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Friday, February 2, 2007
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Groupies not included continued from page 17
Guitar Hero 2 Playstation 2 $80.99 w/ guitar controller
How do you imagine someone playing a video game? Perhaps he is leaning back comfortably, casually pressing buttons on a controller with a blank stare on his face, or sitting on the edge of the seat, leaning forward with his jaw hanging slightly open and looking completely engrossed in the intense action. Did you see someone playing the entirety of a game standing up? Probably not. Aside from DDR and a few Wii games, most video games are designed to be played sitting down. Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero 2 are games that seek to provide the player with a different type of virtual immersion. Both games are played with a custom guitar controller specifically built for the Playstation 2. Players are required to hold down buttons and “strum” appropriately as notes fly across the screen. Many people have trouble adapting to the PS2 guitar; however, once they play through a few tracks, they’ll realize it’s time to swap the air guitar for a controller.
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Guitar Hero was first released in November 2005 for the Playstation 2 with 30 licensed cover tracks and 17 original tunes. Notable covers included Pantera’s “Cowboys from Hell” and Ozzy Osbourne’s “Bark at the Moon.” The sequel, Guitar Hero 2, arrived last November and upped the ante with 40 licensed cover tracks including more memorable covers such as Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box,” Rush’s “YYZ,” and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird,” as well as 24 original tunes. Music and rhythm games often suffer from mediocre covers, horrible track selection or songs that just aren’t fun to play, but Guitar Hero 2 avoids this previous downfall with its variety and selection. Harmonix, the developer behind both games, must be commended for their fantastic selection. Who knew that Kansas’ “Carry on my Wayward Son” and Spinal Tap’s “Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight” would be so entertaining to play? Each song put the players’ customized characters in a faux gig scenario. Be it some kid’s basement, a shady bar
courtesy On Topic Media
or a stadium concert, the crowd cheers when the player does well and boos when a note is missed. Beginners can first start off on the easy mode, where only three buttons and strumming are required. Later, players will move on to the hard and expert modes, where different notes replicate every intricate detail of the song. Mastery of the single player mode is only the beginning, as both games support multiplayer rockoffs (in Guitar Hero 2 there’s also a co-operative mode). The satisfaction of nailing a track perfectly in the single player mode is only surpassed by trash talking and nailing the track perfectly in a multiplayer rock off — just don’t get too carried away and smash the guitar. For those not lucky enough to have a Playstation 2, don’t worry — Guitar Hero 2 is coming to the Xbox 360 this March with 10 bonus songs and Xbox Live Downloads. Activision, the publisher, has also promised that Guitar Hero 3 will come to all major gaming platforms within 2007. No matter what system you play Guitar Hero on, just remember, 11 is louder than 10. — Harold Li
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