Fans can once again whip out their Gibson-shaped SG guitar controllers and shred to their favorite rock tracks. PS2-exclusive Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s features retro rock venues and hipster characters, unlockable guitars, intense game play modes, and most importantly 30 awesome new songs to experience the ultimate rock star fantasy.

The list of finger-melting tracks includes: I Wanna Rock (by Twisted Sister), I Ran (by Flock of Seagulls), Round and Round (by Ratt), I Want Candy (by Bow Wow Wow), Metal Health (by Quiet Riot) Holy Diver (by Ronnie James Dio) and Heat Of The Moment (by Asia). [Activision].

For some bizarre reason known only to Harmonix and perhaps fans of Poison – yes, that means you Chris Leigh – Guitar Hero is trawling the history’s worst musical decade for new gameplay-enhancing content.

A quick glance at some of the titles listed above clearly shows that Harmonix should perhaps have shifted forward to the ‘90s and accessed real rock tracks, rather than scrape the bottom of the guitar-shredding barrel in order to come up with the likes of Bow Wow Wow and Flock of Seagulls.

Yet, despite the largely insipid track listing, Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks The 80s thankfully does not come complete with a hairspray-riddled rock wig, leg warmers, or spandex tights – sorry Chris, you’re out of luck there. So at least only the music exists to remind us just how shockingly bad the 1980s were.

Guitar Hero, phenomenon that it is, is known by pretty much every gamer alive at this juncture, and with Harmonix now focusing on improved interactivity and downloadable content options (via Xbox Live) with the much anticipated Rock Band, can Rocks The 80s still carve itself a niche in the musical marketplace?

Place your fingers in your ears and suffer the feedback emanating from the critical amps gathered together for one night only by GamerSquad.

Spend or Lend?

83% - Game Informer - "Yes, this fresh batch of tunes will help with the wait until the holiday rush of "Guitar Hero III" and "Rock Band." Those who are hoping for a new load of unlockables to shoot for are out of luck."

80% - GameZone - "Just like the title states, this is Guitar Hero "Encore." Another great performance from last year’s tour."

75% - 1UP - "This is basically Guitar Hero II with a new set of songs. That means you get all of its improvements, from practice mode to cooperative two-player jams with one person on lead and the other on bass or rhythm guitar. But that also begs the question: Why does this need to be a full-price title?"

72% - IGN - "Certainly a disappointing release in one of the most fun and refreshing franchises we've seen anytime lately. It's fun, but it doesn't hold a candle to the previous two releases."

70% - GameSpot - "There are certainly some bona fide '80s showstoppers on this expansion, but all told, this is Guitar Hero II with a coat of neon paint and half as much content."

Verdict: Lend

Footage provided by GameTrailers.com.