GENRE
	Music
	DEVELOPER
	Neversoft / Vicarious Visions
	PUBLISHER
	Activision
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1-4
	WI-FI ENHANCED
	Yes
	DS COMPATIBLE
	No
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The biggest game of the decade is in one of gaming's newest genres. In the 80s it was Super Mario Bros. In the 90s it was Super Mario 64. But in this decade, without platforms, powerups, or plumbers, it's Guitar Hero. That surprise PlayStation 2 hit spawned more that just a gaming franchise, it spawned a gaming style.

Music games now grace every console in every fashion, and while the Guitar Hero series now faces hit competition, it remains the lord of rock. Criticize the many sequels and track packs if you want, but the series expands in both traditional and unexpected ways with Guitar Hero World Tour, the undisputed pinnacle of the franchise.

visuals

While Rock Band has taken a grainy, visceral feel to the stage and scene, Guitar Hero has always kept a more lighthearted, cartoony approach. For World Tour, the series moves to the independent middle. While the characters are in place, they've become a little more current-generation. Some Wii owners will appreciate the slight head tilt to realism, but it doesn't draw the player in like previous entries. And it doesn't help that some jagged edges and a continuously stiff audience reminds all nerd-rockers that they are playing a video game. (Kudos for product placement, however; the KFC buckets look sharp and are rather tough to miss.)

audio

Ultimately, the background is truly just background in World Tour. This game could be played against plaid without losing much in quality. Music games are in major part built on their soundtrack, and World Tour boasts its most extensive set yet. There are 80+ songs on the disc, all by the original artists. They are quite varied in style, and generally fun with any instrument.

World Tour again takes advantage of the Wii Remote's speaker, providing the same depth of sound as in Legends of Rock. A missed chord will produce a painful screech, a nice touch not available on other consoles. Also, the in-game options lets players adjust the volume of each musical track, so if you like your drummers cranked up to 11 and your bassist nonexistent, you can adjust the volume accordingly.

gameplay

With any remote knowledge of current video games, the Guitar Hero format should be familiar. Colored notes run down a note highway that acts as the players' sheet music. Players must press the correct button on the guitar controller while strumming as the note is played in the song.

New to the Guitar Hero franchise (although not new to the genre) is the long-awaited inclusion of percussion and vocals. Drums follow the same pattern as the guitar; players must hit the correct pad at the correct time. Singers, meanwhile, must stay on key, raising and lowering their voices as the words scroll across the screen.

In addition to the introduction of new inputs, World Tour also manages to introduce other subtle elements that keep the experience fresh and challenging. First, the guitar takes a page from Rock Band by adding functionality beyond the traditional five fret buttons. A touch-sensitive slider extends up the neck, which players can use on particular notes as if they were "sliding" their hands across the guitar to pick the strings. The game gives plenty of leeway on the timing of these notes and, unlike the skinnier Rock Band buttons, the slider is far easier to use. The rest of the controller is clean and clear and easily the best of either series.

Like the audio settings, a new "Beginner" difficultly level is a nice addition to draw in new players. You'll see more notes than you will in Easy, but colored notes are substituted with kick pedal-like bars that allow any note to be played. It makes the mode more of a toy, as players need only to stay on beat, but it’s a good way to get mom or dad or any other Guitar Hero novice into the fold. It's also helpful for learning the drums for those making their percussion debut -- on a quieter, pressure-sensitive drum set far superior to its Rock Band rival. A Wii-exclusive Freestyle Mode gives another toy-like section with Mii integration for family friendly play.

World Tour even manages to slip in some unexpected new maneuvers into the core gameplay. The best are consecutive sustained notes that build upon one another. For example, a player may hold a green note, then add a red, then add a yellow. By the end of the sequence, the player is holding all three. Give Santeria a try for a good example. The first time you see it, you'll mess it up, but grin at a bit of ingenuity where it was least expected.

In a particularly welcome decision, downloadable content finally comes to Wii in full force, with songs streamed directly off an SD card to for some much needed space saving. The online music store is done completely through the game and works extremely well. The only drawback is that Wii Points still need to be purchased through the Shop Channel. The developer also slipped in a handy countdown timer when players pause the game. It's a simple, likely overlooked feature, but another example of how the series continues to build upon itself in a variety of ways.

So while the core gameplay is positively tweaked, the true draw of World Tour lies in the expertly designed music studio. While our first song attempts -- uninspired renditions of the Tetris theme -- left much to be desired, they provided a playground for our far better rockified Ode to Joy, a song we've lost hours upon hours creating. Each of 5 distinct tracks -- lead, bass, rhythm, drums, and keyboard -- are recorded separately, creating an authentic feel through either a "live studio" or the refined GHMix. The former is great for some freestyling experiments with the dozens of instrument versions, while the latter lets players refine the work, placing notes precisely where they should be. Finish the song and upload it to share with other, then download the many impressive originals already listed online for free. The number of options is impressive, particularly for the series' first shot at music creation. It's daunting at first, but with a little patience, it is easily the most addicting part of World Tour's impressive playlist of features and the most important addition to the genre since the original.

multiplayer

World Tour goes back online with a well rounded set of modes that allows almost any combination of in-the-room and anywhere-out-there players to play together. Games are easier to set up than in Legends of Rock, with full four-on-four battles (if you have the band mates available) and other co-op and adversarial matches.

overall

This game overflows with features, options, additions, and adjectives. But what stands out is the thoughtfulness of nearly mode, both in the upfront necessity and the quietly appreciated. The developers' goal for Guitar Hero World Tour blares loud and clear -- to make the world's best music game. Mission accomplished.

9.8/10