If there’s one immutable truth, it’s this: rock stars are among the coolest, most talented people out there and we all want to be one. Thus, it stands as no surprise that an iPad version of Rock Band has just become available in the iTunes Store.

In Rock Band Reloaded HD, you take on the role of an aspiring band looking to gain fame and fortune. For each song played, you’ll take control of one of four instruments--vocals, guitar, bass or drums—and then tap along to match the beats of the song as they scroll down the screen. Similar to the full-blown console versions, the game arrives with fifteen free tracks available to play, with the ability to download additional tracks at a later time. As you play, you can also unlock levels and achievements.

While the graphics and sound hold their own in comparison to the console versions, there’s a good integration with the iPad and some multiplayer options that provide the strengths to this game. The controls are quick and responsive, the settings allow for a good level of customization and despite the lack of a USB port and a mic input on the current iPad, the app supports voice input via the device’s headphone jack.

The multiplayer gameplay proved interesting, as the app allows for Bluetooth connections with other iPads, online gaming via Wi-Fi and both co-op and competitive gameplay. But the best feature of the game is that it allows two players to play in either co-op or versus mode on the same iPad, each player taking a side, choosing an instrument and tapping away.

Even so, the effort is ambitious, the game runs well on iOS 4.2.1 and it’s still fun to play both solo or with friends. Rock and roll will never die, nor will a game that incorporates it well stop being fun and if there’s anything better than throwing the horns after an awesome song, I’m not sure what it is.

Bottom line: Although the core of the Rock Band experience remains in Rock Band Reloaded HD, the game feels like a stripped down of the console best-seller, just a fix for the road in some ways—think of it as those travel-size board games you’d use as a kid on long car rides.