For people who aren't burned out on ''Guitar Hero'' yet, there's yet another version available.

I was really excited when I first heard about ''Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s'' for the PlayStation 2. ''Guitar Hero''? With '80s songs? Sounds great to me!

Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my expectations. I knew it wasn't a totally new game, but I still hoped for more than what I got.

For starters, it's ridiculously overpriced. For $50, you get 30 songs, and that's it. No new game modes. No new stages or characters. Just old characters given '80s-style makeovers and some slight on-stage alterations.

Even the unlockable guitars are the same ones you have in ''Guitar Hero II.''

The songs themselves are OK. Some of the really big '80s rock songs aren't included; it's more of a B-list of '80s songs. Even some that are good songs to listen to just aren't that fun to play. And there are no bonus songs to unlock. It won't take long to beat the game.

I'm not saying ''Rocks the 80s'' is bad. A lot of the songs are fun, and the songs really span the various genres of music. I especially like the inclusion of Extreme's ''Play With Me,'' which, if nothing else, most people will recognize from ''Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.'' Excellent!

If it were only $20, or even $30, it would be a lot easier to recommend.

As it is, ''Guitar Hero'' fans probably still will want to play. Just don't be surprised if you walk away feeling disappointed and ripped off.

''Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword'' is an expansion done right.

The second expansion pack for ''Civ IV'' (after ''Warlords'') adds even more content to what already was an incredibly in-depth game. My complaint with ''Warlords'' had been that it tended to focus on earlier eras in history, and ''Beyond the Sword'' fixes that by adding a ton of more-recent content.

In total, ''Beyond the Sword'' adds 10 civilizations (including Portugal, Babylon, the Netherlands), 16 leaders (Abraham Lincoln, Hammurabi, Sitting Bull), five world wonders (Statue of Zeus, Moai Statues, Cristo Redentor) and a bunch of new units to use in your empire-building.

Espionage has gotten a huge boost. Now you can set aside points (like you would allocate funds for technology research, etc.) just for use in spying on your enemies. Spies also can be used for sabotage, which is mighty useful if you're on the verge of losing.

The addition of corporations in the later eras also can change how players go about winning.

''Civ IV'' owners will want to rush out and buy this expansion, and if you're thinking about getting the original game, you might want to consider ''Beyond the Sword'' (and ''Warlords'') along with it.

This is how an expansion pack should be done.

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