In case you forgot it was coming, the Guitar Hero III 5-song demo we were promised a few months ago arrived on Xbox Live yesterday.  The tracks available are:

• Hit Me with your Best Shot as made famous by Pat Benatar
• Even Flow by Pearl Jam
• Lay Down by Priestess
• Rock You Like a Hurricane as made famous by Scorpions
• The Metal by Tenacious D

If the demo is a true indication of what Guitar Hero III will be (which it should be), you can count on a more polished version of the same formula, which for most people, including me, is just fine.

There are very few menus included in the the demo, but there is a new feature on the track listing screen: pagination.  Instead of being forced to scroll through all songs in the game, including unlocked, bonus songs, and downloadable tracks, the track screen now has a tab for each of these groups.  This is a very nice option, if like me, you have every bonus and downloadable track.

The game interface is definitely cleaner.  I wasn't sure what to think when I first saw the pictures of the new Multiplier Counter and the StarPower Meter, but after playing with them, I found I like them better than the originals.

Gameplay is very similar.  I played at 'Medium' which I usually do, but the fret board seemed to move faster than it has in the previous version.  Star Power also seems to be much easier to activate, almost to a fault.  While I welcome not having to convulse violently to activate it, my girlfriend mistakenly activated it once while gently rocking to the music.

The visuals also looked greatly improved, without losing the style that the Guitar Hero franchise established.  Everything is more polished, including the characters, some of which have put on some weight.  Judy Nails, for example, looks far more healthy these days.

Guitar Hero III looks to be every bit as good as its predecessors; of that, I'm certain.  With its release just four days away, I'm as excited as a kid at Christmas.

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