And in the beginning, there was rock...
Guitar Hero is now another piece of pop culture. But how did it become so popular? How did so many people get convinced that it was cool to use fake, plastic instruments to play through covers of popular rock songs? Well, you can thank this game. Sure, Guitar Freaks came out before Guitar Hero, but this is the reason that "Guitar Hero" is close to a house-hold name.
If you have played Dance Dance Revolution (another popular rhythm game), you may be surprised at how much attention was put into the graphics of this game. Not only does each selectable character have their own unique personality on stage, but all the other band members are unique as well. The overall art style is cartoony, and all of the character's traits are over-emphasized. For example, the "Metal Rocker" has a huge upper torso, a small lower body, with torn and tattered clothing. A huge chin and long hair finish out the checklist for "Metal-head".
This is where I typically put my "Audio and Sound" section of my reviews, but this game really doesn't need it. All of the bands are covers except for the Bonus Songs. All of the songs are covered faithfully, and most sound pretty close to the original. Unless you don't like the original songs, you really can't complain about the audio department in this game.
Gameplay, the heart of any rhythm game. When you purchase the game, you also get a plastic guitar controller that has five buttons on the fret-board, a strum bar, a whammy bar, and both start and select buttons. Using the controller, you are tasked with playing through the available songs by hitting the colored "gems" as they come down the screen. You have to both hold down the corresponding button as well as strum the strum bar in order to have the notes register. It sounds simple, but at the higher difficulties among the elite players, it becomes more about getting the most points, instead of just getting through a song without failing. This allows the game to have great re-playability.
Quick Review:
Graphics = 4/5
Audio/Sound = 5/5
Gameplay = 5/5
Overall:
4.5/5
If you enjoy rhythm games as well as a game that will last you a long time, get this or any of the Guitar Hero sequels. You will not regret it.
