Despite Harmonix having let go of the reigns in order to develop its Rock Band franchise, and with so many thumbs now in Guitar Hero's lucrative pie (just take a look at all the numerous corporate logo's during the boot-up sequence), it's surprising to once again find there's very little difference to the basic structure and gameplay honed just over two years ago. Five coloured 'fret buttons', one 'strum bar', rhythmic concentration and hundreds of DayGlo blobs scrolling before the player's eyes - the fact that almost everything in the game remains unchanged from previous iterations is perhaps testament to the quality of the original concept. With contributions from real-life heroes Tom Morello and Slash for the game's Battle mode sections, there's a little bit of extra variety thrown in for good measure.

The white Les Paul guitar that comes with the Wii version of Guitar Hero III cleverly takes advantage of the remote's wireless capabilities, and also negates the need for extra add-ons. Simply opening up the small hatch on the back of the guitar reveals a controller extension to connect the remote to, and this snugly fits into the casing. As comfortable as ever, (though somewhat smaller than you might expect, of course) the only dubious question of its quality is in the whammy bar, which seems to lose its rigidity after only a short while of play, slumping downwards when held at an angle. This can make those impromptu flourishes a little less natural when having to reach down, only to find air where the bar should be.

Into the game, you have the usual options. 'Career' has your avatar playing through a handful of songs at various digs, gradually rising to super-stardom and more extravagant venues and crowds. Money earned from each show can be spent at the 'Store', where anything from guitars, outfits and even songs can be purchased. As well as the standard multiplayer modes and a more in-depth 'Practice' mode, the most interesting addition in Guitar Hero III is, of course, the online mode. Similar to the game-types available in the multi-player game, plus a whole host of other matching options, the Wi-Fi online mode for once gives you the chance to pit your skills against someone other than yourself. Given the exacting nature of Guitar Hero, it's impressive that the online experience is very stable and responsive, with little to no instances of lag and only the occasional difficulty in searching for matches. Win/loss records can be accumulated, if you so desire, and the best axe-wielders will have their scores immortalised up on the leaderboards. Although there are no extra downloadable songs for the Wii version, overall, online Guitar Hero is a success, adding that extra little bit of pressure to perform a song well: almost like doing a live gig itself, you might say. 'Almost' being the key word here. It's still not quite the same as playing by yourself, where the emphasis is more on your own performance; the online (particularly in co-op mode) is by its nature more removed, and less about the desire to throw your body around.

The Guitar Hero experience is physical, and an exhilarating one, too. Whilst the 'Easy' setting lures in most players with just those three buttons to learn, it's only within 'Medium' difficulty that the real experience begins. Not only does it add in another button to learn - forcing you to alter your grip and increase your concentration - the speed and addition of chords means it's a difficult but far more rewarding experience when you chain together a satisfying riff. Often, once into a chorus or a verse, you'll find your fingers automatically take over from your eyes, expertly hitting every note as it flashes by, but not really knowing how it just happened. It's best to just not question it, because Guitar Hero is a consuming, zonal type of game. The nailing of a solo or a thunderous instrumental at the end of a song, legs apart and thrashing the toy guitar aside as the song ends - it's undeniably fun, even thrilling. There's still that nagging feeling that there's just a little bit too much of an upward step required when moving from 'Medium' to 'Hard' though, and, in general, Guitar Hero III does seem to be more difficult than the previous two games. Expert mode, meanwhile, is just ridiculous. However, there will be a point, or, more specifically, a song, that finally teaches you how to play with the increased pace and skill required. There are one or two notable instances where button patterns don't pair up with the timing you expect, but mostly they're spot on.

Arguably, Guitar Hero III has the best selection of music in the series so far, and although there are fewer slow-paced songs than before, there is a nice mix of modern and classic tracks within the 70+ licensed soundtrack: from the likes of '60s-era Stones and '70s Black Sabbath, right up to the Killers and AFI. Also good news to some will be the discovery of a healthier focus on alternative '90's songs from the likes of Rage Against the Machine, Sonic Youth, Weezer and Smashing Pumpkins, and less on garish '70s and '80s arena-rockers like Poison and KISS (though they're also here). The inclusion (albeit as a tucked-away bonus-track purchased amongst others from the record store) of the imbecilic Kaiser Chief's rowdy anthem 'Ruby' was surely someone's idea of an inappropriate joke, though.

There doesn't seem to be anywhere creatively for the series to go after this, though doubtless the publisher, Activision, will try in vain to do just that; the upcoming World Tour and band-specific editions squeezing every last drop out of GH's generous teat. If not, this is a fitting conclusion, and despite the expense, is a worthy purchase, particularly if you're one of the few who have yet to savour its raucous delights.