Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 6-10 of 164
 My favorite game in a long time... Get this game, Its a true Hit! November 29, 2005
M. Masseo (Danbury, CT United States)
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
I was thumbing through a video game magazine, and saw a review for Guitar Hero. I thought, "hey, Rock music is not dead in the Video Game world" The review was 9 out of 10. With that in mind, I bought the game with the one Guitar controller.
I went back to my place with a friend, I turned the game on at about 8 P.M. Friday, and didn't stop playing until about 5 A.M. Saturday. The game is that good! and that addicting.
Someone managed to combine so well, two of my loves, Music and Videogames. I do play guitar in real life, and a I know how to play some riffs of the songs, so it seems like it should have helped, but I was at no real advantage. My friend was able to play just as well as me. By the way, if you are a lefty, the gutar can be "flipped" to lefty mode in the options.
There are 30 songs in all. They are not done by the original artists, but they are done in a amazing fashion. There are probably many reasons why the original artists are not on there. You will not be disappointed. The songs are faithfully reproduced and feel very live. Some songs that I like that come to mind "Ziggy Stardust", "Cowboys from Hell" by Pantera, "Symphony of Destruction" by Megadeth, "You've got another thing coming" by Judas Priest.
To explain how the game works... well, on the screen there is a fret board of a gutair neck, with a 3d perspectiove. As each song plays there are 5 colored circles that fall from the top of your screen towards the bottom (It kind of looks like a puzzle game like Klax, or Columns) Each color corresponds to a button on your Guitar controller. Once a color moves down the neck to the bottom of your screen, it will match up with a position which indicates you must press the button of the color indicated and hit the "strum-bar" at the same time. Its almost like target practice, and when you hit the target, you hear music. If you dont "hit the target", no music sounds.
There are 4 difficulty levels, each level introduces more work for you.
- Easy level, you only have to pay attention to three colors on the neck and screen(three buttons).
- Medium you have to play four buttons with more individual notes.
- Hard: You have to play 5 buttons, still more notes
- Expert: You have to play 5 buttons , and more notes again You better have fast fingers!.
Pluses:
- Very fun alone, extremely fun with people.
- I think this should be introduced to bars instead of karaoke!
- Once you get pretty good, it feels like youre really jamming.
Minuses:
- None...Really!
* I am pretty much into Metal, and this game has a few Metal tunes included. What I didn't realize is how awesome the other tunes are on there. I rediscovered ZZ-Top, after their disc has collecting dust in my place. I went out and got Boston "Boston", and David Bowie "Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust".
This game will make you appreciate all forms of music in the Rock Genre... Metal, Classic Rock, New Rock, Punk. It forces you to listen to the songs in a new light by breaking it down in a way for you to see the talent all of these people posess. The Donnas??? I was like, "Um, yeah, Ok". Well, the Donnas are not that bad. Neither is Incubus, who knew?
This game is so good, they should put a money back guarantee on it.
This game proves that Rock lives on!
Seriously Rockin' December 7, 2005
Amber Hathaway (Boston, MA)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Considering my terrible-at-best guitar skills, I was concerned that I would never pass the "easy" level on this game. However, just as Dance Dance Revolution doesn't involve real dancing, this doesn't involve real guitar playing. That was a relief to me. It does, however, have clear benefits for people already familiar with guitars. While "easy" could probably be passed by a dead body, the levels after that require you to be able to play GH's versions of chords, hammer-ons, and pull-offs. Thankfully, your fingers will not need to develop callouses to play this game, but it does help to be able to move your hand up and down the neck with speed, and in "hard" and "expert" it is almost impossible to play some of the solos without being able to strum (er, hit that strumming button) both up and down (i.e. alternate picking). Unless you're James Hetfield, of course.
Speaking of Mr. Hetfield, Metallica's absence in this game is depressing but understandable. Not all bands want to be part of one of the coolest video games in the history of digital entertainment. Included in the songlist, though, are: Megadeth, Black Sabbath, David Bowie, Queen, The Exies, Sum 41, White Zombie, The Donnas, Audioslave, Cream, Franz Ferdinand, Jimi Hendrix, ZZ Top, Pantera, Motorhead, and more. There are 30 songs available as you complete the "easy", and as you pass through the more difficult levels, you can unlock other songs from lesser known bands, not to mention you can use your gig money to unlock 2 additional characters (including the Grim Ripper...*groan*), new guitars, and media from the making of the game.
One complaint I've heard from more than one person is that the songs, being rerecorded by random people, don't always sound exactly like the originals. Personally, half of the time I don't notice, and half of the time I don't care. Yeah, the guy doesn't sound exactly like Phil Anselmo, but you're trying too hard not to screw up the Cowboys From Hell solo to focus on the singer. The same goes for the graphics; there is no brand-new 3D engine to make you feel like you're really in some dude's basement. The graphics aren't bad by any stretch of the imagination, but they aren't spectacular either. Again, not the point of the game. The most important aspects are not the other instruments or the graphics.
A note about the controller and gameplay: the 5 fret buttons are indeed placed a bit wide apart (not wider than normal frets, but buttons are different from strings). It's very hard to slide up and down the neck because of the nature of buttons. Also, the middle button has a slightly raised line on it so you can reference where you are on the neck by touch (like bumps on home keys), but it can be disorienting if you're used to playing a real guitar, on which the raised lines mean you're at a fret. That doesn't take long to get used to, but it did provide me with some trouble at first. Also, the timing is a bit awkward, at least for me. The moment in the song when it feels appropriate to strike a note is not always the exact same moment that the game instructs you to strike the note, and so you have to find the timing that the game wants you to use. This still gives me some trouble, but once you've played for a bit, you know the songs well enough so that the riffs' timings are more automatic than anything else. Thankfully, some of the regular guitar rules apply, like being able to hold down lower frets when playing a higher fret (i.e. if you have a sequence of green-red-green-red, you don't have to let go of the green, but rather can choose to add the red and then let go of the red and strum again. It's like hammering on and pulling off, just with additional strumming).
All in all, this game is just a great time to play. I haven't gotten a chance to try the multiplayer yet, but if career mode is any indication, it will be amazingly fun. I haven't met anyone yet who can play this game sitting down, because it's very, very easy to get into this game and rock out. Which is only slightly less embarassing than getting really into a bout of DDR. Slightly. Anyhow, I would highly recommend buying this game for anyone interested in guitars, music, video games that you can play alone, video games that you can play with a friend, or feeling amazing. Five stars!
So much fun ! May 11, 2006
Thorgal (new york ,ny)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
WOW, great fun for everybody, I play guitar myself and let me tell you ... it does not help at all :) My girlfriend is getting better scores than I am ... but all the fun we have trying - can't really explain it untill you try it yourself. It has a great songs and keeps you busy and ready to come back and play more anytime, we tried it in a group of friends while having few drinks and singing so loud that we could not hear the music ...well ...as long as it gives you fun you dont even have to hear it (?!) just keep the rock rolling :)))
Buy This Now !!! May 13, 2006
Peter J. Merdinger
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
The first time I saw Guitar Hero at my local video game store I thougt the game was gimicky and, I assumed it was dumb. I couldn't have been more wrong. As someone who has played guitar for more than 10 years, I felt like Guitar Hero was an insult to musicians everywhere. Again, I was wrong. Guitar Hero is one of the most creative and, addictive games ever made and, it actually feels like your playing the guitar especially, on the harder difficulties. I am going to sum up my review with 3 words "BUY THIS NOW!!!"
Revolutionary! One of the best games of the year. June 29, 2006
WatchMeXplode
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
INTRODUCTION:
So there I was at the store, debating whether to buy [Guitar Hero] or not. My friend said it was the worst idea for a game he had ever heard. My opinion was the complete opposite of his. It's a video game that you play with a guitar. How could that not be awesome?! So I got the game. Lo and behold, it WAS awesome.
I got home, and I opened the fairly huge package. It came with a full-sized guitar controller (modeled after a black Gibson SG, in case you were wondering). Cool! included was the guitar strap, which was a tad difficult to get on the controller, but you never, ever have to worry about it falling off or breaking. There were also stickers, so everyone can customize their guitar the way they want. And of course, the game, which looks like any other PS2 game: case, booklet, disc.
THE GUITAR CONTROLLER:
If you're reading this review, you're probably wondering what the deal is with this thing. Well, it is an innovative and well-created device that you are sure to get a lot of enjoyment out of. It's about the size of a real guitar. There are 5 differently colored fret buttons, one strum bar (instead of strings), and a whammy bar. There are also "START" and "SELECT" buttons (to pause the game, and to use star power, respectively). The best feature? You can tilt the guitar vertically to activate star power (more on that later), because of the built-in motion sensor. The controller works perfectly; the buttons are very responsive and never glitchy... if you mess up, it's your fault. Well, that should answer any questions you have about the guitar controller.
THE GAMEPLAY:
Yeah! Now on to the good stuff. Notes come across the screen, and you play them. If you've played a [Dance Dance Revolution] game, you will find a lot of similarities. To play a note, you strum with the fret button held down, as the note crosses you cursor. That may sound confusing, but it's much easier when you actually see it. The game is quite easy to get the hang of. Be sure to take the tutorial, and you'll be fine.
The rock-o-meter judges how well you are doing. If it's in green, you're rocking it out! Yellow is average. If it's in red, you're in danger, and you have to pull it up quickly, or you're going to fail. Hitting notes improves the rock-o-meter, and missing them will decrease your rock-o-meter. If it gets too low, then you fail the song.
When you hit ten notes in succession without messing up, your combo multiplier increases. With a 2x multiplier, for example, the same note is worth twice as much. It goes up to 4x, which will earn you the big points, when maintained for a long time. Star power will up your points even further. Activate it by tilting the guitar up, or hitting the "SELECT" button, and watch the destruction. The crowd will go wild, and your rock-o-meter will go up into the green. You also earn double points, so, for instance, a 4x multiplier becomes a 8x one, worth an incredible score! Star power only lasts for a limited time, and you can only use it if you meter has enough power. You gain power by hitting star-shaped notes (you play them normally), and from using the whammy bar on long notes.
At the end of the song, you get a rating based on your performance. You get a ranking from 1 to 5 stars, and it tells you your longest streak (the number of notes you hit without messing up) and the percentage of notes hit.
THE MUSIC:
Amazing tracklist. I started up the game, and ten of my favorite songs were instantly available for use. I freaked! These awesome songs included: "I Wanna Be Sedated" (The Ramones), "Thunderkiss 65" (White Zombie), "Smoke on the Water" (Deep Purple), "Iron Man" (Black Sabbath), and "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" (Judas Priest)
There are 6 levels with 5 songs each, plus 17 Bonus Tracks by unliscensed or indie bands. That's a grand total of 47 songs! Each level is unlocked in career mode as you progress. Anyway, the great music doesn't end with the aforementioned songs. Check out what's to come as you play more. "Killer Queen" (Queen), "Symphony of Destruction" (Megadeth), "Ziggy Stardust" (David Bowie), "Spanish Castle Magic" (Jimi Hendrix), "Ace of Spades" (Motorhead), "Crossroads" (Cream), "Cowboys from Hell" (Pantera), and "Bark at the Moon" are just a few of the all-stars on the bill.
There are also recent hits by newer bands, most notably Audioslave, Queens of the Stone Age, Sum 41, and of course, Franz Ferdinand's catchy anthem, "Take Me Out". The bonus tracks are very good as well, with Black Label Society's "Fire It Up" leading the charge. This is one of the few songs that uses the actual version, instead of a cover. You've probably not heard of any of the other bands, but they shan't disappoint.
Oh, and you may have realized that AC/DC, Zeppelin, and GN'R are absent, but I like to focus on what is here, instead of what's missing. The list is high-quality enough that their absence doesn't make much of a difference. And I mentioned before that the songs are remade versions rather than the originals. Don't worry, they are incredibly faithful. On some of them, you will strain to hear the differences.
THE MODES:
Play the game in Career to unlock more songs, characters, venues, guitars, guitar skins, and videos. Or just jump into Quick Play to immediately play your favorites. Not all of them are available at first. You need to finish the Career before you can quickplay any song. Multiplayer is a little lacking. You and your buddy just take turns playing parts... not that interesting. You may as well just do a song, and then let your friend take a turn playing a different song.
THE GRAPHICS:
The visuals are actually quite good-looking, but you won't notice them, because you'll be keeping an eye on the note you need to play.
REPLAY VALUE:
You'll never, EVER get tired of this game, I promise.
CONCLUSION:
Pros:
+Fun, addictive game!
+Never gets old
+Fun to play with friends
+Innovative, easy-to-use peripheral
+The song list rawks, period
+Playing the game actually makes you feel like a guitar hero
Cons:
-$70 price is a little steep... but it's worth it!
-A few notable bands are missing
-Songs aren't the originals
-Multiplayer isn't great
There are only a few flaws, and they really don't affect the overall quality of the game. The fact is, [Guitar Hero] is near-perfect in every way. If you like DDR, you owe it to yourself to buy and enjoy this brilliant masterpiece. It's a surefire contender for 2005 Game of the Year.
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