Video Gamer Zone

It seems odd to have a soundtrack to a music-oriented video game that's built on replicas of original recordings, but when something in pop culture turns into a true phenomenon, a soundtrack isn't far behind. And so, a CD soundtrack to the hotly anticipated Guitar Hero 3 emerged, a seemingly random collection of ten highlights from the game -- including Smashing Pumpkins' "Cherub Rock," Queens of the Stone Age's "3's and 7's," and Sonic Youth's "Kool Thing." These tracks are fine enough listening on their own, but hardcore aficionados will probably want a fuller soundtrack of the game -- thus the inclusion of an expansion pack on this CD, providing players with a code to download three exclusive songs to be used in the game: new cuts by AFI, Flyleaf, and a Marilyn Manson remix. Because the basic soundtrack feels a bit skimpy, the expansion pack helps a bit, and something is better than nothing.