Rock Band 2 is out (on Xbox 360 for now), and all secrets are revealed. "It really surprised me how much a couple of changes can make an already great game even better," says Up Down Left Right AB Start. Gameplay-wise, it's pretty much "the exact same game" as Rock Band 1, says GameCyte, though "Rock Band 2 has drum solos." The Association for Reason and Societal Outreach Now (ARSON) says "the thing that most stands out is the new Battle of The Bands function," which has online band contests. Joystiq played with the new hardware in a "semi-scientific test" and reports the new guitar and drums really are quieter than the original game.

But "the real attraction here is the game's Sticky Fingers-like bulge of music," says Wii News. There are 84 new songs; MTV Multiplayer Blog says 13 of them (including Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer") also are in forthcoming rival game Guitar Hero: World Tour. To make up for the $5 licensing fee players must pay to transfer 55 songs from Rock Band 1 to 2, developer Harmonix will give away 20 (undisclosed) downloadable songs for free, says GamePad. There are nearly 300 songs online now, most recently Megadeth and more, says Fandomania. EW Hollywood Insider reports Foo Fighters and Red Hot Chili Peppers albums are on the way for RB2 too. Harmonix left out a jukebox feature that would have played the songs in the game without anyone playing the game, says Rock Gamer. But Ars Technica offers six cool things you didn't know about RB2, like the "unlock all songs" cheat code you enter by pressing these buttons on the guitar frets: Red, Yellow, Blue, Red, Red, Blue, Blue, Red, Yellow, Blue. We always loved that tune. Rock on.