VIDEO GAME REVIEW
Stairway to shreddin'
Playstation 2's "Guitar Hero" trains players for rock 'n' roll glory with virtual music lessons,Gibson replica
Guitar Hero
Publisher: Red Octane
Price: $69.99
Platform: Playstation 2
"Guitar Hero" is the perfect video game for any air guitarist who feels just a little too empty-handed. It is one of the most entertaining and interactive music games to be released for Sony Playstation 2.
The PS2 exclusive combines the best elements of rhythm and music games and backs it up with a 47-song hard rock soundtrack. Players become part of the band, playing everything from classics by David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix to new rock standards by Queens of the Stone Age and Franz Ferdinand.
The game also gives new meaning to Boston's "More than a Feeling."
"Guitar Hero" succeeds as an interactive experience thanks to the included Gibson SG-replica guitar controller.
Instead of mashing buttons on a Playstation Dual Shock controller, the mini guitar places players in the band and lets them crank it up to 11. It includes five brightly colored fret buttons on the neck along with a strum bar where the strings should be. Players can bend notes with the whammy bar and more sophisticated moves, such as hammer-ons and pull-offs, are done with ease.
Varying skill levels make "Guitar Hero" a challenge for beginners and shredders alike. The beginner skill level offers few challenges, but is a good place for inexperienced guitarists to grow accustomed to following notes and rhythms.
Power chords and excessive soloing come along in the more difficult settings. I've played guitar for over four years, and found it nearly impossible to keep up with Ozzy Osbourne's "Bark at the Moon" on the expert setting.
Even though the game is all about the music, a story line is included. The players' mission is to take a rock band out of the garage and into the arena.
At the beginning of a career, players choose a character and a guitar. Mostly animated rock 'n' roll stereotypes, each character has clothing and personality traits to fit a particular era in rock history. Similarly, the axe collection spans the history of Gibson guitars, and includes various incarnations of the Les Paul and SG.
With each venue, there's a list of progressively challenging songs. Players must hit notes as they appear on a moving fret board. Notes and chords are represented by colored dots that correspond to fret buttons on the controller. Miss too many notes and the band is booed off the stage.
It's easy to let hours slide by while trying to perfect Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" or M”t”rhead's tour de force, "Ace of Spades." I got the feeling I'd be a much better musician if I spent half as much time practicing on a real guitar.
One of the only real drawbacks of Guitar Hero is the $70 price tag. Unlike some of the new Xbox games, extra songs aren't available for download. Hopefully, there will be new editions of "Guitar Hero" in the future.