RockSmith

In a noted departure from preexisting guitar-driven rhythm games, Rocksmith has you using an actual guitar, and not just in that "actual guitar with some Xbox 360 guts thrown in" way, but any electric guitar with a 1/4" jack will work. Connecting your guitar is a snap, simply plug the USB end of the included cable to your Xbox and the audio jack end of it to your guitar. Following this, the game will enter a tuning mode that will ensure that all six of your strings are in tune, and then you're all set to embark on your journey to rock stardom. There are a few minor hurdles to get through before you get rocking. Rocksmith requires you to own an actual six-string electric guitar and won't work with any old plastic peripherals you have lying around. It's a great excuse to dust off the old axe if you have one, but the high cost of picking up the Epiphone bundle or a separate guitar will be prohibitive for some players. That said, wielding an honest-to-goodness instrument of rock is what makes this game so fun. Once you have the requisite guitar in hand, you plug it into your system using the included 1/4-inch adapter cable, but it takes some fiddling to get a comfortable response time between the visual and audio lag. Running the sound out via analog audio cables into a stereo offers the best performance, though there are a few different options to explore. Once you get that mess sorted out, it's time to melt faces. Well, eventually.