It’s a phenomenon that has been sweeping the nation.  In living rooms across America, regular people have been picking up a video game controller and becoming what they have always dreamed of becoming.  A hero. . . a guitar hero that is.

With the new video game Guitar Hero III for Wii and its latest updated version, people have been able to rock out in their very own homes.  In the game, you use a guitar controller to master the various songs that are available.  Each controller is equipped with various colored buttons for one hand to push, and another lever that you will be hitting with your thumb.  The guitar controller even comes with a whammy stick so you can really get into your rock and roll sound. As the songs play, you will see color-coded circles descending on the screen.  As they reach the line at the bottom, you need to synchronize their timing with your hitting of the keys on the controller.  As you get better and better you can work your way up through the levels.  As you progress through the songs, you also get to accumulate fans and sponsors allowing you to gain new songs, and new gear.

The first thing that you’ll do when you get started is to customize your guitar player.  You’ll be able to select their gender, name them, and select what type of rocker they are.  Are they more into punk rock or goth rock?  From there, you’ll select your rock stars clothing and accessories.  Perhaps even more important, you’ll be able to choose your rockers instrument to really get them started.  From there you start working through your rock stars career.

Guitar Hero is such a popular game that it is available on most major video game systems.  You can get a guitar hero pack for the PS3, Xbox 360, and the Nintendo Wii.  On all of the systems, you are required to have the guitar controller to play.  However, the Nintendo Wii’s controller is a little more special than the ones for the PS3 or Xbox 360.  The Nintendo Wii’s controller has built in speakers in the guitar giving you the feeling of having your own amp right with you for that really rock and roll experience.

One thing that Wii doesn’t have is downloadable content.  Both the PS3 and Xbox 360 have the capability of downloading extra songs and accessories for your own rock star.  However, Nintendo is working on making this happen soon.  That being said the PS3 versions graphics are a bit lacking from the other versions of Guitar Hero.  The Wii’s guitar remote will need to be plugged into the gaming console where as the Xbox 360 does have a wireless guitar controller available.

All in all, there are many small differences between the different medias of Guitar Hero.  However, the essential point of the game is the same in all versions and the experience is fairly similar in all three.  No matter what you will be able to rock out at home and become the guitar hero that you’d always dreamed of becoming.