Guitar Hero III guitar works in Rock Band 2 on PlayStation 3.

GameSpot has a good, slightly dated chart for other games.

We do not know if the Rock Band 2 special edition guitar works on Gutar Hero III or World Tour yet.

But one interesting twist, the Nyko FrontMan guitar that we love so much does still work with all games. However, it does not work in Rock Band 2 on “Rock Band Mode.” There is a switch on the Frontman’s receiver that selects between “Guitar Hero” and “Rock Band” modes — and that switch has to be on “Guitar Hero” in order to play Rock Band 2.

Multi-platinum alternative rockers The Killers are putting out entirely new music, and it will be seen for the first time on Guitar Hero: World Tour, Activision announced today.

The release comes on the heels of the release of the band’s third album, Day & Age. The Killers downloadable content will be available at the same time as the album’s release on November 25 and will feature the singles “Human” and “Losing Touch.”  Grammy nominated hit “Mr. Brightside,” from The Hot Fuss album, will also be on the track pack.

The Killers Track Pack will be available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 440 Microsoft Points and on the PlayStation Store for $5.49. Each song will also be released as single downloadable songs for Xbox 360 for 160 Microsoft Points, PlayStation 3 for $1.99 and Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for Wii for 200 Wii Points.

In a teleconference Apple Corps Ltd., Harmonix and MTV Games announced an exclusive partnership to bring the music of The Beatles to the world in a new interactive form sometime in 2009. The currently unnamed title will take players through the band’s storied career, from first album to last. Though it has been confirmed that the title will use interactive instrument peripherals, it was stressed during the teleconference that it is not a Rock Band title.

“Introducing the genius of The Beatles to a whole new generation of music lovers through original and inspired ways is extremely exciting to us at Apple Corps,” stated Jeff Jones, CEO, Apple Corps. “We are truly pleased to be working with the innovative forces at MTV and Harmonix as they embody our mutual passions for music and creativity.”

The new partnership marks the first time that either Apple, EMI Music, Harrisongs Ltd, or Sony/ATV Music Publishing have agreed to present the normally highly protected Beatles music license in interactive format. The game was creatively conceived with input from Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison, and enjoys their full blessing. In addition, Giles Martin, co-producer of The Beatles innovative LOVE project, will provide his expertise and serve as Music Producer for this groundbreaking Beatles project.

“The project is a fun idea which broadens the appeal of The Beatles and their music. I like people having the opportunity to get to know the music from the inside out,” Sir Paul McCartney said

“It gives me great pleasure to be part of The Beatles / Apple and Harmonix / Rock Band partnership,” said Ringo Starr. “The Beatles continue to evolve with the passing of time and how wonderful that The Beatles’ legacy will find its natural progression into the 21st century through the computerized world we live in. Let the games commence.”

•         311 – “Beautiful Disaster”
•         30 Seconds To Mars – “The Kill”
•         Airbourne – “Too Much Too Young”
•         The Allman Brothers Band – “Ramblin’ Man”
•         Anouk – “Good God”
•         The Answer – “Never Too Late”
•         At The Drive-In – “One Armed Scissor”
•         Beastie Boys – “No Sleep Till Brooklyn”
•         Beatsteaks – “Hail to the Freaks”
•         Billy Idol – “Rebel Yell”
•         Black Label Society – “Stillborn”
•         Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – “Weapon of Choice”
•         blink-182 – “Dammit”
•         Blondie – “One Way or Another”
•         Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band – “Hollywood Nights”
•         Bon Jovi – “Livin’ On A Prayer”
•         Bullet For My Valentine – “Scream Aim Fire”
•         Coldplay – “Shiver”
•         Creedence Clearwater Revival – “Up Around The Bend”
•         The Cult – “Love Removal Machine”
•         Dinosaur Jr. – “Feel The Pain”
•         The Doors – “Love Me Two Times”
•         Dream Theater – “Pull Me Under”
•         The Eagles – “Hotel California”
•         The Enemy – “Aggro”
•         Filter – “Hey Man, Nice Shot”
•         Fleetwood Mac – “Go Your Own Way”
•         Foo Fighters – “Everlong”
•         The Guess Who – “American Woman”
•         Hush Puppies – “You’re Gonna Say Yeah!”
•         Interpol – “Obstacle 1″
•         Jane’s Addiction – “Mountain Song”
•         Jimi Hendrix – “Purple Haze (Live)”
•         Jimi Hendrix – “The Wind Cries Mary”
•         Jimmy Eat World – “The Middle”
•         Joe Satriani – “Satch Boogie”
•         Kent – “Vinternoll2″
•         Korn – “Freak On A Leash”
•         Lacuna Coil – “Our Truth”
•         Lenny Kravitz – “Are You Gonna Go My Way”
•         Linkin Park – “What I’ve Done”
•         The Living End – “Prisoner of Society”
•         Los Lobos – “La Bamba”
•         Lost Prophets – “Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)”
•         Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Sweet Home Alabama (Live)”
•         Mars Volta – “L’Via L’Viaquez”
•         MC5’s Wayne Kramer – “Kick Out The Jams”
•         Metallica – “Trapped Under Ice”
•         Michael Jackson – “Beat It”
•         Modest Mouse – “Float On”
•         Motörhead – “Overkill”
•         Muse – “Assassin”
•         Negramaro – “Nuvole e Lenzuola”
•         Nirvana – “About a Girl (Unplugged)”
•         No Doubt – “Spiderwebs”
•         NOFX – “Soul Doubt”
•         Oasis – “Some Might Say”
•         Ozzy Osbourne – “Crazy Train”
•         Ozzy Osbourne – “Mr. Crowley”
•         Paramore – “Misery Business”
•         Pat Benatar – “Heartbreaker”
•         R.E.M. – “The One I Love”
•         Radio Futura – “Escuela De Calor”
•         Rise Against – “Re-Education Through Labor”
•         Sex Pistols – “Pretty Vacant”
•         Silversun Pickups – “Lazy Eye”
•         Smashing Pumpkins – “Today”
•         Steely Dan – “Do It Again”
•         Steve Miller Band – “The Joker”
•         Sting – “Demolition Man (Live)”
•         The Stone Roses – “Love Spreads”
•         Stuck In The Sound – “Toy Boy”
•         Sublime – “Santeria”
•         Survivor – “Eye of the Tiger”
•         System of a Down – “B.Y.O.B.”
•         Ted Nugent – “Stranglehold”
•         Ted Nugent’s Original Guitar Duel Recording
•         Tokio Hotel – “Monsoon”
•         Tool – “Parabola”
•         Tool – “Schism”
•         Tool – “Vicarious”
•         Trust – “Antisocial”
•         Van Halen – “Hot For Teacher”
•         Willie Nelson – “On The Road Again”
•         Wings – “Band on the Run”
•         Zakk Wylde’s Original Guitar Duel Recording

From Activision:

When the house lights go down this fall, a new generation of guitarists, drummers and fearless frontmen will come together and rock with Guitar Hero World Tour.  The latest installment in the #1 best-selling video game franchise of 2007, Guitar Hero World Tour transforms music gaming by expanding Guitar Hero’s signature guitar gameplay into a cooperative band experience that combines the most advanced wireless controllers with new revolutionary online* and offline gameplay modes including Band Career and 8-player “Battle of the Bands,” which allows two full bands to compete head-to-head online for the first time ever.  The game features a slick newly redesigned guitar controller, drum kit controller and a microphone, as well as an innovative Music Studio music creator that lets players compose, record, edit and share their own rock ‘n’ roll anthems.  Music creators will also be able to share their recordings with their friends online through GHTunes where other gamers can download and play an endless supply of unique creations.

The two acts add to an already huge list of artists — just about everyone will be in either Guitar Hero World Tour, Rock Band 2 or both — Sting will lend his vocie and likeness as a playable character, busting out sngs like “Demolition Man.”

As for Tool, you’ll get to play “Parabola” and Grammy-award winning “Schism” from Tool’s critically-acclaimed 2001 album Lateralus in addition to “Vicarious” from their 2006 Grammy-award winning album 10,000 Days. The game will also feature an all-new venue designed in collaboration with the band and highlighting the art style that has become a staple in their music videos, live shows and album artwork.

From Activision:

When the house lights go down this fall, a new generation of guitarists, drummers and fearless frontmen will come together and rock with Guitar Hero World Tour. The latest installment in the #1 best-selling video game franchise of 2007, Guitar Hero World Tour transforms music gaming by expanding Guitar Hero’s signature guitar gameplay into a cooperative band experience that combines the most advanced wireless controllers with new revolutionary online* and offline gameplay modes including Band Career and 8-player “Battle of the Bands,” which allows two full bands to compete head-to-head online for the first time ever. The game features a slick newly redesigned guitar controller, drum kit controller and a microphone, as well as an innovative Music Studio music creator that lets players compose, record, edit and share their own rock ‘n’ roll anthems. Music creators will also be able to share their recordings with their friends online through GHTunesSM where other gamers can download and play an endless supply of unique creations.

“Known for their out-of-control riffs, fast paced songs and twin guitar solos, DragonForce will ascend the virtual stage once again to unleash “Heroes of Our Time” – the debut single off their new album Ultra Beatdown – in a three-song track pack,” Activision said Tuesda.

The track pack comes out Thursday on Xbox Live Marketplace and the PlayStation store.

“Heroes of Our Time” promises to be much harder than even “Fire and Flames.”

This Interscope Records track pack will be available for download from the PlayStation Store and Xbox LIVE Marketplace August 7.