Review by STLguy:

Great guitar for the Wii. Despite what the other reviewer said, this guitar IS COMPATIBLE WITH ROCK BAND 2, and also The Beatles Rock Band. I cannot persoanlly attest to compatiblity with the Beatles Rock Band, but I own both Guitar Hero World Tour and Rock Band 2, and it works great with both. You simply need to go to the Guitar Hero and Rock Band websites and they will both tell you this guitar is compatible with virtually all Rock Band and Guitar Hero games.

The only downside to this guitar is that it requires a Wii remote to use.

Review by Marge Simpson:

I bought this guitar for my Beatles Rock Band wii game. It was really easy to set up, works perfectly, and it costs 1/3 - 1/2 the price I've seen for an actual Rock Band guitar.

Review by J. McCormick:

I come to Guitar Hero 3 for the Wii having played Guitar Hero 2 on the PS2 at Expert difficulty. Sometimes formula can be a bad thing, other times it's not. This is one of those "not" times.

The game plays basically the same as its predecessor, and on top of that it's got a better set list. After reaching 5-star level on nearly all the songs at Expert difficulty in Guitar Hero 2, I found that the list of songs that I actually just enjoyed playing was very short. That's not so much the case with Guitar Hero 3, which has a larger collection of songs that are both fun to play and to listen to.

There are flaws, though. It seems to me that the new developers decided that they needed to tweak the Hammer On/Pull Off controls a little, and the result of this tweaking was that there were many times throughout the game where I instinctively didn't strum because two notes were close together, but one of the notes inexplicably required you to strum. Although this increases the difficulty, it feels awkward and forced (you could, after all, just do away with HOPOs altogether rather than making them unworkable at seemingly random times).

I'm not a big fan of the boss battles, either. The battle mode seems a good idea for balancing multiplayer Guitar Hero, because Guitar Hero 2 suffered significantly from the fact that an Expert player could hardly help beating anyone playing on Medium in the Face-off mode, at least not without putting down the guitar, which isn't exactly fun. However, the battle mode really has no place in the single-player career mode, where all I'm looking to do is play some songs.

It doesn't help that the boss battles are not very well executed. The final boss battle had me stuck for quite some time, simply because the battle power-ups that I was getting weren't very useful against the opponent. When I finally got the right power-up, defeating him was trivially easy. That means the battle was far too dependent on randomness, which isn't really fun in a game that's good precisely because it depends completely on skill.

Add on top of this the fact that, for no obvious reason, the songs that you play in the boss battles can't be accessed away from those battles. That means there's no way to just play these songs. You've always got to be worried about defeating an opponent who's messing up your ability to play. Along the same lines, certain songs are only unlockable by playing multiplayer mode. I wouldn't call that a good idea in any case, but it's especially annoying on the Wii version, because there currently is no guitar available for separate purchase, which means you must find someone else who owns both a Wii and Guitar Hero 3, and most people I know who have the game have it for PS2 or XBox 360.

The game is still lots of fun even with these flaws. There are some good new features to balance things out, such as the ability to play the game online (though again it seems that more often than not when I go looking for an online game, there aren't any available). I think I like the Wii guitar controller better than the PS2 controllers for Guitar Hero 2, in part because they seem more responsive. A number of times when using the PS2 controller and strumming very rapidly while attempting to deploy Star Power, I have had the controller frustratingly not register my movement despite holding the controller vertically. I haven't noticed such problems on the Wii.

As far as difficulty goes, if you played Guitar Hero 2 on Expert, then it won't take you long to get through Guitar Hero 3 on Expert, either. Some of the songs are still difficult (and some will cramp your hand), but because the gameplay mechanics are the same (and that is a good thing), if you're good at Guitar Hero you're good at Guitar Hero. You won't have too much trouble with the vast majority of the songs in the game.

All in all, if you liked Guitar Hero 2, you'll probably like Guitar Hero 3. If you didn't, why are you reading this?

Review by Anna Hope:

I've never played the previous games in this series but this game is addictive! The Wii remote is easy to tuck into the guitar and the tutorial is pretty easy. Instead of strings you have a bar you push corresponding to how fast the notes move. I've never strummed guitar, my husband has. And I'm thrashing him at this game!

You work you're way up from a garage band, earning money along the way that you can spend in the games store for goodies like new outfits, real songs from around the world, and extra characters.Your current playlist is good with songs everybody knows even if their a poptart. You may even get asked to do an encore! My one gripe is their aren't that many chick songs, at least not on the levels I've played.

If you can find a second guitar remote you can rock head to head, which I plan to do with the spouse. I'll need to find a pink faceplate though. The makers said they'd have alternate fronts, so here's hoping. The guitar/remote is about the size of a eukalalie but still manages to make you feel very boss and you'll suddenly find yourself moving with attitude to the rhythm.

Stop reading and go play one!!!

Review by A. Jefferson:

This is a great game, and deserves far more credit than it is getting. I own both Rock Band 1 and 2 for Wii as well, and LOVED both of those games far more than any previous entry in the Guitar Hero series. This newest iteration however, is really something special, ESPECIALLY if you play on Wii. Here are some great things about this game:

On ALL Consoles:

*Soundtrack: Several reviews have bashed the soundtrack for this game, and I really don't understand why. The song selection is GREAT. Granted, I imported all of the available songs from Guitar Hero: World Tour and Smash Hits, so maybe that improves the setlist... and I also have lots of downloadable songs. But, that said, the tracks on the disk are great. Please, before you take these reviews at face value, check out the track listing for this game... there are some really great songs. Granted, I honestly do like the Rock Band 2 track list better (but I have over 150 downloadable songs in Rock Band 2... and honestly, several songs that are on GH5 are also on Rock Band...)... so just check out the setlist for yourself before you judge this game!!!

*Party Play Mode - This is a REALLY great feature, and with some tweaking in future games, could be AMAZING. Essentially, as soon as the game starts up, rather than selecting a game mode, selecting a song, players, etc... you click one of the fret buttons and are launched directly into whatever song is playing in the background. You can select a rocker, etc... but are essentially launched directly into playing a song! If you don't like the song, you can opt to skip to the next or another song. The gameplay mechanic for Party Play mode is IDEAL for parties (DUH!). If you have ever had friends over to play Rock Band or Guitar Hero, you know what a pain it can be to actually get into playing.... everyone takes FOREVER choosing a song, which rocker they want to play as, etc.... this is a quick and easy way to get right into playing with your friends. They can drop in and out as they please (without affecting anyone else playing), so it is ideal for groups of friends. When one gets tired or wants to grab a beer, he can jump out, and someone else can take his place! Also, there is no fail in this mode, and there is even a BEGINNER difficulty (more on that later)...

*Beginner Difficulty - FINALLY! A mode where even a toddler can play! Literally! When you are playing in quick play, party play (and some of the other modes I would assume), there is a difficulty level even lower than Easy called Beginner. There are no fret colors to worry about... you simply strum at the right time. This is a really great feature. I have had some friends, as well as kids, that have a hard time grasping the concept of holding the correct fret button(s) and strumming simultaneously. Beginner mode is idiot proof! =) Yesterday, I was jamming along with a 4 year old!! And he actually won over the crowd to save me when I failed out on Expert Drums!!! This is a really nice added touch.

*Song Imports: You can import some (and eventually MOST) of the on-disk songs from Guitar Hero: World Tour and Guitar Hero:Smash Hits for next to nothing (cost me like to import all of the songs). So, the day I brought GH:5 home I imported all of the available songs, and my library instantly grew to around 160 songs. This plus future dlc means this game is going to be a nice compliment to my already expansive Rock Band library!

Nintendo Wii-Specific features:

*Expanded SD Card functionality: Guitar Hero 5 is the first Wii game to make use of the expanded SD functionality added to Wii. What does that mean? With games like Rock Band 2, you were limited to only using standard SD cards (maximum size of 2GB) for storing downloadable songs. With this being the case, Rock Band (as well as Guitar Hero World Tour) lowered the quality of the downloadable songs and removed the album art to decrease the file size so as to maximize the number songs songs we could download. Starting with GH5 however, we can use high-capacity SD cards up to 32GB. Long story short: Guitar Hero 5 is the first game available on the Wii that takes advantage of these large sd cards, effectively adding a "hard drive" to the Wii. You no longer have to swap 2gb sd cards back and forth (before, I had one 2gb card for virtual console and wiiware games, and a separate 2gb sd card that stored rock band downloadable songs). The process is elegant and seamless.... and just plain works! THE ONLY complaint I have is that you can't preview songs that you have stored on the SD card... so when you are selecting a song to play, when you highlight songs that are on the disk, a brief preview plays. If the song is stored on your sd card, it doesn't preview. But, I can live with that, considering the fact that I can easily store 800+ downloadable songs on a single 32gb sd card now!!!

*Roadie Battle Mode - Long story short, this mode allows a friend that owns a Nintendo DS to act as your "roadie" and sabotage other players in this mode. I dont own a DS, but from what I have heard, this mode is FUN, and easily one of the best features of the game. Check it out!

This is a really great game, and I am glad that I didnt listen to all of the negative reviews (I almost passed on it!). I am a loyal Rock Band fan, but with Guitar Hero being the first music game on Wii to adopt the use of the high-capacity SD cards, as well as allowing the import of GH:WT and SH... AND giving away Guitar Hero: Van Halen (which has an AWESOME soundtrack!!!!!!!)...buying this game was a no-brainer. Great songs. Fun and well-done gameplay. Impressive party play and co-op features. If you own a Wii, you should own this game...period.

My review scores:

Gameplay: 10/10

Difficulty: Varied (Anyone from grandma to seasoned hardcore guitar hero veterans can get loads of value out of this game)

Presentation: 9/10

Lasting Value: 10/10

Overall: 9.5/10

Review by W. Post:

This GH 5 worked with our Wii Rockband (another guitar, drums, microphone) which was a nice feature. I wouldn't call the song selection kid-friendly but nice having some more songs to challenge the family.

Review by A. Jefferson:

There are 2 groups of people that typically play Guitar Hero: Those who are score obsessed... they are all about mastering the most challenging of songs and having the highest scores on the leaderboards. Then there are those who love having a group of their friends over to play plastic instruments and yell at the top of their lungs for hours on end. For the most part...I fall into the second category.

I have loved every entry in the Rock Band series, and more recently fell in love with Guitar Hero 5. However, these games have failed me in one vital area: the soundtrack for these games is kinda niche. Oftentimes when friends or family would come over for a "Guitar Hero" or "Rock Band" party, it would turn into each of them taking turns scrolling through hundreds of alternative, progressive, or heavy metal songs until they find one or two that they know and KINDA LIKE... and since they don't necessarily own a Guitar Hero or Rock Band game, they aren't overly concerned about scores or anything like that...they just want to play music they know and love. That is where Band Hero swoops in to save the day (or at least save my party!!)

Rather than focusing on niche genres of music, Band Hero does the exact opposite... Band Hero's soundtrack is focused on Pop music. The very definition of POP MUSIC is music that is popular... songs that everyone knows and loves. And I have to say, Band Hero delivers. There is some great music on Band Hero. Granted, the setlist on Guitar Hero 5 was more appealing to me personally... but Band Hero's setlist will be a HUGE hit at my next party, which, thanks to Band Hero, will be more of a "Karaoke party that also features all of the cool Guitar Hero elements for those interested" than a "Guitar Hero party". Here are some of my observations about the game:

*The Music - As I mentioned, the game focuses on pop music, with artists ranging from Yellowcard to Hillary Duff to Taylor Swift to No Doubt and so on. There are several "guilty pleasures" songs that, while I wouldn't admit enjoying any other time, will be a HUGE hit when having friends over to play (especially my wife's friends)... like The Spice Girls, Taylor Swift, Joss Stone. There are even classic songs like "Rio" by Duran Duran, "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" by Culture Club, and "Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas (right?)... and cmon...who can really claim not to love singing any of those songs? Sure, they are really easy to play on guitar/bass/drums for the most part.... but they are fun. Besides, if you want a challenge...check out the SONG IMPORT feature!

*Song Import: For a small fee, you can import 61 songs from Guitar Hero 5, and several of the songs from Guitar Hero Smash Hits and Guitar Hero World Tour. Before importing Guitar Hero 5 (and after importing smash hits and world tour), I already had a total of 140 songs available to play in Band Hero! So, in addition to the pop songs included on the disk, I am also able to include alot of the great and more challenging songs from Guitar Hero 5 (like "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Medicate", and lots of other great stuff!!!)

*Downloadable Content: Like Guitar Hero 5 and Guitar Hero:World Tour, Band Hero includes an in-game music store that allows you to purchase additional songs. Hopefully, this means that, in addition to the more hardcore downloadable songs available for Guitar Hero 5, Band Hero will also be getting downloadable pop music! Also, most (if not all) of the dlc that you purchase for Guitar Hero 5 and Guitar Hero World Tour are AUTOMATICALLY playable in Band Hero! If, however, you want these to be excluded from Band Hero, there is a place in the Options menu that allows dlc to be disabled. With downloadable content and importing the songs from other versions of Guitar Hero, I should have a library of over 200 song available for playing in Band Hero by the end of the week!

*Band Hero = Guitar Hero 5 with more neon lights: Guitar Hero 5 for Wii is a game that any person with a Wii should own. Period. It was the first of the rhythm games to use high-capacity sd cards, effectively adding a hard drive to your Wii. It had AWESOME features like Party Play mode, drop-in and drop-out multiplayer, and the ability change difficulty on the fly. "Beginner" difficulty is also included, which will allow ANYONE to pick up this game and start playing, no matter what skill level. And then there was the AWESOME, Wii-exclusive "Roadie Battle" mode that allowed someone to sit on the sideline with a DS and sabotage other players.... PRICELESS!!! ALL of the features from Guitar Hero 5 are also implemented in Band Hero. That automatically makes Band Hero AWESOME. Period.

I really hope Band Hero sells well. Activision took a great game and made it more marketable. Between DJ Hero, Band Hero, and Guitar Hero 5, there is no longer any excuse for people not to jump in and enjoy rythym gaming. Unless you hate music and hate fun, you should own this game. =) Some parents/players were put off by some of the art style used in the Guitar Hero games (lots of skulls, demons, lightning bolts, and heavy metal)... and those people will be happy to know that the look and feel used in Band Hero is more family friendly...they've replaced those things with neon lights, starbursts, glitter, floodlights... it really feels like "Guitar Hero" meets "The MTV VMA Awards". I really enjoy the game, and hope you will too!!

My review scores:

Gameplay: 10/10

Difficulty: 8/10 (Anyone from grandma to seasoned hardcore guitar hero veterans can get loads of value out of this game)

Presentation: 9/10

Lasting Value: 9/10

Overall: 9.5/10

Review by G. Denny:

I actually bought this for the Wii because it comes with the updated drum set. Beware if you are getting the other platforms because, at least initially, you will get the same set that was shipped with World Tour. When I set out to get it, I really didn't expect much from the set list because Hillary Duff is not really my thing, just wanted an extra guitar and the updated drums. I set it up to make sure everything was in working order and to test out the drum set. The drums work flawlessly and are 100 times improved over the Word Tour set that sometimes never work.

But, here's why I really came to write this review. I have a 6 year old daughter who heard the music playing and came out immediately as if Taylor Swift was the Pied Piper. I promptly handed her the guitar and showed her how to make a character. She went for the rocker and outfitted her in all pink of course. I set her up on the beginner level, which consists of just strumming at the right time with no color coding. She picked it up right away and thus a star was born. We worked through all of her favorites; Hillary Duff, everything by Taylor Swift, Evanescence, a little Janet and the Jackson 5 and a few others and she was hooked. I backed her up on drums and she was hitting 90-95% consistently. This repackaged Guitar Hero 5 is a stroke of genius if marketed appropriately. My daughter did not want to go to sleep. She never showed any interest in previous versions of Guitar Hero and she has been around others playing it; but this one has a hold of her like crack. I think I told her; "ok, last one", at least 10 times before I resorted to "ok really this time, last one".

Band Hero fits a niche that was previously unexplored; I think any child 4 to 12, boy or girl would enjoy this, and teenage girls will really like the look and feel of Band Hero. Basically, anyone who picks up the plastic guitar and starts tapping their foot to a recognizable song will be instantly hooked. This is a very enthusiastic thumbs up for Band Hero and a thumbs up to Taylor Swift for getting involved in this project. She's laughing all the way to the bank, and yes, the set ships with a microphone no one will ever have to share with Kanye!

Review by Jack Treese:

I picked this up at midnight for the launch at Wal-Mart. I couldn't afford the band kit just yet, so this review is based solely on the Guitar Kit for the Wii.

And about that new guitar controller... it's just nothing short of amazing. The fret buttons are lightly spaced apart more, and we have a touch pad to work with. This pad is very useful for tapping during solos, making it easier to keep your multiplier going when you need it to. There's also a dedicated star power button next to a more sturdy strum bar. Add all of that to the more heavy-duty feel of the controller and you've got what Guitar Hero fans have been wanting since its start in 2005.

Now, the software... once again, it's fantastic. Wii owners like myself were disappointed when Guitar Hero III was released to the system sans downloadable content. The online capability was nice, but no new content left a stale taste after a while. This time around, Activision redeemed themselves by not only adding DLC, but allowing the option to save it to an SD card rather than to the limited memory on the Wii. The premium songs are reasonably priced at around 200 Wii Points (or ) per song. Also, several online play modes have been added to keep you busy, even if you're limited to only one instrument.

There's a new Music Studio feature that allows you to make your own music and share it online with other players. While a very nice feature indeed, at first it can seem overwhelming with the vast variety of choices for your sound. This mode is best to be explored with a full band however. In the mean-time, there's a very fun (and very Wii-exclusive) feature called "Mii Freestyle," which enables even the most "newbish" players to make some beautiful sounds. One person can play with a guitar controller, while the other joins in with the drum kit or the Wii Remote and Nunchuck.

In addition, Quickplay now allows you to earn in-game cash while you're playing. Also, you're now able to pick up to six songs for your Quickplay session. In-game cash can be used to unlock bonus material, new guitars, new characters, and even new customizations for your own in-game character. Oh by the way, you can create your own rocker now too.

I may have even forgotten a few slight details, but the point is that no matter what route you go down, Guitar Hero World Tour is definitely a worthy title to add to your Wii collection, and is easily the most addicting video game of 2008.

Speaking of addicting...

Review by N. Sooknarine:

Guitar Hero World Tour Guitar Kit for Wii

This is an excellent game....with one major problem....

The mechanism used to make the guitar has one fault...the strum bar has given a lot of ppl including myself a lot of grief. The game itself is a masterpiece and I adored playing it however after about 3 1/2 weeks of playing it it stopped registering my down strokes. This is a common problem (you can search it and see).

On the other hand there are ppl who've purchased it and had no problems so it's a luck and chance thing I guess. Good Luck to those of you who decide to buy it. I hope you have better luck than I did.

Review by Mark:

Seeing as there is no alternative product, other than maybe a few cheaper knock-off guitars, this is your best way to go if you want to have some multiplayer Guitar Hero fun on your Wii.

It's the exact same guitar as the one packaged with the Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Bundle.

If you are debating on saving a few dollars to get a "knockoff version" such as the Nyko one, don't bother. I think you would be much better off investing a few more dollars to get the trustworthy guitar that was made by the company that is partnered with the Guitar Hero software developers.

Unfortunately, the price point is a bit on the expensive side, but it is cheaper here than anywhere else I've seen it.

So, if you are looking to play Guitar Hero on your Wii with a 2nd player guitar, look no further. This is the product we have all been awaiting for the past 5 months since Guitar Hero III's release back in November 2007. Have fun rocking out!

Review by rodjoh:

Great Quality. Works with GH3 and GH:World Tour. You do need a Wii remote for it though. Recommended if you need an extra guitar!

Review by Kara Stenberg:

I have both the RockBand 2 box-set guitar (black) and this stand-alone guitar. It seems there may be some variance between individual guitars as evidenced by reviewers here on Amazon but here is my experience:

First, the stand-alone is nearly identical in materials, weight, and durability, the only visible difference being that the original is shiny black and the stand-alone has a traditional "sunburst" design, not quite as shiny. Both look good to me.

The neck fret buttons are equally clicky on my black and stand-alone guitars and reaction times seem to be the same.

The major differences are in the strum bar and overdrive sensor:

* The strum bar has a very quiet click to it, much quieter than the original black guitar and feels a bit tighter, which I like a lot.

* The overdrive sensor is MUCH improved, setting off your overdrive immediately with no delay. I find that if I keep the guitar level while playing I don't have issues with setting it off accidentally though it would be very easy to do. I prefer the new sensitivity over the original guitar.

As a real-life guitar player with multiple instruments, I find that the differences give each peripheral its own "personality" and I don't prefer either over the other; I just grab the closest guitar and alter my playing ever so slightly for the quirks of each, just like with a real instrument.

I have not had any experience with guitar peripherals from other manufacturers (Mad Catz, Niko). I bought this guitar because of its high reviews and because the official guitars simply LOOK better than off-brand guitars. I have not been disappointed.

Review by mcg480:

I bought the Wii Rock Band 2 guitar/drum/mic/game kit from Amazon as well as the standalone RB2 guitar (for bass). I assumed the two guitars would be the same, but there are a couple of differences.

The first and most notable is the finish, the kit guitar is black & white while the standalone is sunburst. Not a big deal, actually I kind of like the variety.

The second difference that you won't figure out until you start playing is that the frets (not the strum bar) on the standalone guitar click, while the kit guitar does not click. I don't think this necessarily affects the ease of playing this guitar, but after playing the non-clicking kit guitar for a few hours, switching to this one feels kind of weird, and it *feels* like you have to work a bit harder to hit the buttons. Probably just my imagination though, as my score does not seem to be affected by which guitar I use, but it might bug some people.

Also note that I may have just got a bad guitar, perhaps it is not supposed to click.

Review by Halicon5:

I'm almost hesitant to write this review because of the fanboys out there. It is really impossible to review Guitar Hero World Tour and not compare it to Rock Band and previous Guitar World games. That's dangerous because there are two camps of fanboys, the "Guitar Hero Rulzorz!!!!!!!1!" fanboys and the "Rock Band Roxxors!!!!!!!!!" fanboys. Right at this moment the internet is their battleground and the empty, pointless insults and flame wars are flying through the internet tubes. It's irrational and it's stupid. Why is it so irrational? Because both games are pretty much pure awesome, but neither is perfect. I'll repeat it again. BOTH GAMES ARE PRETTY MUCH PURE AWESOME, BUT NEITHER IS PERFECT. Please don't hunt me down and poison my dog for saying that.

Most casual and family-fun gamers will have a blast with either Guitar Hero World Tour (GHWT) or Rock Band 2 (RB2). Both games cost about the same, many of the songs are available in both games, both games have downloadable content and online play. I seriously don't think a majority of the people that don't classify themselves as "hardcore" are going to notice or even care much about the subtle differences between the two games. If you have the choice, pick the PS3 or XBox 360 versions of games over the Wii versions.

IF YOU ONLY OWN A WII... do not buy choose Rock Band 1 instead of this game. Either buy Guitar Hero World Tour or wait for the more complete Rock Band 2 to hit the scene. Rock Band 1 has so many missing features that it's almost criminal, but Rock Band 2 is supposed to return with more features and will be able to compete with GHWT much butter. I can't compare GHWT to RB2 for the Wii since RB2 isn't out yet, but I don't think you'll be terribly disappointed if you chose GHWT, but I can't promise that.

Now to actually discuss the game itself. What do you get for your 0.00? A lot. The full-band version of the game includes a guitar controller, the 6 piece drum kit, a microphone, and the game. It's a big box and they pack a lot into it. I'm going to review each component individually and then the game itself.

THE GUITAR CONTROLLER:

I have a love-hate relationship with video game guitar controllers. I play real live intsruments and these things never feel right for me. GHWT's guitar is no different in that respect, although it has different features.

Guitar Pros:

+ The touch sensor on the neck is neat and innovative. I like it.

+ The whammy bar seems a bit more accessible

+ The strum bar is a bit clickier than the Rock Band guitars but not as stiff as Guitar Hero III (GH3).

+ Wireless.

+ Overall it feels very responsive.

Guitar Cons:

- The fret board buttons seem tougher to press in than RB2 and GH3. More fatigue on the left hand.

- WII ONLY: It requires a Wii Remote. I really don't like that.

- The whammy bar seems to swing down out of reach ocassionally when I'm not paying attention.

All in all, aside from the Wii remote insert requirement, it's a decent controller. The RB2 controllers annoy me because the strum bars are too mushy for my taste, but RB2 controllers have better response for the left hand fret buttons. Either way I think you're making a compromise. Sorry fanboys, no clear winner here.

THE DRUMS:

Ok... they should have just changed the name of the game to Drum Hero. Seriously, the drums feel that good.

Drum Pros:

+ The drum stand is a very solid contsruction. It has good weight and feels well made.

+ The elevated cymbals are just plain awesome. Improves the realism immensely.

+ The pads are a lot quieter than the RB1 and RB2 drum kits.

+ Wireless

+ The pads are pressure sensitive... if you hit harder or softer, the game responds to a degree.

+ The kick pedal feels more responsive than rock band pedals.

+ Velcro has been attached to the bottom of the kick peddle. I didn't notice at first, but what a nice touch....

Drum Cons:

- Crappy, generic sticks, just like RB1 and RB2 pack in. You may want to buy your own.

- The kick pedal feels flimsy. I really have a bad feeling it's going to break on me.

- WII ONLY: The drums require a Wii Remote also. Again, I really don't like that.

Taken as a whole, it feels like the developers for GHWT sat around reading a year's worth of internet complaints about the Rock Band drum kits and decided to make some very good improvements. Rock Band may have done it first, but GHWT is doing it better. The sole exception is the durability of the kick pedal. The kick pedal broke for a lot of people in rock band, and I have a bad feeling that GHWT's kick pedal is slightly less durable. If you are trying to decide between RB2 and GHWT and the drums are your big thing, I think GHWT is the better choice.

THE MICROPHONE:

I'll be honest, I haven't played much with the microphone on either RB2 or GHWT. I'm having too much fun with the guitars and drums on both games to care much about the vocals. Both systems feel pretty much identical, both have the singer stuck to a wired peripheral. Neither game has any kind of navigation controls which requires the singer to always have a regular controller sitting handy. Someone else probably has a better review of the vocal functions. Trust them, not me.

THE GAME ITSELF:

This is what really counts. No matter how good the peripherals are, if the game you are playing is a poorly programmed piece of junk it won't be any fun.

Guitar Hero Pros:

+ Features, features, features, features. Lot's of features and modes.

+ Every platform (Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360) appears to have all of the features, although Wii has a small storage space problem, but you're allowed to save things to SD card.

+ Did I mention that it is loaded with extra modes and features?

+ Note timing seems to be very solid. The game isn't forgiving, but it doesn't require such delicate precision that harder levels are unplayable.

+ Compared to GH3 the guitar lines feel more natural and less contrived. I was able to play guitar on "hard" right off the bat.

+ The drum lines feel really great and are a blast to play. A truly superior drum experience.

+ The drummer can trigger Super Power Rock Star Glowing mode at any time instead of waiting until preset moments like in Rock Band.

+ Graphics are clean crisp and generally don't get in the way.

+ Notes seem to stand out on the screen better than in Rock Band, and color blind people such as myself should be glad to know that the drums don't have a yellow kick-drum note sitting in a yellow-greenish background while in Rock Star Super Glowing mode.

+ I think hammer-ons work a bit better than in GH3 and RB, but I'm still deciding. They're definitely smoother than GH3, but it may be a matter of preference for how hammer-ons work between RB and GHWT.

Guitar Hero Cons:

- The MY BAND IS ABOUT TO FAIL meter is hard to read, tucked way off to the side, and generally sucks. Rock Band did that way better.

- I still am confused as to whether or not Rock Star Super Glowing Power mode is something everyone shares or builds up individually. Another example of something Rock Band clearly did better, in my opinion.

- I'm not sure why, but the notes in GHWT have the illusion of coming down faster than in RB2, which makes me feel rushed. I may be hallucinating, but I really feel there is a bit of adjustment between the two games.

- Menu navigation seems needlessly more difficult than either GH3 or RB2.

- You have to unlock most of the really cool songs. I hate this. I really, really, really, hate it. I hate it with acid, spiders, and scorpions. I wish music games would quit doing this... locking 70% of music library until you reach some arbitrary achievement is annoying and hurts the party-game atmosphere.

- This game will start some of the worst Rock Band VS Guitar Hero flame wars the internet has ever seen. Forget the hostile divide between McCain VS Obama supporters... these fanboys are out for blood. Some friendships will be ruined by this game. I wish I was kidding.

I've spent hours and hours playing both this game and Rock Band. Honestly, I think Guitar Hero World Tour is the better game when compared to Rock Band 2, BUT ONLY BY A LITTLE BIT. The drums are what do it for me. I'm willing to forgive the terribly designed MY BAND IS ABOUT TO FAIL meter, but that doesn't stop me from complaining about it. I don't like how Rock Star Super Glowing power is implemented as well, but the drummer can initiate it whenever they want, which is nice. When it comes down to it, both games are essentially the same. Go buy a game, grab some friends, and have some fun.

For people who want to draw bitter battle lines over the two games, I'll put it into perspective for you: be glad that you're financially stable enough to purchase a high quality 0 game from your developer of choice. Be glad that both of these companies are trying to one-up each other to provide the best experience out there to their customers. That kind of competition is exactly why both of these games are so spectacular.

(Except the Wii version of Rock Band 1...)

Review by Not My Name:

I just want to start off by saying i am not your super hardcore gamer. I believe all systems have their perks and if i could i would own one of everything. Nothing would ever beat the love i have for my Atari though, so if you will you can consider me an Atari fangirl.

I have never played any Guitar Hero games pre GHIII, but i have played it on both Wii and PS3. The only version of Rockband i have played is Xbox, so hopefully that gives you an idea of where the core of my review is coming from and why i will be relating GH4 to Rockband (Xbox) and GHIII (Wii).

DRUMS: I'm gonna start with the drums because lets be honest that is why most of us are getting the entire band kit.

Pros:

+ Compared to the Xbox version these drums are out of this world.

+ You get 2 cymbols which are connected by a "headphone" jack into the drum board it's self.

+ The cymbols can be raised or lowered to your prefered height

+ The stand for the drums is sturdier and can also be raised and lowered to your liking

+ They have a specific spot and two little "fingers" that flip out from the left and right side of the blue drum that will hold your sticks

+ The kick pedal is much much MUCH better than Rockband (Xbox). You no longer get shin splints from trying to hover your foot. If you rest back far enough on it, you can just let the GIANT spring that is now a part of the pedal hold the weight of your foot. (I'm only a size
+ For those of us who have carpet, there is velcrow on the bottom of the pedal to help hold it in place.

+ Drums are quieter than Rockband (Xbox) and the colored ring around the drum is rubber as well, so for those of us who miss sometimes, no more stick against plastic.

+ Hit sensativity on the drums, there are certain notes where the harder you hit (not as hard as you can) you'll get more points

+ Midi usb cable port in drums to upload things like the patch for some of the drums that are having problems with drum sensativity.

Cons: I know there has to be some flaws right?

- The sticks are cheap and light in weight, but they will work for now.

- While the cymbols are cool, they are more on the louder side of loud when being hit.

- You do have to have a wiimote in the drums, which is fine but that just means i will be going through and charging a lot more batteries.

- After awhile of playing you should check the lock nuts that hold the cymbols down as they tend to get loose.

- Drum sensativity for some is a major issue, which they have released a patch for.

- I don't really care for having to hit both cymbols at the same time for star power because while it's meant to pick up the next note for you as an automatic hit, a lot of the time it doesn't work.

GUITAR: Talk about an awesome invention.

Pros:

+ The weight is meant to be more "realistic".

+ The look and style

+ The touch pad makes it so you hold down the fret still, but can tap the touch bar instead of strum or slide your finger for the "Weh" sound.

+ Tilt action for star power or star power specific button

+ New style and look of the whammy bar that feels more realistic

Cons: One in every group.

- I hate the crappy guitar strap they give you, it's itchy and i always replace it with a real one

- The strum bar feels more like the Rockband one and has that lose clicking feel and sound (but maybe it's better built inside?)

MIC: Sing your heart out.

+ I have a really child like voice and i've done a few songs and it's worked out okay so far.

+ On one of the screens it also says something about if your voice is low, not to worry it will still work.

+ Has more weight to it for a real feel

Cons: More cons than the others.

- It's not wireless, but it still uses the Wiimote and it's batteries

- It takes a lot of effort to get it to work. It has to be plugged in while the system is off and then turned on, not in the middle of game play. (that was my experience anyway)

- The words that scroll by are so small and i have a flat screen 32in TV and was playing with JUST vocals

- The song choice is great for drums and guitar but i was born in the early 80's and do not know lots of the songs.

Overall the game is great. It has taken the Rockband idea and put it into the quality of GH. There are new features like downloadable content and the studio where you can go in and create your own music. I was not looking forward to this feature because i thought it was going to be a bit too complicated, but just a few minutes in there and i had the basics down and was loving it.

Like Rockband it gives you lots of options to create your own person, band name and band symbol. There are so many choices of items and things that i feel overwhelmed with them at times and i spent about 2 hours last night just creating my person and her drumset and it felt like no time had passed at all.

I think if you are into having a good time either just you, some friends or at a party this is a must have game. From what i've heard about Rockband Wii version, GH4 is the better way to go for features and fun. It's a solid game and i don't think you'll be dissapointed. I find it hard to believe that i have given other games 5 star reviews when this game just surpasses them all in fun. I would have given it a 10 star review if i could have.

Review by rodjoh:

This USB mic looks and feels very realistic and has a great quality feel. It works with all current consoles and even your computer, and it should work with any karaoke game, including Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Buy it!

Review by Stephen Rothenburgh:

I purchased this Guitar Hero World Tour microphone to go with the 2 wireless guitars I have and my rockband drum set. I really like how it is compatible with both Guitar Hero and Rockband and use it with both games. I would prefer it better if it were wireless, but it otherwise works great. It has the weight of a real mic and is used in conjunction with the controller. All I need now is a mic stand and a rocker attitude to go with it.

Review by Matthew Cordeiro:

I originally purchased this guitar as part of the band kit, but it's the same instrument. The Wii version requires a Wiimote for each guitar.

The World Tour guitar is the best guitar yet for Guitar Hero, at least compared to the other official Guitar Hero guitars. It's larger, and it looks and feels less like a toy. The buttons are responsive, and the strum bar is larger and quieter.

The whammy bar is longer, which in my opinion is not necessarily better. Plus, the bar tends to rotate down while I'm playing. The star power button is a waste. Is there anyone out there who uses this button instead of tilting the guitar upwards?

The touch pad is more difficult than using just the buttons and doesn't seem to add to the playing experience. Nobody uses the touch pad when we play, and I've written it off as technology for technology's sake. Luckily, it's not required, and you can play using just the buttons and the strum bar.

Overall, this is a good, reliable guitar and a significant improvement over the Guitar Hero III model.

Review by J. Wasserman:

I bought this as a second guitar so my fiancee and I could play together. After about a week it started acting up and one of the slider buttons was playing itself occasionally. If I disabled the slider in the game the problem went away. I contacted Red Octane about the problem. I had to pay to ship just the neck to them, but then they shipped me a full new guitar (now I have a spare body just in case). Other than that little problem (which Red Octane handled very well) it's great. No different than the one I got with the game.