With the 360 version, Red Octane has designed a new guitar. It not only has the expected USB connection, but it's also patterned after different Gibson model, the X-Plorer. It's all white with a black neck. There's ports on the bottom for the Live headset and further expansion. The buttons are a little smaller, and the width and depth of the neck are a little smaller as well. I've found this controller to be more comfortable, and I've scored better overall with it than with the PS2 controller. Of course that opinion may vary from gamer to gamer.

The online options are sparse but very important. First, there's online leaderboards for high scores. They are broken down by song and career scores, and you can narrow the list down by weekly rankings and/or by friends only. Second, and most important, new songs will be available for download in the Marketplace. I was hoping that the soundtrack from the first game would be available upon release, but that was not the case. The potential is huge though. Unfortunately you can't play with a friend either cooperatively or competitively over Live, but that too may become available via Marketplace download. Personally, I'd like to see that hypothetical online mode accompanied by Live camera support too.

Audio and visuals have both received an upgrade. The game is now native 720p, which along with some better lighting and high quality models, really adds a lot to the overall presentation. My ears tell me that the sound quality is also better than the PS2 version. I feel like I can pick out sharper and more distinct sounds in each of the songs. Speaking of songs, there are 10 new ones added to this release, including the master track for Possum Kingdom by the Toadies and a Pearl Jam song among others.

Guitar Hero II rings in with a pretty hefty price tag at $90, but a price that I'd be more than willing to pay. Honestly, I can't get enough of this game, and by the look of the number of people on the leaderboard, I'm not the only one. Ok Harmonix, bring on Rock Band!