The latest Game Informer's rocking a fairly extensive preview of the upcoming Rock Band 2. If you're up for a trip to the local newsagent (or wherever you Americans get your magazines), it's got the game's first screenshots, as well as a ton of information that may or may not be news to you. Pick of the lot, though, is information on the game's "new" drum kits. See, there's two. One's the "standard" kit, which looks a lot like the first game's drums, only now with a number of improvements, like new drum pads that generate "far less noise" (they're also "velocity sensitive"), slots to clip on cymbals (which will be sold separately) and a whopping great metal-reinforced pedal. But the other drums? Oh my.

The "other" drums are new to Rock Band 2, and are called the Ion Drum kit, licensed in collaboration with drum manufacturers Ion. It'll be sold separately, and be sold for a lot, because it comes with three electronic cymbals, adjustable pads, what looks like a metal frame as well as the ability to unplug it from the game and use it as a real electronic drum kit. You know, for those who need their Phil Collins Halloween costumes to look just right.

[Game Informer Magazine]