Guitar Hero II - Review

One of the Best Games the PS2 Has to Offer

So, you've never played the original Guitar Hero and the commercials and kiosks at Best Buy have piqued your curiosity. The first question you ask yourself is, "Do I really want to spend $70 to $110 for a single video game?" The second question may be along the lines of, "Do I want to stand in front of my TV playing a toy guitar?" If you take the plunge and buy the game and an axe, you will find the answer to both questions is a resounding yes.

Guitar Hero II follows the course of a band, your band, as it jams its way from high school talent night, to cross country gigs in sold out arenas. You can have multiple bands and name them whatever you'd like. Being a man-child, my bands name is not fit for publication. You'll be able to chose from a range of nicely rendered guitarists and guitars. The complexity of the songs increases as you go from small clubs to stadiums. While performing you'll gain what's called star power by nailing star shaped notes and wailing on the whammy bar on long notes. When your power bar is high enough you move the neck of your axe vertical for bonus points for every note you hit, and it drives the crowd wild. Pulling off star power moves is critical, especially if you've missed some notes and the crowd is getting close to booing you off the stage. Successfully completing songs will net you cash to spend at the store, where you can unlock new guitarists, guitars, songs and other extras. As this game is hard, harder than the original, the newly implemented practice mode is most welcome. You'll be able to practice part of a song such as intros, solos, outros, or the whole song and adjust its speed until you can nail it in its entirety at your performance. Another improvement over its predecessor is the co-op multiplayer, in which one player is on lead guitar while the other is playing bass. An extra bonus is the ability for each player to select a different difficulty setting, perfect if you play on expert, but your band mate is a newbie.