You'd have to try really hard to mess up Guitar Hero III. The developers at Neversoft, taking over the series from creator Harmonix, do no such thing. Instead, they do a (mostly) good job of introducing subtle improvements, adding a few new features, and working with an exciting song list, often with the participation of the original artists. But they also miss the point just a teensy bit. For better and worse, it's all part of Guitar Hero growing up.

And although PlayStation 2 has the largest library of content beyond Guitar Hero III (the original Guitar Hero, Guitar Hero II, Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s), it's fallen hopelessly behind in terms of visual splash and online support. The new glitzy graphics don't fare well on this last-gen system, even with widescreen and progressive scan options enabled. If you've seen the game in its HD glory, this will be something of an eyesore. And while it's no big deal to not be able to play online against random strangers, it is disappointing to be left out of the community options offered on the Xbox 360 version. For PS2 owners, it was a fun ride, but this looks like the end. Guitar Hero has left the building.

If you've been living in a cave, it's time to move out and tap into the phenomenon of Guitar Hero. No one -- and we mean no one -- has any business not playing a Guitar Hero. This isn't just a rhythm game set to popular music and featuring a guitar controller. It's an ode to rock, a paean to pop, a love letter to your favorite bands, and a tribute to the interactive power of music. By pressing buttons and strumming the guitar controller in time with a scrolling series of notes, you enable the guitar track on the song. The illusion that follows is that you're the one playing. Of course, you probably knew this already and just want to know what the deal is with this latest version. Fair enough.

The subtle improvements in Guitar Hero III include touches like brightly lit notes for tricky hammer-ons and pull-offs. These alternate ways to hit a note separate the rock gods from the almost-famous, and they're much more user-friendly this time. Using your Star Power bonus doesn't jerk the fret board; this happens only when you mess up a note. The "hit detection," if you will, seems a bit more forgiving this time around. Guitar Hero III doesn't want you to fail. It's on your side.

One step backward is Guitar Hero III's trashy stripper aesthetic. The new Judy Nails struts around, breast implants leading the way, more porn star than punker. During one encore, a pair of, umm, "exotic dancers" prance out onto stage and writhe while you play the song. They tag along when you play at the prison, where they dance inside cages. You'll also notice the currency for the online metagame is "groupies." Classy. Guitar Hero has, until now, been an un-cynical and affectionate game, conveniently overlooking the seedier side of rock. Neversoft seems not to have gotten that memo.

The loading screen comments are another sign of this. Whereas Harmonix treated you to humorous and insightful comments about band culture, Neversoft can't quite achieve the tone. During the loading screens, they're trying too hard to be funny, insulting you, or selling something (Guitar Hero III has its share of in-game ads, including for noted hard-rocking car makers Pontiac). Furthermore, the presence of Poison's Bret Michaels (looking slightly confused as to whether he's a member of an '80s hair band or the Village People), Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello (looking like some random auto mechanic who stumbled into the game), and Guns N' Roses' Slash (looking like Slash) snaps Guitar Hero out of its idealized world of fantasy rock into something a little less perfect and universal. This is what selling out looks like.

The upside of selling out is that there are fewer sound-alikes and more artists lending their original recordings, or even remixing their songs specifically for the game. As with the previous Guitar Heroes, you get a carefully calculated collection of old, new, obscure and popular. For many of the artists who've participated in the series, it seems like they've finally contributed the choice songs they've been sitting on all this while: 'Welcome to the Jungle' from Guns N' Roses, 'Paint It Black' from the Rolling Stones, 'La Grange' from ZZ Top, 'Black Magic Woman' from Santana, 'Cherub Rock' from Smashing Pumpkins and 'Even Flow' from Pearl Jam. New musicians who've finally seen the Guitar Hero light include the Beastie Boys, Muse, Sonic Youth and Tenacious D. Welcome, guys. It's about time.

It's arguably the best song list of any Guitar Hero yet. There are very few songs that seem to have been added for cheese value. Pat Benatar's 'Hit Me With Your Best Shot' seems to be the sole example, no offense to the hardcore Pat Benatar fans. By the way, kudos to Guitar Hero III for not wussing out and bleeping the "N" word out of the Dead Kennedys' 'Holiday in Cambodia' remix. But why change the phrase "kiss ass" to "kiss up?'

Neversoft deserves a special tip of the hat for putting some much-needed creativity into the multiplayer modes. One of the most exciting new features is a battle mode that lets two players collect "griefing" power-ups to mess each other up. It's nice to have a mode that's actually interactive beyond two people simply playing in parallel. Also, the cooperative mode now has its own campaign, which unlocks songs in a different order than the single-player campaign.

The new wireless guitar feels a lot less like a flimsy toy. The buttons are crisply responsive; the strummer bar doesn't click quite so loudly while you're playing; and the neck detaches for more convenient storage or transportation. It's enough to justify the higher price point.

Where the franchise goes from here remains to be seen, particularly now that it's got some competition from EA's Rock Band. And it's worth noting that future Guitar Heroes are almost certain to be developed primarily for next-gen systems. In the meantime, this is the Guitar Hero you've been waiting for. Bravo, Activision and Neversoft. Bravo.

This review is based on a retail copy provided by the publisher.