Musical rhythm games have been a huge hit with gamers of all ages since Guitar Hero stormed onto the scene. In the past, emulating your favorite rock star was limited to showcasing your skills on a replica guitar controller. With the release of Rock Band, that all changed.

Rock Band was initially released in late 2007 for the PS3, PS2, and the Xbox 360. It wasn’t until the summer of 2008 that Rock Band became available for the hordes of Wii owners begging for a full rock experience.

Unfortunately for Wii owners, the version that was delivered is similar to the previously released PS2 version and it lacks the some of the capabilities of the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions. The most glaring omission is the online music store that allows gamers to purchase new tracks. As a consolation, Harmonix and MTV are releasing 20 song Track Packs for $29.99. The downside is that it becomes an all or nothing affair for gamers wishing to expand their track library. Other missing features include the lack of online play, no create-a-rocker, and a stripped down career mode. For a game that shines as a party game, these online features aren’t paramount to a good time.

Rock Band for the Wii may be missing some features that expand its playing experience, but the core gameplay is intact and it’s as fun as ever. The instruments are solid and the sleek white color of the drum set invokes an Apple-ish design.

Rock Band 2 is slated for a December 2008 release on the Wii and with improved instruments making their way to the Xbox 360 and the PS3 gamers will want to hold off on purchasing this full bundle.