Guitar Hero

CHICAGO – Activision has been accused of milking the music game genre to the point of absolute exhaustion and with “Guitar Hero: Van Halen,” “Band Hero,” and “Guitar Hero 5” crowding store shelves this holiday season, it’s difficult to disagree. And yet “DJ Hero” somehow finds a way to rejuvenate a genre on the ropes, bringing a new approach to the music game that is remarkably addictive. Put away the drums and the mic (but leave the guitar out) and jump into the world of “DJ Hero”.

CHICAGO – “The Beatles: Rock Band” is easily the most fulfilling music gaming experience to date. As someone who has played all of the “Guitar Hero” and “Rock Band” releases so far, I can tell you from experience that most of these titles are easy to pick up and put down without a concrete narrative to drive a player from beginning to end.

CHICAGO – How do you judge a game like “Guitar Hero: Smash Hits”? Like a greatest hits collection for a respected artist, the actual content of the title is sure to give fans what they’re looking for with hours of entertainment. Only when you look deeper at the decisions made in the production of the game and the delivery of its content does “Smash Hits” begin to frustrate.

Video Game Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – If you’re like most people who own a television, you’ve probably seen “American Idol” at least once in its near-decade of ratings dominance and thought that you could do better than the pop star wannabe on the stage. Now you can try and achieve “AI” dominance on your own with “Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol Encore 2”. Practice your Mariah Carey note runs.

CHICAGO – Activision sent over the news today about two new titles that are sure to get music game fans excited - “Guitar Hero Greatest Hits” and “Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits”. The two new titles in the “Guitar Hero” family will debut in June and we have screenshots and details on these newly announced games below.