As was the case during Day 1, all Guitar Hero III demo units were being played on the Xbox 360. As a result, we didn't get to see the controllers being made for the Sony and Nintendo consoles - with the latter being the more interesting of the bunch. The Nintendo Wii guitar controller incorporates the Wii remote for some added applications - such as more localized missed-note "pings" and a slight rumble to the beat of the song being played, so it would have been nice to check this out firsthand.
The Xbox 360 Gibson Les Paul controller is wireless and comes in a shiny, piano black sheen with black fret buttons outlined at the rim in their traditional colors. By the time we got our mitts on it, the body was smudged with fingerprints. Stepping into the guitar strap, we found that the guitar had some added heft when compared to the Xbox 360 Gibson X-Plorer and the Playstation 2 Gibson SG controllers. While it might contribute to some shoulder pain in the long run - we obviously didn't have time for a marathon test run - it'll likely feel more familiar to guitarists who are used to the weight of a real instrument. The heavier sensation also helps the controller to feel sturdier and less like a light, fragile toy. Unfortunately, we did not get to try out the unit's detachable neck.
Actually playing the guitar yielded mixed opinions. The whammy bar and the strum bar felt very good, with the strum bar actually feeling more responsive. The fret buttons, however, were mushier - reminiscent of the Playstation 2 controllers. Our army of two was divided on the experience, with the obvious conclusion being this: those who prefer the Gibson X-Plorer's "clickier" fret buttons will have to get used to the mush; those who prefer the Gibson SG's squishier buttons will feel right at home.
We also got to try out the battle mode, which ended up being a failed endeavor. Without any instruction on how the mode worked, one of us defeated the other in all of ten seconds. Baffled, we went right back to Pro-Face Off mode so that we would at least know what we were getting into. We played Even Flow, by Pearl Jam, and it boasted another fun, challenging note chart to play through.
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is slated to ship on October 28th, 2007. RedOctane has priced the Wii and Playstation 2 1-guitar wireless bundles at $89.99, with the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 1-guitar wireless bundles going for $99.99.