Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock [X360]

But this isn't just a cover song. Neversoft has added a slew of new ways to play, most notably when it comes to multiplayer. You'll finally be able to play online and post scores to leaderboards, proving to the world that your weird, three-finger-plus-thumb technique is, in fact, superior. You'll also be able to tackle Career mode cooperatively, so no more fighting over who gets to rock the single-player.

The team is most excited about Guitar Battle mode, which takes the Pro Battle mode from Guitar Hero II and cranks it to 11 with a variety of wicked, game-changing power-ups. Overload your opponent's amp to make their fretboard wobble and become unreadable. Interrupt their mojo by breaking one of their strings, forcing them to rapidly pound on the right fret button until it snaps back into place. In the cruelest twist of all, you can flip their guitar from righty to lefty (or vice versa), turning the fretboard upside down to completely change the layout of the notes. Good luck wrapping your fingers around that.

Still, a band's only as good as its songs. Though the final song list hasn't been revealed, expect over 70 tracks in Guitar Hero III, the largest set yet for the franchise. It also should be the most diverse; the dozen tracks announced so far includes artists like Pearl Jam, Heart, Smashing Pumpkins, The Rolling Stones, Weezer and The Beastie Boys. Best of all, many of those aren't sound-alike covers -- they're the original master tracks, adding authenticity to your axe-work.

Speaking of which, the titular instrument itself finally lives up to its next-gen potential by ditching the wires. Next-gen users can kick it old-school with the redesigned wireless Gibson Les Paul model, including swappable faceplates and a breakaway neck for easier transportation. Though not wireless, the PS2 version comes with a decidedly rocking Gibson Kramer. Either way, it's a step up from both the original cheapo controller and Guitar Hero II's decent Xplorer.

We don't envy Neversoft's task of somehow improving a game that twice now has made countless best of the year lists, but so far they're keeping it real by keeping it intact. Getting the nod from a real, flesh-and-blood guitar icon certainly helps its street cred, and the brutal Battle mode should make a welcome addition to the series. We'll see if it has the chops to again go platinum when it storms the stage this fall.