Gaming Blog

guitar-hero

Guitar Hero: Van Halen – Will It Make Us Jump?

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vanhalen-vanhalenGuitar Hero: Aerosmith got me all tickled pink. I still have to get my hands on Metallica so that I can feel the fuel running through my veins. Rock Band’s Beatles has gotten nothing but good reviews. It’s inevitable that other music icons should follow suit and have their names associated with a Guitar Hero or Rock Band game.

Now, it’s Van Halen’s turn. If you did your last-minute Christmas shopping, you might have seen copies of the game on the shelves. It was actually released on the 22nd of December. Unlike the other music games labeled with a band’s name, I didn’t hear much hype about Van Halen’s Guitar Hero, though. I don’t know if it’s just me or if it’s a fact: it doesn’t seem like this is going to make waves.

The game contains 25 songs from the band – the greatest hits attributed to them. There are also three guitar solos by Eddie Van Halen. Of course, several other artists have been thrown in: Blink 182, Queen, Lenny Kravitz, and Weezer among others. Why the eclectic mix? I have no idea. In fact, some reviewers have stated that the added songs only served to clash with the whole idea of Van Halen and their music.

I am not that big a Van Halen fan, but the fact that the game does not do the band credit (as many reviewers have said) does not really entice me to shell out money for it. I don’t have the game and I think I will not be getting it any time soon.

Maybe someone else has a better experience?

Band Hero: A Review

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Band-Hero_PS3_BOX-tempboxart_160w
What do you get if you combine Rock Band and Guitar Hero? It’s simple: Band Hero. This is one of the latest titles in the plethora of video games about music, and guess who is behind it? No other than the makers of the hit video game franchise, Guitar Hero.

The first thought that came to mind when I heard of Band Hero is that why would they feel the need to create another game when Guitar Hero is still making it big? I think one of the things that gives the new game an edge is the line up of artists and songs featured. How does Adam Levine, No Doubt, Lilly Allen, and The All-American Rejects sound? I am pretty sure that the younger crowd will have more fun playing to these songs than a lot of the music featured in the Guitar Hero series.

Just like the other games, Band Hero allows multiple players to contribute their talents as different members of the band. There are a lot modes which players can choose from. I think one very interesting mode is Let’s Get this Party Started! In this mode, any player can join in at any point of the song. Players can tweak their settings in mid-song as well, making it easy for everyone to do their own things without having to worry about messing the whole production up. This is excellent for groups of people who do not have the same level of skill – and I am just thinking of my family right now!

The game is available for the XBox360 and PlayStation3, among other platforms.

Guitar Hero: Tuning up the Beat

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Guitar Hero Screenshot

Let us try to shift our attention away from the usual sports or role playing game for the meantime. One game that has caught my attention on the Playstation 2 series is that of Guitar Hero, a journey towards how artists and musicians bring their talent by humming the different beats known today.

True, Guitar Hero is not the common game that a regular gamer would consider purchasing and playing when he gets the chance. It is similar to that of the usual dance pads we see in the arcades today where certain steps and beats should be hit at the right moment to get good scores and advance to the next level. In Guitar Hero, the steps are assigned in the different buttons from beginner to the advanced levels. The easy mode uses only three buttons to hit at the right moment and consequently adds another button as a player wants to shift to the harder levels.

The objective is to get a high rating on the meter to which certain rewards and points are awarded for every successful gig. Guitar Hero may not have the usual opponent and combat modes, but overall, it is entertaining especially for the people who love music and tunes coming from different bands both present and past.

[tags]guitar hero, playstation 2, dance, music[/tags]