Nintendo’s legendary godfather of gaming, the elfin genius called Shigeru Miyamoto, once uttered this pearl of wisdom: “Video games are bad for you? That’s what they said about rock ’n’ roll.”
And what if they combined both into one entity, a rock ’n’ roll video game? It would be so bad it would hurt. Hurt with the unfettered force of pure AWESOMENESS.
Guitar Hero II might be the most rewarding game you’ll ever play. Sure, there’s a certain sense of accomplishment in conquering any good game, but the feats of physical dexterity needed to become a virtual rock god in this sequel to 2005’s Guitar Hero are more tangible than those required to, say, beat Halo on Legendary.
And yes, you could argue that investing dozens upon dozens of hours into mastering a video game version of playing guitar could be better spent on learning how to play a real instrument. But we’re all free to spend our leisure time in any way we like. I’m told there are people who collect stamps for fun. Seriously!
Like the first game, Guitar Hero II’s principle is simple: You “play” songs by strumming the guitar-shaped controller’s strum bar and fingering the fret buttons that correspond to coloured notes scrolling down the screen. The more notes you hit, the higher your score on the songs, which cover the gamut from Aerosmith to Anthrax, Rancid to Rush, Warrant to Wolfmother. There are more than 70 tracks in all, the bulk of which have to be unlocked through play or “bought” with in-game earnings.
The game lures you in with this simple idea, letting you feel for all the world like you’re somehow wringing music from this tiny, toy-like device. But as you progress and the difficulty ramps up, suddenly there’s a genuine investment of time and concentration involved. You are practicing. You are obsessing. You are addicted.
And when you can finally crack a song that initially seemed far beyond your skill level, and not just play it but perform it — arched back, windmilling arms, grins and grimaces and devil-horn salutes — it transcends a mere video game. It’s interactive entertainment taken to an entirely new level.
Guitar Hero II for the Xbox 360 is pretty much the same amazing game that came out on the PS2 in November, with a few enhancements. There are 10 exclusive extra tracks (including Pearl Jam’s Life Wasted and My Chemical Romance’s Dead) in the Xbox 360 version, with more now available for purchase via Xbox Live.
The 360 version also offers online leaderboards, so you can see how badly you suck compared to those freaks that seem to play this game 24/7 and post videos of themselves on YouTube beating Free Bird on the expert difficulty setting. But don’t be jealous of them. Salute them. Guitar Hero II doesn’t require you to become a king or queen of rock... prince, duke or marquis of rock will do just fine.
Just be careful... once you pick up that guitar controller, it may be weeks before you can put it down again. And that will most certainly be bad for you. Physically, if not mentally.
Bottom line: Part video game, part performance, all rock ’n’ roll fun. Anyone with even a passing interest in rock and video games needs to own this one.
WHAM! Rating: |
10 out of 10 |
ESRB Rating: |
T (Teen) |
Official Web Site: |
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Steve Tilley’s Cheat Sheet
Guitar Hero II
Let it slide : Sliding your fingers down the neck of the guitar to more easily play those tricky orange-button combos can really help in later songs, but it takes practice to remember where your digits are at. Break yourself of the one-finger-per-fret-button habit as early as possible.
Hammer time : Hammer-ons and pull-offs are easier to do in this game than in the original, and can help you conquer tough songs on the higher difficulty settings. The tutorial will give you the (very) basics, then practice on an easier song — Freya on medium is a good choice — until you get the hang of it.
Turn down the suck : If that “SKRONK!” sound you hear when you miss a note breaks your concentration and makes you lose your way, turn down the sound effects volume slider in the options menu. You’ll still hear the music you’re playing, but the missed note sound effect will be muted.
