Skip ahead to the Master Song List, including specific dates for upcoming downloadable content.

Rock Band: the words are music to the ears of every Guitar Hero fan. The new rhythm game from Harmonix--the developers of Guitar Hero 1 and 2--is more of a music delivery platform than a simple continuation of the gem-scrolling formula. It expands the instrument selection, adding a microphone for singing and a drum set for tapping, in addition to the bass and lead guitars. It brings the whole thing online, adding several modes for four-player rocking. And, most importantly, it brings with it the promise of downloadable songs, released on a weekly basis.

"But Nick," you sing in a high falsetto, "What's the deal with the online modes? I heard there won't be that many. And DLC is great, but are we only going to get a few Foo Fighters songs every week? Say it ain't so. Also, I played the game at Best Buy and the guitar was broken. Is this the real game? Or is this just fantasy?"

"I see a little information for you man," I reply, spotlights casting an eerie shadow on my face. "Rock Band guide, Rock Band guide, here it is and it's a huge thing."

The Game
Most probably know the basics by now. Rock Band takes Guitar Hero, adds the drummer's scrolling window next to the bass and lead guitar, and slides a horizontal display up to the top of the screen for the vocalist's lyrics. It's a jam-packed screen for quartet jamming, and it works great.

Mechanically speaking, gameplay is similar to Guitar Hero in most respects. Outside of the added players, the largest difference comes with Rock Band's combined band meter. When a player is dropped from the game for poor performance, the remaining players can use Rock Band's version of Star Power--dubbed Overdrive--to bring them back into play. If all four members are "alive" by the end of the song, the band enters a jam session, earning bonus points for playing or singing random riffs.

The Release Dates
The game itself hits stores in the US on Tuesday, November 20th for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, with a PlayStation 2 version arriving on December 18th. Unfortunately, as we reported earlier this week, Canadian rocker-wannabes will be waiting a few extra weeks to get their hands on any version of Rock Band. The game's been delayed for the Great White North until December 17.

Wii owners may have the longest to wait, but could have a surprise in store for them when a potential Rock Band port arrives. Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos has stated in the past that the game will likely make an appearance on Nintendo's system, adding that it would take advantage of the Wii remote in some way.

The Bundle
For those with Guitar Hero guitars and light wallets, the stand-alone disc can be found for the standard $60, or $50 on the PS2. However, individual instruments will not be available for purchase at launch. Unless you shell out the full $170 for the bundle--which includes the guitar, microphone, drum set, USB hub (PS2 and 360 versions), and game--you'll have to either find a friend with the extra instruments, or play online with your existing guitar to get the full effect. Even those that buy the bundle will need to procure an extra guitar in order to singlehandedly fill out their band. Pricing for the individual controllers has not yet been finalized.

There are a few minor differences between the Xbox 360 and PS3 bundles. The PS3 bundle comes with a wireless guitar (achieved using a USB dongle), while the Xbox 360's Stratocaster is wired. This discrepancy will exist for at least a few months; Harmonix will be releasing a wireless 360 Rock Band controller early next year. The PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 packages will come with an external four-port USB hub in order to accommodate the multiple instruments, whereas PlayStation 3 consoles will have enough existing ports to handle the extra peripherals. Lastly, the PlayStation 2 version will not be supported with downloadable content, a major black mark on that particular version.

The Guitar

Rock Band's Stratocaster-styled axe represents a shift from previous Guitar Hero utensils, and not simply due to its more realistic appearance. It adds an extra set of frets near the base of the neck, allowing shredders to tap out hammer-ons and pull-offs without needing to strum. One minor gameplay note: bass players can now earn up to a 6x score multiplier, as compared to the 4x for other instruments, increasing the importance of the sometimes-repetitive role.

Also new is a five-switch effects knob, which applies a chorus, auto-wah, echo or flange effect to the band when Overdrive is activated--still achieved by either vertically raising the guitar, or hitting the select button. While the game obviously supports "Lefty Flip" mode for left-handed players, the new Stratocaster also features a detachable strap peg, allowing for more comfortable use by those with south paws.

The Compatibility
Guitar controller compatibility is becoming an obnoxious, headache-inducing internet pastime. And so, with the release of a Guitar Hero competitor, the question is even more complicated: what the hell guitar do I need to play this game?

The answer? All Xbox 360 guitars are compatible with Rock Band. All of them. Even most third-party controllers should work. However, things aren't quite as rosy for PlayStation 3 owners.

For Xbox 360 owners, both the Guitar Hero 2 X-plorer and wireless Guitar Hero 3 Les Paul will fill in as extra instruments. PlayStation 2 users have their pick of controllers released to this point, although while Harmonix has stated third-party controllers will work, testing results are scarce at this point.

As for the PlayStation 3, it was once believed that any PS3 Guitar Hero guitar would work. However, IGN reports that the PlayStation 3's wireless Guitar Hero 3 controller, the Les Paul, won't work with Rock Band, at least in its current slate. That puts PS3 owners in a tough spot, as individual Rock Band instruments won't be available until next year and there aren't any other guitars they can use with the game. However, the PS3's wireless Rock Band controller is interoperable with the PS2 version, and vice versa.

On the flip side, Rock Band guitars do not reliably function with Guitar Hero games--publisher RedOctane has been notoriously unfriendly to third-party peripherals with its games--making the Guitar Hero-branded controllers the most compatible between the two franchises. Of course, no Guitar Hero controllers feature the Rock Band effects knob. Feel that headache coming on?

Unfortunately, there really is no ideal solution for Xbox 360 users who wish to continue playing previous Guitar Hero games. The best combination would be a Guitar Hero 3 wireless Les Paul for bass, with a wired Rock Band controller for lead guitar--if the Les Paul wasn't known for having problems with its detachable neck, dropping notes at random in some cases. And the X-plorer is undoubtedly the worst of all 360 guitars, making it an even less attractive option. Hopefully most prospective buyers will already own a guitar, thus freeing themselves of the hard choice.

Demo Unit Quality Assurance
Build quality of the expensive instruments is a major concern following the many reported issues with Guitar Hero 3 controllers. If you've played Rock Band at a Best Buy or Wal-Mart and noticed a strum bar felt a little weak, or a drum pad a little noisy, don't fret. According to Harmonix community manager Sean Baptiste and others, the peripherals are quite a bit sturdier in their final form, and demo units are in the process of being replaced with finalized equipment.

"Keep in mind that the final drums are a bit quieter than what's on display at Best Buy/Walmart," says well-known Harmonix employee CptUnderpant on the Something Awful forums. "The retail guitars also have sturdier strum bars, especially for downstrums."

Read on for information about the drums, the microphone, the game's various modes, and the full song list.