Today, Harmonix officially announced Rock Band Blitz for both Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network. Rather than utilize the peripheral instruments that have made the series a hit, Blitz requires players only have a controller on the ready to play the beat-match title. Just like Amplitude and Frequency, Rock Band Blitz brings multi-track arcade gameplay that has players switching between instruments on-the-fly to replicate the song.

While the game will come packed with more than 20 new tracks, it will be able to access the entire Rock Band catalog of music. This means that players have more than 3,500 tracks at their disposal, some of which players may have already purchased since the original release of Rock Band. Furthermore, the 20 new tracks, which include Blink-182's "Always," Foster the People's "Pumped Up Kicks," Quiet Riot's "Metal Health (Bang Your Head)," and Rick Springfield's "Jessie's Girl," will be playable in the mainline Rock Band games.

Though similar to Amplitude, Frequency, and Rock Band Unplugged, Blitz offers some upgrades like a Bottle Rocket and Pinball, which will clear notes for players. According to Harmonix, these upgrades can be strategically implemented to score higher, which is no doubt important to leaderboard enthusiasts.

Rock Band Blitz is releasing this summer, but will be playable at this year's PAX East convention.

HARMONIX BRINGS INSTRUMENT-FREE ARCADE FUN TO XBOX LIVE® ARCADE AND PLAYSTATION® NETWORK THIS SUMMER WITH ROCK BAND BLITZ!

Cambridge, Mass. – April 4th, 2012 – Harmonix is excited to announce Rock Band™ Blitz, an all-new downloadable title for Xbox LIVE Arcade and PlayStation®Network that brings the excitement of a full band experience into your hand! Designed for use with a standard controller, Rock Band Blitz is beat-match gameplay evolved… no instrument peripherals required!

Rock Band Blitz is a new way to experience your favorite Rock Band songs, with fast-paced, multi-track arcade gameplay that encourages you to compete against your friends for the highest scores. Use insane power-ups like the note-obliterating Bottle Rocket or the Pinball strategically to boost your scores and top the leaderboards!

Rock Band Blitz features over 20 tracks new to the Rock Band franchise, including Blink-182’s “Always,” Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks,” Quiet Riot’s “Metal Health (Bang Your Head),” and Rick Springfield’s “Jessie’s Girl.” Rock Band Blitz is also compatible with most of your existing Rock Band Music Library, including all content from the Rock Band Music Store, as well as tracks exported from Rock Band, Rock Band 2, and more. As a bonus, all of the tracks that come with Rock Band Blitz are immediately playable in Rock Band 3 at no extra charge, so you can get the band back together and play Rock Band Blitz’s 20-plus new tracks in Harmonix’s award-winning full-band game!

"We're excited to give Rock Band fans a new way to play their existing Rock Band library,” said Harmonix CEO and co-founder Alex Rigopulos. “With over 3,500 songs at their disposal and addictive multi-track gameplay, Rock Band Blitz is going to be a great way to compete with your friends later this summer!"

Harmonix will be bringing Rock Band Blitz to Penny Arcade Expo in Boston, MA this week – April 6 through April 8 – for its first public playable appearance. Fans can stop by booth #642 to check out Rock Band Blitz on one of six kiosks and get their first taste of the game’s frantic, instrument-free arcade action!

Rock Band Blitz is scheduled for release on Xbox LIVE Arcade and PlayStation® Network this summer.