Guitar Hero 2: Intro and Tips

With the popularity of the first Guitar Hero game for PS2, no doubt a lot of folks played the second one with the hope it would either be better or at least just as good. I am not one of those people. I am a late joiner and a cheap gamer, and this review is written for people like me who are thinking about jumping on the bandwagon, too.

I knew before ever playing that I would like it. I had played several music titles before, among which my favorite was Frequency. I also play guitar, but trust me, Guitar Hero is about as similar to playing on a real guitar as Dance Dance Revolution is to dancing on a real dance floor.

As a cheap gamer, it wasn't easy getting up the nerve to finally buy Guitar Hero. The controller costs extra, but there was no way I was going to play it using the Dual Shock 2 controller. I wouldn't recommend that to anyone. Guitar Hero is about you, a guitar, and some rock and roll. One day I saw a used guitar controller behind the counter at my local Game Stop, as well as a used copy of Guitar Hero II on the shelf, and I knew it was time. So I used my discount card like any good cheap gamer, and drove home with my loot sixty bucks in the hole.

Used games don't usually come with manuals, and I'm too lazy to look up the controls online. So I tried the tutorial to learn how the heck to use the funky guitar controller. It turned out to be pretty simple. You just press the frets accordingly and strum with the other hand. Optionally you can throw in some tremolo on sustained notes (a good idea if it's a special "star note"). There are only 5 frets and 1 strum bar, which might seem far simpler than a typical 22-fret guitar with 6 strings. Definitely easier to learn, but don't be fooled. It's pretty rough to master.

Guitar Hero II is filled with great songs, and that definitely adds to its appeal. Some of my favorite songs included are Sweet Child of Mine, War Pigs, and Heart Shaped Box. While it has some boring songs and poor renditions (most of the songs are not performed by the original artist, but rather a cover band), as you get to the more difficult levels you won't even be paying attention to the singer. You'll be focused so much on the notes that you won't even see the silly antics your guitar hero pulls off when you go into "star mode".

Overall, Guitar Hero II is a highly addictive and very challenging game. You won't want to put the controller down, even when your hand is throbbing from the crazy fretwork. If you have ever enjoyed a music game, or if you think you might, Guitar Hero II is well worth it.