Holiday buying guide: Rhythm and music games and accessories

Music and rhythm titles have exploded this year, to the point where there are dozens of games, instruments, and other accessories now on the market. If you've got a budding pseudo-Satriani in the basement, check out these options for a solid holiday gift.

Rock Band 2 - If you get one new rhythm title this year, make it Rock Band 2. The gameplay is arguably more fun and engrossing than other titles out there, and the ability to import Rock Band 1 music -- plus an exhaustive library of online songs -- gives RB2 the most staying power.

Guitar Hero World Tour - If you get two new rhythm titles this year, make the second one Guitar Hero World Tour. The new elements like fretless notes on bass and freestyle sections add both complexity and fun to the game, and while some of the songs cross over with Rock Band 2's, it does feature some killer tracks in a more casual gaming setting.

Guitar Hero Aerosmith - If you've got an Aerosmith fan who only wants to rock the guitar, check out this slightly older title. It's heavy on Aerosmith songs (of course), but I actually enjoyed it more than Guitar Hero 2. Best reason to get it: You can find used copies for under $20.

Rock Band 2 Guitar - It's a tossup between this guitar and Guitar Hero's new axe, but two things make me recommend the RB model slightly more: Larger fret buttons make slides easier to pull off, and the second set of solo buttons near the base are far more useful than Guitar Hero's newfangled touchpad.

Mad Catz Fender Precision Bass Guitar - Designed for "authentic strumming" -- that is, strumming up with your fingers instead of down with your thumb -- the two strum bars on this oversized instrument make laying down the bottom of any song a snap.

Mad Catz Triple Tree Guitar Stand - At some point, leaning guitars against the wall or sticking them under the couch grows old. Obsessives get a guitar stand to rest their many axes on. This Mad Catz stand holds three guitars and costs just $30.

Guitar Hero On Tour - Extend the rockin' fun to your Nintendo DS with this, the best (and really only) way to take the Guitar Hero experience on the road. Also check out the Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades expansion pack, which adds 28 more songs to the mix.

Memorex SingStand - Not a game, per se, this is a music system that turns any MP3 player into a karaoke machine. It's everything in one: Speaker system, microphone with stand, and cables for connecting to your MP3 player. Punch a button and the SingStand magically cuts the audio track out of whatever song you're playing, letting you sub in your own amplified vocals. And, in a pinch, it works as a regular stand for your rhythm game microphones.

Ion Drum Rocker - The unabashed splurge item on this list, this $300 drum kit works with any rhythm game and immediately, incredibly increases the quality of your drum performance. It's basically a pro drum kit that's been retrofit to work with video games. Be warned, though: It's so big it will totally consume your living room.