I played a lot of video games when I was a kid. I spent my weekends with Super Nintendo, N64, even a bit of Playstation 2. That changed, however, when I started to play guitar. Once I had a new hobby, video games faded from the forefront of my activities. That is, until I heard about Guitar Hero. My brother brought it home from college last Christmas Break, and I have been an addict ever since (as I'm sure at least one of your friends is as well).
RedOctane released Guitar Hero in November 2005 for Playstation 2. It became a surprise hit in the United States and has sold more than 1.5 million copies so far. The sequel, Guitar Hero II, was released a year later to even more acclaim from both critics and gamers alike. In April, it was released on Xbox 360. So far, the game has sold more than 3 million copies on both platforms. Guitar Hero: Rock the 80s was released in July as a supplement to Guitar Hero II.
Oct. 28, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock was released for Playstation 2 and 3, Xbox 360 and the Wii in the United States. I purchased the Xbox 360 bundle with the guitar, which cost about $105 -- a steep price to pay, but it is well worth it in my eyes.
The game play of Guitar Hero is not as complex as it sounds. The controller comes with five buttons and a strum lever. Notes travel across the screen, and you must press color-coded buttons and strum simultaneously with the music. In a sense, it's like Dance Dance Revolution, but for the guitar. It sounds complex, but, like the game Pong, it takes a minute to learn, but a lifetime to master. It also functions as a perfect party game. Everyone can take a turn, and there's a fun multiplayer mode.
Guitar Hero III takes what Guitar Hero I and II started to a whole new level. First of all, the guitar controllers are wireless, so there are no more cords to tie down your rocking. Second of all, the song list is much larger. Many of the songs are the original versions, instead of the usual cover version that we see on the previous Guitar Hero games. Some of my favorites include ZZ Top's "La Grange," Santana's "Black Magic Woman," Rage Against the Machine's "Bulls on Parade," Guns N' Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle" and, my true favorite, Metallica's "One." I think, however, the game's fan base would appreciate a bit more Jimi Hendrix, AC/DC and Led Zeppelin in future Guitar Hero games.
Guitar Hero III includes some nifty new features. The most noticeable of these is the battle mode. In this, you have to get your opponent to screw up enough that he/she/it fails the song. In Career Mode, two of the bosses you have to battle are Rage Against the Machine/Audioslave axeman Tom Morello and Guns N' Roses/Velvet Revolver fret-tickler Slash. Both of these artists contributed original compositions for these boss battles. I like this feature because, unlike the usual Guitar Hero song, a battle allows your opponent to fight back. The feeling of winning a battle is a lot more exhilarating than beating a song, too. To use an eBay catchphrase, it's better when you win it.
Another feature worth noting is the addition of the Co-Op Career mode. I think it's a great idea, but I don't like the fact that there are songs that are only unlocked when playing on Co-Op career. This does not bode well for the Guitar Hero hermit. Everyone has that friend. You do. I do. We all do.
In all, I think Guitar Hero III is a great investment. If you can't afford it, split it with your roommate. It's worth it.
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