Today, I was introduced to the coolest game I've seen in a long while. Perhaps some of you have seen or heard of it, but it's got the potential to be the best party-oriented game since the first
Dance Dance Revolution. The game is
Guitar Hero.
The game itself looks a little daunting to those who haven't played a guitar before, but let me assure you, it can be picked up very quickly. This isn't to say that it's not challenging, because I can tell you right now that it will kick your butt. But you'll have the best time doing it, guaranteed. It comes with this controller that looks like a small electric guitar with five colored buttons on the frets at the end of the neck, and a toggle switch that you tap/strum the rhythm shown on the screen. Oh yeah, and a whammy bar. LOL
The game is amazingly addictive and there are plenty of tunes available to play (with more that can be unlocked/bought in-game). One of the most impressive things about the game is the performers who cover the actual tunes. Some of the tracks
sound almost identical to the original performers, which is a real credit to the developer.
As the song plays, the colored dots/bars slide down the fretboard towards you and you press the colored button(s) and toggle the switch in time with the aforementioned dots/bars once they hit that row at the bottom of the screen. The better you do, the more the crowd likes you. Initally they can be pretty forgiving, but the further you go into the game, they can get merciless and will boo you off the stage. If you manage to keep time well, you get a bonus called "Star Power" that is triggered by tipping the guitar upwards and/or outwards as if you were thrashing your axe. This allows you to rock out at maximum potential, thus increasing your score and your standing with the fans.
It's probably a good thing I don't have a PS2 but if I ever get a PS3, this game better be backwards-compatible or there will be hell to pay.
Oh yeah, and Happy Fuckin' New Year.
