Guitar Hero 3 – Legends of Rock is a music rhythm game. As the title implies, this is already the 3rd installment of the popular videogame series with the plastic guitar controller.

Wireless Nintendo Wii version

Assuming your family is new to Guitar Hero, here is how it works:
An extended guitar neck is shown on screen, scrolling towards the player. As the song progresses, colored markers indicating notes travel down the screen in time with the music. The note colors and positions match those of the five fret keys on the guitar controller. Once the note(s) reach the bottom, the player must play the note(s) by holding down the correct fret button(s) and hitting the strumming bar in order to score points. Success or failure will cause the on-screen Rock Meter to change, showing how well the player is playing.

If and how much fun your family will have will largely depend on your taste of music. The game features a nice variety of current and classic punk, rock and heavy metal songs. The ESRB consequently had to give it a Teen rating for Mild Lyrics. (See the song list below). We recommend the game for players 10 years and up, mostly due to the level of difficulty.

Guitar Hero veterans will find little new in this latest addition, aside from online multiplayer and a much more difficult Expert Mode. The only real highlight is the new wireless guitar controller. You may want to consider moving fragile items away from the TV, as your kids discover their inner rock star…

All said and done, Guitar Hero 3 – Legends of Rock is a lot of fun to play, but offers little new if your family already owns a prior version of the game. Take a look at the track list and decide if it’s worth $90 (includes Guitar) or if you should invest in EA’s RockBand.

TRACK LIST

1. Starting Out Small

• “Slow Ride” – Foghat
• “Talk Dirty to Me” – Poison † (Vocals re-recorded by Bret Michaels)
• “Hit Me with Your Best Shot” – Pat Benatar
• “Story of My Life” – Social Distortion
• “Rock and Roll All Nite” – Kiss (Encore)

2. Your First Real Gig

• “Mississippi Queen” – Mountain
• “School’s Out” – Alice Cooper
• “Sunshine of Your Love” – Cream
• “Barracuda” – Heart
• “Guitar Battle vs. Tom Morello” (Original composition)
• “Bulls on Parade” – Rage Against the Machine (Encore)

3. Making the Video

• “When You Were Young” – The Killers
• “Miss Murder” – AFI
• “The Seeker” – The Who
• “Lay Down” – Priestess
• “Paint It, Black” – The Rolling Stones (Encore)

4. European Invasion

• “Paranoid” – Black Sabbath
• “Anarchy in the U.K.” – Sex Pistols †
• “Kool Thing” – Sonic Youth
• “My Name Is Jonas” – Weezer
• “Even Flow” – Pearl Jam (Encore)

5. Shanker’s Island

• “Holiday in Cambodia” – Dead Kennedys
• “Rock You Like a Hurricane” – Scorpions
• “Same Old Song and Dance” – Aerosmith
• “La Grange” – ZZ Top
• “Guitar Battle vs. Slash ” (Original composition)
• “Welcome to the Jungle” – Guns N’ Roses (Encore)

6. The Hottest Band on Earth

• “Black Magic Woman” – Santana
• “Cherub Rock” – The Smashing Pumpkins
• “Black Sunshine” – White Zombie
• “The Metal” – Tenacious D
• “Pride and Joy” – Stevie Ray Vaughan (Encore)

7. Live in Japan

• “Before I Forget” – Slipknot
• “Stricken” – Disturbed
• “3’s & 7’s” – Queens of the Stone Age
• “Knights of Cydonia” – Muse
• “Cult of Personality” – Living Colour † (Encore)

8. Battle for Your Soul

• “Raining Blood” - Slayer
• “Cliffs of Dover” – Eric Johnson*
• “The Number of the Beast” – Iron Maiden
• “One” – Metallica
• “Guitar Battle vs. Lou” (The Devil Went Down to Georgia – Steve Ouimette, original song by The Charlie Daniels Band)

Bonus tracks

• “Avalancha” – Héroes del Silencio
• “Can’t Be Saved” – Senses Fail
• “Closer” – Lacuna Coil
• “Don’t Hold Back” – The Sleeping
• “Down ‘N Dirty” – LA Slum Lords
• “F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X.” – The Fall of Troy
• “Generation Rock” – Revolverheld
• “Go That Far” – Bret Michaels Band
• “Hier Kommt Alex” – Die Toten Hosen
• “I’m in the Band” – The Hellacopters
• “Impulse” - An Endless Sporadic
• “In the Belly of a Shark” – Gallows
• “In Love” – Scouts of St. Sebastian
• “Mauvais Garçon” – Naast
• “Metal Heavy Lady” – Lions
• “Minus Celsius” – Backyard Babies
• “My Curse” – Killswitch Engage
• “Nothing for Me Here” – Dope
• “Prayer of the Refugee” – Rise Against
• “Radio Song” – Superbus
• “Ruby” – Kaiser Chiefs
• “She Bangs the Drums” – The Stone Roses
• “Take This Life” – In Flames
• “The Way It Ends” – Prototype
• “Through the Fire and Flames” – DragonForce

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Bundle for Microsoft Xbox360

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Bundle for Nintendo Wii

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