Genre: Rhythm
Year: 2006
Developed by: Harmonix
Published by: RedOctane / Activision
Platforms: PS2, XBOX 360
#108
Feeling Like: SHE’S MY CHERRY PIE
We were in Moncton. If you live in Sackville, New Brunswick there are few things as exciting as a road trip to the big city. Mostly because nobody had a car, and Moncton had things like malls and restaurants.
We were in Future Shop and they had a Guitar Hero display. Lipsit knew what it was – of course he did, he’s musically inclined. I can’t sing a note or play an instrument. My personal tastes usually involve trance songs, or remixes of video game music. I am about the least qualified person to find a music game interesting.
I was addicted before I even picked up the guitar controller.
Does it look a little silly? Yeah, kinda. Instead of a traditional controller, you’re given a plastic guitar with five colors – green, red, yellow, blue and the bane of my existence, orange. I do NOT have large hands, so slinking my pinky over to get those nefarious notes was always a challenge.
The point of the game is to hold the corresponding color or colors while strumming the guitar alongside some of music’s most notorious hits.
It is fucking fantastic.
I’m obsessed with lists and rankings, obviously. Whenever I would watch an IGN Top 10, or ScrewAttack or GameTrailers, I’d get really miffed when they said something like “only one entry per franchise.” What the hell? Final Fantasy 6 and Final Fantasy 7 are two totally different games, why shun one of them out?
That being said, the Guitar Heros are being merged here. I loved Guitar Hero, and Guitar Hero 3 but there’s no point in having three separate entries. The gameplay is virtually identical, with a few things added here and there. A different set list, sure, but the core experience is identical. I’m positive hardcore enthusiasts will disagree, but remember, I’m a musical dumb-dumb.
We played an incalculable amount of Guitar Hero 2 on King St. If it wasn’t Danimal in the morning, it was Lipsit at noon, or any party guests we urged on at night. Nobody was safe. It was a great game to watch too, and there’s no shame like a dozen drunk idiots yelling at you when you screw up “Free Bird” on Expert at the last possible moment.
“Less Talk More Rokk” was my jam, it was a bonus song and was weird enough that I adored it. I’d never heard it on the radio, or since. I played it so often that my friends would roll their eyes and scream “NO! SOMETHING ELSE!” In a game with a soundtrack list of 64 songs, there really isn’t much excuse to play the same one over and over.
Even though the mechanics are quite simple, akin to pat your head and rub your belly, I never did master the strumming. On sections where you have to strum obscenely fast, you’re supposed to go up and down, but I couldn’t get the timing right. So, I’d just mash down-down-down-down as fast as I could and develop early onset carpal tunnel syndrome. Worth it.
Dan MacDonald, or Danimal as we called him, was one of my favorites from University days. He had his quirks, like his legendary ability to vanish and get into trouble, or his fervor for competitive poker, but he loved video games and hanging out. And paid his rent on time, so he was a good roommate (better than me, I ate Randy’s food once and I still feel guilty).
Anyway, Danimal loved Guitar Hero 2 too, but he was an early riser. The PS2/video game menagerie was on the main floor. Lipsit’s room was on the main floor. Danimal would play Guitar Hero 2 at an early hour. I was oddly awake at 7am once when I heard “Message in a Bottle” being strummed along to, loudly. A door opens. Lipsit bellows…
“DANIMAL! SHUT THE FUCK UP!”
(door slams)
That was the end of loud Guitar Hero 2 in the mornings. It really is an evening activity anyway.
Guitar Hero 3 wasn’t quite as memorable, since it was released after I graduated. Still, I had to get my fix in so I played it solo – frequently. During the “Video Games Live” concert in Vancouver one year, they had a display/competition and the highest scorer got to play on stage, in front of thousands of people. I am SO glad I didn’t win, I would have completely embarrassed myself. Seeing the actual winner, I was relieved; I had no chance to begin with. Still, was fun.
When I was working for Neverblue, I got sent to Florida few time to for face to face meetings with some of our bigger clients. I don’t like the sun, or the beach, or alligators just walking around, so I wasn’t the biggest fan. However, the mall across Amerant Bank Arena (home the Florida Panthers) had a Guitar Hero 3 machine in their arcade. I had a ton of time to kill, so…
Not much else to be said. Rhythm games are a blast, Guitar Hero 2 was one of the best. This fad completely swept the gaming industry by storm and soon Rock Band was coming, which would take the principle design of Guitar Hero and add in different instruments. While Guitar Hero 2 was certainly responsible for a good portion of our irresponsibility in 4th and 5th year, a Rock Band game may have led to a 6th year. It’s probably a good thing we didn’t have that available. Plus, nobody wants to hear me sing.
Update: I swear to god, the algorithm is stalking me. This was on my Twitter feed four seconds after I posted this entry, from the “Nostalgia from your Childhood” account.
The 500 