Rock star is one of the most highly sought after professions in our country. Millions dream of creating their own band and rockin' along to massive success. They hear real rock stars talk of all the fame, riches and other benefits of being talented and famous. There are many wanna-be bands out there, all aspiring to reach the big time. There are also the discreet hopefuls like those who practice quietly in their basement or who listen to the songs of the gods of classic rock repeatedly and jam on an "air guitar." (aka your dad...)
Over the last couple years though, many have been able to fulfill that dream (albeit only in their living room) thanks to Harmonix and Red Octane, the creators and producers of "Guitar Hero." "Guitar Hero I and II " are two games for the PS2 and the Xbox 360 that let you start a band and play through over 70 songs in order to earn money to buy other cool stuff. The controller is a mini-guitar that you sling over your shoulder -- with five different colored fret buttons, a strum bar and even a whammy bar.
Notes come towards you on a treadmill-like fret board and you press down the correct color fret button when the note reaches the cues on screen. Once the note reaches the fret cue, press the fret on the guitar and the strum bar simultaneously. On long notes, you hold the fret and the strum bar. Song difficulties range from easy, which is fairly simplistic and slow, to expert mode, which throw tons of notes and chords rapidly at you.
But this is hardly just a game. "Guitar Hero" is a phenomenon that has swept the country, drawing in fans of all ages, teens most of all. I cannot count the amount of times I have heard good reviews from teens at my school or elsewhere. Radio stations are having "'Guitar Hero' shred-offs" at remote broadcasts. I hear of "'Guitar Hero' Parties," and I have had people over and we played it 'til 3 a.m. While it's simple to pick up and play, it also provides even accomplished gamers with quite a challenge. Frankly, the gameplay is wildly addictive. If you have a surround sound system and play your favorite song with the volume blasting, it almost feels as if you're at a concert, except that you're the rock star.
"Guitar Hero's" unique combination of music and gameplay is one reason for its continued success. The controller and concept are ingenious, while the game itself is so simple to learn that my nine-year-old brother can play it and is actually quite good. This game also appeals to more than one generation. The song selection ranges from songs by warhorse bands like Kansas and Deep Purple to new rockers Wolfmother and Blink 182.
It really does go back to the feeling of being a rock star. We all love to pretend to be something else every once in a while, and this game gives us the chance to be someone we could never be. It breaks you away from the real world for a while so you can play a concert and be a rock star, whether you have any musical training or not.
Adam, 16, had this to say about the game. "I love to play the game because it has a great song selection, from classics to contemporary hits, is easy to learn how to play, and is just all-around fun to play. After I beat a tough song, or play one extremely well, I get a sense of having accomplished something cool. I know how to play a real guitar, and Guitar Hero is obviously different. However, the rhythms are similar, and it's basically like playing a one-stringed guitar."
It's not only teens that love this game. My father, a former music critic, and Adam's dad, Bill, a hobbyist guitar-player both enjoy rockin' out with GH.
"I have played guitar since I was 10 years old," Bill said. "I never learned how to read music though, so I learned by watching and have others show me what to play. That's one of the reasons I like this game besides its large library of fantastic songs. It (the game) shows you what notes to play instead of having you read sheet music. For someone who has never played guitar, but is interested in learning, I would start them out on this game because the rhythm, timing and fingering are similar."
While there are many, many people who love this game, some just downright despise it. Alex, 17, has played the game, and knows many others who play it. "I think that it's just a dumb game! The music selection doesn't fit anything I would want to play, it's way too over-hyped for how much fun it actually is, and for the people who play it, it becomes all that they talk about. I play the real thing and it is absolutely nothing like playing in Guitar Hero."
On April 2, Harmonix, along with MTV and EA, announced that they are taking the "Guitar Hero" concept to the next logical step in a new game called "Rock Band." The plan is to have it launch by the Christmas season at the end of this year. The game will include a lead guitar, bass guitar, drums and microphone peripherals. It will include an unprecedented amount of songs, thanks to agreements with EMI Music Publishing and Warner/Chappell Music. The projected cost has not been officially released yet, but rumors have circulated on the Internet that the cost will be over $300 for the entire set. (The developers, however, have denied this rumor).
This game is going to be a step beyond "Guitar Hero" and will give a great opportunity for everyone to be in their own band! I can hardly wait to go on tour with my own band -- David and the Pflugeys!
