Bought a
beat up six string in a secondhand store
Didn’t know how to play it, but he knew for sure
That one
guitar, felt good in his hands
Didn’t take long, to understand
Just one guitar, slung way down low
Was one way ticket, only one way to go
– Juke Box Hero by Foreigner
The box says
to kiss air guitar goodbye and that is just part of the equation. Power chording
was never so easy, so much fun. No need to learn progressions, or scales here,
just get those fingers moving, be ready to haul the guitar neck up to activate
your star power, and crank the tunes – this is one game that music fans, rock
fans, and gaming fans will certainly enjoy.
The name of
the game is Guitar Hero, a PlayStation 2 title from RedOctane and Harmonix.
RedOctane knows a little bit about interactive musically based video games.
You know,
they are the ones behind IN THE GROOVE for PS2 and also known for dance pads and
peripherals like the Ignition Dance Pad. And if you thought those were all pretty cool, to quote BTO,
‘you ain’t seen nothing yet.’ Guitar Hero uses a small, plastic electric guitar
model as the controller. There are five color-coded buttons in the first five
frets on the neck, and where the pick-ups are there is a movable bar that
simulates strumming. You have to time the depression of the button with down or
up movement on the strum bar. There is even a whammy bar that you can use to
distort notes. When you hit enough notes correctly, you can activate the Star
Power by performing a little rocker move and lifting up the neck of the guitar
so that it is almost perpendicular. That triggers the power up.
And don’t
worry about holding the instrument – the game comes with a guitar strap so you
can swing it from your neck, just like the pros.
The game has
more than 30 rock classics, eight avatars to pick from (two are initially
locked), six venues to work through with the challenge progressing and your
fingers are given a workout.
You begin
with a basement concert, and a song list of five tunes to select from. There’s
Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock & Roll,” or maybe you are in the mood for Deep Purple’s
“Smoke on the Water,” or The Ramone’s “I Wanna Be Sedated.” You must
complete/win four of the five (other songs in the first set include White
Zombie’s “Thunder Kiss 65” and Bad Religion’s “Infected”) to advance to the next
venue.
Each song is
scored in notes hit, how you managed the star power power-up, and there is a
review, and final point tally at the end of the song. And don’t think these are
minor snippets of the songs. You will be required to tap notes, sustain them,
and chord (holding down a couple of the buttons). The song scrolls through the
center of the screen with the buttons that must be pushed coming into view as
the song plays. There are graphics swirling around and while it would be easy to
get distracted, by looking at your avatar rocking out, or looking at the scoring
you are racking up, or the crowd response meter, it is generally smart to ignore
those. Even anticipating the next button combos can lead to trouble.
The control
scheme is excellent in this game. But as good as that is, it takes a back seat
to the audio tracks and gameplay. This is one of those games that will have you
grinning from ear to ear with delight.
Guitar Hero
is a terrific game, one that musical fans should not be without. If there is
even a little rocker in you, you will want this game. It is a concept
brilliantly conceived and well executed.
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Gameplay:
9.0
Minor load times,
but the controller is incredibly fun, and the game’s mechanics make for an
amazing time. Even the load screens can be fun with sayings like “They don’t
really want you to play ‘Freebird,’ they are just heckling you.”
Graphics:
8.7
A solid adjunct
to the gameplay mechanics and musical score but once you start getting into the
tougher segments of the game, you won’t have time to really focus on anything
other than the button progression. Some of the animations can be repetitive,
like in-game character Clive Winston doing his impression of Pete Townsend
smashing his guitar, but for the most part this is good stuff.
Sound:
9.7
The tunes are
incredible and this is a game that needs to be playing as loud as reason (and
the neighbors) can stand.
Difficulty: Medium/Hard
Four difficulty
settings that begin with easy and draw in more buttons on the fretboard as you
work through the settings. Fast, furious, double button taps – this game ramps
up the challenge in a lot of ways.
Concept:
9.4
The guitar
controller is great, the musical selection is terrific. Sure, there are a lot of
rock classics missing, but that merely opens the door for a sequel.
Multiplayer: N/A
Yes, you can take
on a multiplayer showdown that has you ‘shredding’ against a friend.
Unfortunately this element could not be tested at the time of the review and
requires a second guitar controller.
Overall:
9.2
If you love rock
‘n roll, then Guitar Hero will light up your face with the goofiest grin you are
likely to have had in some time. This is a challenging game, no doubt, but it is
– simply stated – a blast!
