I Wanna Rock!
At A Glance
- Rock on! Guitar Hero II is finally here on Xbox 360.
The Guitar Hero franchise is a phenomenon of design and acceptance: A revolutionary title that's managed to capture the imagination of gamers everywhere while attaining remarkable commercial success. Any video game enthusiast looking for a game that embraces the mindset of 'gameplay first' need look no further.
Embrace hair metal!
For the raging hordes of Guitar Hero fans, Guitar Hero II really needs no introduction, but for those of us lucky enough to be discovering it for the first time, some details might be useful.
Your Axe
The ecstatic essence of ripping thunderous guitar licks can hardly be captured adequately on a standard controller, so the good folks at Harmonix created a brand-new, custom Xbox 360 guitar controller, based on the famous Gibson X-plorer to create a true rock and roll experience.
If you've got a friend along with you,
they can plug right in and offer backup
support on rhythm or bass guitar.
There are five colored buttons on the neck, or fret board, of the guitar, which simulate the playing of notes. At the base of the fret board is a bar that you move up and down to simulate strumming or picking. At the bottom of the guitar is a whammy bar, which lets you slap some stank on those power chords and long notes.
Jam Session
The gameplay follows a simple rhythm mechanic. Each note scrolls down the screen, and you have to hit the fret button to play that note as it reaches the bottom of the screen. The buttons are color-coordinated with the notes on the screen, allowing you to start playing wicked chord progressions in no time.
Unlike other rhythm-based games, though, like Dance Dance Revolution UNIVERSE, guitar is played above, below, and between the beats, not just on them. From the intro and the melody to the bridge and the solo, the notes just keep on coming, but hey, no one said being a Guitar Hero would be easy!
Punk meets Elvis.
Classic Tracks
The track list in Guitar Hero II is extensive and varied, so provided you dig rock and roll (you do like rock, right?), there's lots to love. All things guitar are represented with tracks from the likes of Guns N' Roses, Nirvana, Primus, Jane's Addiction, Aerosmith, Van Halen, and much, much more.
Whether it's a grunge classic like "Heart Shaped Box," the hair band excess of Warrant's "Cherry Pie," or the ballad power of Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child O' Mine," Guitar Hero II fuses the nostalgic with the authentic to offer all the variety you can handle.
Hero-ic Exclusives
While Guitar Hero II has been on that other console, don't make the mistake of assuming this is a mere port. The list of exclusive features available with Guitar Hero II on Xbox 360 is impressive.
For example, not only are there ten new exclusive tracks, like "Possum Kingdom" by the Toadies, but developer Harmonix is also committed to taking advantage of Xbox Live® by offering downloadable songs to further expand your rock repertoire. With the hours of challenge each song represents, especially on Expert difficulty, this offers a vast and renewable challenge that will outlast your cramping fingers.
You can, as with every Xbox 360 title, look for challenging achievements to both push you as a gamer, and give you bragging rights via your gamer card. Earn an achievement for each venue you unlock, as well as for hitting streaks of notes from 100 to 1000. Earn five star status on every song from Beginner difficulty to Expert to truly cement your status as a Guitar Hero II master.
Time to focus!
Rock with a Friend
Of course, not every guitar player takes lead, and if you have a friend with you, they can plug right in and offer backup support on rhythm or bass guitar. Cooperative mode requires just that, cooperation, as your score is based not on your individual performance, but your combined skill as a duo. Of course, you can go head to head against your friends as well, as you tear through some of the best tracks rock has to offer to prove who has the best chops on the block.
Guitar Hero II provides a rare marriage of challenge and accessibility. It's easy to grasp, but it can be very difficult to master the tangle of notes as they stream down the screen. When you do succeed, though, when you hit that perfect stream of notes on a complicated solo and rock that song like you own it, you will have a thrill of satisfaction like no other.
