Video Games

B For Xbox 360 (also on PlayStation 3 and Wii). Rated for ages 13 and up. $59.

GETTING THE BAND BACK TOGETHER: If Rock Band had never existed, then Rock Band 2 would be an unqualified smash. The new songs, wireless instruments and superb online play are substantial improvements over the original. But if you already own the original, RB2 isn't an automatic purchase.

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE: Rock Band 2 will feel familiar to fans of the first game, from the menus to the game-play. It took me a few songs to remind my fingers how everything worked, but I was soon jamming to newly added tunes such as "Eye of the Tiger" and "Spirit in the Sky."

CHOOSE YOUR WEAPONS: While you can buy RB2 as a standalone game for $59 and use your wired instruments from the original Rock Band, the new wireless guitar and drums are such a massive upgrade that they're almost indispensable. (The game, drum set and a guitar are available in a $189 bundle.) My kids like to run around the living room like chocolate milk-drinking groupies when I play, and they frequently ripped out the controller cords when I was thrashing in Rock Band. With the new instruments, your fans can bounce around and you can kick and twirl to your heart's content without strangling yourself. I wish the wireless instruments used the same rechargeable battery packs as standard Xbox 360 wireless controllers, though, rather than traditional AA batteries.

BOTTOM LINE: RB2 is a great game, but a middling sequel. Most of the content could have easily been released as a downloadable add-on for $30, rather than a $60 DVD. Plus, all the best songs take forever to unlock (although a cheat code is easily found online to unlock everything). Finally, while the drums are quieter than the original set, they're still made of loud plastic and still not as fun as the guitar. Even so, every time I finished playing I had a huge grin on my face and dry, scratchy eyeballs from being unable to tear my eyes away from the screen.

Victor Godinez

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