PS3 Fanboy hands-on: Nyko's Front Man guitar

The popularity of games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero has created an extraordinary demand for guitar peripherals. However, many PS3 fans are left cold knowing that their Guitar Hero controllers won't work in Rock Band, and vice versa. It seems ridiculous to have a small army of guitar controllers lying around to play these two games. Thankfully, Nyko has an excellent solution.

The Front Man guitar is an excellent option for those looking for an extra guitar. Unlike the official options from Activision and Harmonix, this third-party solution allows for playback on both games, with a simple flip of a switch. For those looking for one guitar that works with both music games, this is obviously an ideal choice.

However, we found that the Front Man guitar is simply the best guitar available on the PS3. Like other guitars on the platform, you will need to connect a dongle to the system for it to work wirelessly. The dongle is rather cute, looking like a guitar foot pedal. There are lights on the front of the pedal, each corresponding to the five buttons you can press on the guitar. They light up according to what you're pressing down. Neat! The guitar feels terrific as well. The buttons feel smoother than the Guitar Hero ones, and the strum bar doesn't have the same "mushy" feel that the Rock Band controllers do. The guitar takes three AA batteries (included!), and the life on it seems fantastic. For those that don't mind a corded option when jamming, the unit also includes a fantastically long USB cable for a direct connection. We use the USB cable on our DualShock 3 controllers as well -- it's great to finally be able to play a game and charge PS3 controllers with this super-long USB cable.

Considering how Nyko's Front Man guitar retails for the same price as competing guitars and works on both Guitar Hero and Rock Band, this is obviously the guitar of choice for those looking for one. With its solid construction and thoughtful design features, Nyko has developed a winner.