Guitar Hero II (PS2) Released

I did a search and didn't find any mention of Guitar Hero 2. I probably didn't search for enough terms or the right ones, so if there's an existing thread for this feel free to lock this one. Anyways...

Anyone else out there have this game? This is the only time I've ever gotten a game at launch (technically a day after, but we pre-ordered it and that was the best they gave us.)

I have mixed feelings about the game. The game play is everything the first one should've been--slightly easier on the hammer-on's and pull-off's, a practice mode, and the co-op multiplayer is great (especially with different difficulty levels for each player; I'd never get my fiance to pick it up otherwise...) I haven't played through all the songs on all the difficulty levels yet, but they seem to be relatively harder than the ones in GH1--coming off of the first game it's great having more challenge, but I don't know if someone who's never seen it before would like it.

The only thing I have against it at all is the song list. They've got some good songs, and I understand perfectly well they can't please everyone, but it seems like they could've gotten a better set for this version to follow-up. No Metallica, AC/DC, Hendrix. The set's decent, but it just has an entirely different feel, and no where near the amount of big names I personally was expecting. Still though, it's a killer game--it could've been all nursery rhymes and kid songs and I still probably would've gotten it.

So, anyone else played this yet? Or thinking about getting it and not sure, or whatever?

I don't have the first one yet, but I want them both. You've also got to remember that often the people that own the rights to these big names want way more many than would be allowed for one or two songs in a video game budget.

Here is a link to a story that includes a review, video, and pictures if anybody would like some more info on this game.

Guitar Hero 2

Peace,

Pancho

Originally posted by 7Pan7cho7
You've also got to remember that often the people that own the rights to these big names want way more many than would be allowed for one or two songs in a video game budget.

Yeah, I'm trying to keep that in mind--and I guess if they had to choose between the gameplay features they added and having a couple more big name in it I'd go for the features anyways.

Based on the licensing though, some of the song choices are strange. I mean, I know next to nothing about how bands and labels work things out when it comes to giving permission, but even some of the bigger names that are on there--Aerosmith, Nirvana, and STP--they use some of the lesser known songs (at least, not ones I would've asked for first.) I mean, "Last Child" is cool, but if you can get an Aerosmith song, why not try for something like "Sweet Emotions" or "Walk This Way"?

That's just my opinion though--I feel the need to have something to gripe about. Still a great game and I'd gladly recommend it to anyone who has ever tried to play air guitar.

I just found these wireless Guitar Hero controllers if anybody is interested, they have a few different models, but this is my favorite one. I like how it has two sets of buttons, and I also like that the buttons on the bottom are smaller because I think it would feel more realistic. Further down the neck you will sometimes play power chords and for the higher notes you usually have to be very precise with finger positions, that's why I say it's more realistic (and yes I do play guitar, but I'm not too experienced).




Courtesy of Guitar Mania. com

Also, anyone interested in going to the game's website should go to www.guitarherogame.com... (and not guitarhero.com--that site sells statuettes of various famous guitarists; kinda interesting, but...)

They have a message board there, and it's quite funny watching people fight about what songs and guitarists just absolutely have to be in the next one, that it'd be blasphemous to not include this song, etc.

I'm just waiting for the 360 version, considering i only play in the next gen now...psh.(jp) but It's gunna be awesome cuz the 360 version will have all of the songs from gh1 and gh2 with more being available to dl through live. So I think it will be mucho better.

Originally posted by truttseeker
I'm just waiting for the 360 version, considering i only play in the next gen now...psh.(jp) but It's gunna be awesome cuz the 360 version will have all of the songs from gh1 and gh2 with more being available to dl through live. So I think it will be mucho better.

That and IGN just said that they haven't found a way to play either one on the PS3, because when playing a PS2 or PSX game you have to push the button on the controller that is in the middle (PS button or something like that). And they also tried doing a quick swap between controllers and that didn't work. But hey, I'm sure they'll figure something out.

Ken: I'm dying to know: Do the Guitar Hero controllers work with the USB adapters on the PS3?

IGN: When you pop in a PS2 or PSone game, you're prompted to tap the PlayStation button on the controller. For what reason, we're not sure, but as Guitar Hero's SG controller doesn't have this button, you can't actually activate it. You also can't quick-swap from one controller to another as the second part of the problem lies in that you need to turn on analog control, but again, the SG guitar doesn't have an on/off button for analog play. This SUCKS.

Courtesy of IGN

Wow....that's got to be the worst VG news I think I've ever heard Well, I guess that means I'm getting a 360 when I decide to go next-gen. Man, and I was hoping I could keep MS out of my living room....

This is a sad day.

Originally posted by MCory1
Wow....that's got to be the worst VG news I think I've ever heard

Well, I guess that means I'm getting a 360 when I decide to go next-gen. Man, and I was hoping I could keep MS out of my living room....

This is a sad day.

It doesn't necessarily mean that sony can't put some kind of update to fix this problem later. They most likely haven't even heard about this, because IGN just got their retail version the other day, and i'm not sure how many other companies got one.

You will be able to download updates, so I'm sure that this will come up sooner or later and they will try to fix it, seeing how popular those games have been and all.

This thread caught my eye and I've never heard of this game before. I've been playing guitar for about thirty years, the last fifteen as a pro... and I have to say I feel that this is a pretty crappy idea. While I encourage enthusiasm for the instrument, I think that this game just caters to the "instant gratification" aspects of our culture, and that if kids really want to play guitar, they should practise the damn thing, not get their egos stroked without having to do any of the heavy lifting that getting serious about an instrument requires.

Get a real guitar, go to any of the thousands of websites and magazines that now cater for people who actually want to learn, and make the sounds yourself. It's far more satisfying, and you actually change your brain connectivity in interesting and useful ways.

Originally posted by rich23
This thread caught my eye and I've never heard of this game before. I've been playing guitar for about thirty years, the last fifteen as a pro... and I have to say I feel that this is a pretty crappy idea. While I encourage enthusiasm for the instrument, I think that this game just caters to the "instant gratification" aspects of our culture, and that if kids really want to play guitar, they should practise the damn thing, not get their egos stroked without having to do any of the heavy lifting that getting serious about an instrument requires.

Get a real guitar, go to any of the thousands of websites and magazines that now cater for people who actually want to learn, and make the sounds yourself. It's far more satisfying, and you actually change your brain connectivity in interesting and useful ways.

rich has a point here, because I do play guitar and I know how good it feels when you finally nail a riff that you've been after for a while. I've never thought about this game like that before, I guess because i've never really played it. I do own Frequency and Amplitude (which were both made by Harmonix as well) where you use the controller for the same thing. I think Guitar Hero was just trying to take that style of game to the next level by incorporating a guitar controller, not so much to give instant gratification. But you do bring up a good point.

Also, guitars can be too expensive for some people. If they already have a PS2 then they can spend a lot less for the game than for an actual guitar/amp/strap/stand/gigbag/cable/picks/etc.

Rich, you do make a good point--I've doinked around with the guitar for a few years (but spent most of my musical time on the piano, classical stuff), and I completely agree with you--it is far more satisfying to spend hours trying to get the notes just right, and then finally getting that riff or scale down pat. It's a great feeling to hear all that hard work finally come out.

However, the main reason I personally like this game is because of the other hard work it eliminates: trying to find the right group of people to play with (or who will let you play with them, as has always been my case), trying to get that 1st couple of gigs set up, trying to get people to come out and listen to you.

I know damn well I'm never going to play in a band--guitar, piano, whatever. Regardless of any musical abilities I may have, I don't have the right personality--too controlling and ego-centric to play anything but lead, but nowhere near good enough to play anything but the radio. Even if I could get something going, I'm pretty sure I'd never play in front of a crowd the size of what the game simulates.

It's just like the countless sports games out there--people can still bust their rears trying to learn how to throw a fast ball or dunk from the free throw line, but most of us are never going to make the NBA or NFL no matter how hard we try for whatever reason. I know I'm never going to play the Warped Tour in real life; this is my way of getting a piece of that, even if it is completely fake.

Besides, with GH1 I got just as big a rush getting through Bark At The Moon on expert as I did with any piano piece I spent days working on. Sad, I know....

I'm glad I've sparked some thought and discussion. I had a horrible feeling I was going to get blown off as some old guy who doesn't know anything about computer games (which I don't - and I'm rather glad that I never got into them because I don't think they do much for you. Just my POV).

The point about playing guitar, and music in general, is you get to LEARN. And what you learn is far, far more than just what scales go over what chord, or particular fingerings, or how to play "Eruption".

However, the main reason I personally like this game is because of the other hard work it eliminates: trying to find the right group of people to play with (or who will let you play with them, as has always been my case), trying to get that 1st couple of gigs set up, trying to get people to come out and listen to you.

All this is part of the game, and part of growing as a person. It brings you up against your own shortcomings and I'm still learning about this stuff. Learning and growth is important. As soon as you stop doing it, you start to die.

I know damn well I'm never going to play in a band--guitar, piano, whatever. Regardless of any musical abilities I may have, I don't have the right personality--too controlling and ego-centric to play anything but lead, but nowhere near good enough to play anything but the radio. Even if I could get something going, I'm pretty sure I'd never play in front of a crowd the size of what the game simulates.

You know, I almost never say this, (well... you could research my posts and prove me wrong, but it would be a waste of your time) but you are so wrong and you don't even know it. I don't have to know you to say this. I just have to look back on my personal experience.

When I was a kid (16), I really wanted to play guitar. I could sing, and was the singer in a few rock bands, but all my friends who were guitar players were tall with long thin fingers that flew around on the fretboard in ways I couldn't manage. I convinced myself that I would never be a guitar player. It's easy to do that, much easier than to go the other route.

But the thing is, I just loved it anyway, even though I thought I was useless. Back before there were so many sites and magazines, there was no-one to work out stuff for you, so I used to sit with vinyl and play along, going back over tunes over and over to figure out each new chord or lick. Gradually, I got better, even though I had appalling practice habits which really handicapped me. I also got used to learning and coping with difficulty... and found myself knowing much more than many of the guys with the long fingers, who found things really easy up to a point and then got stuck as soon as things got difficult.

So when you say, "I know I'll never..." you're just setting up a self-fulfilling prophecy. Those things work. AND THEY CAN WORK BOTH WAYS. And when you say you're too controlling... well, you know what? You can learn to let go. It can be a really hard thing to do, but it's really worth it. You can also turn it to where it should really be applied, which is on yourself. Control yourself, not other people. You can't ever control other people anyway, and it's idiotic to even try. BUT if you refuse to walk away from difficulties, if you realise that getting angry is YOUR OWN THING, your own reaction to a situation... you can learn and change. Learning music, as I say, is about much more than music. It's also very much about how you interact with people, and learning to listen really hard is very important. If you listen right, you get told what to do and how to play.

I know I'm never going to play the Warped Tour in real life; this is my way of getting a piece of that, even if it is completely fake.

I knew I was never going to do loads of stuff that I eventually wound up doing. If I'd known I was going to DO these things I might have got there sooner.

Besides, with GH1 I got just as big a rush getting through Bark At The Moon on expert as I did with any piano piece I spent days working on. Sad, I know....

The most fun I can have with my clothes on is jamming with my good friends, preferably in a nice, sweaty little club with some cute babes dancing down the front. Take what you know about piano, apply it to the guitar, and find people to play with. Let go of preconceptions about how it should sound and listen instead to how it DOES sound.

You have voted rich23 for the Way Above Top Secret award. You have two more votes this month.

You've made a lot of very excellent points rich; I don't want to down play any of them at all--you're perfectly correct. At the same time though, I don't want to move the focus off the game too much here (although your points are probably much more worthy of the space on the board than the game ).

FWIW, there's a quasi-related post on ATS here by deltaboy. Doesn't talk about the GH, but especially in light of rich's posts it has relevance.

One thing I do want to add to those who haven't played either before: I strongly recommend starting with the first Guitar Hero--it's much easier. I know that doesn't seem like a good thing with games most of the time, but you'll probably be quite disappointed if you beat GHII all the way and then go back. In 2, they're catering mostly to everyone who played the first one and was wanting more challenge.

You're right... I did go off topic. Sorry. Glad you liked the input, and thanks for the U2U - your path is yours alone, and you have to work out what it is for yourself. Enjoy!

R23