Guitar Hero II

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Guitar Hero II
Box art for two versions of Guitar Hero II. Left: PlayStation 2, PAL release. Right: Xbox 360, NTSC release.
Box art for two versions of Guitar Hero II.
Left: PlayStation 2, PAL release.
Right: Xbox 360, NTSC release.
Developer(s)Harmonix Music Systems
Publisher(s)RedOctane / Activision
Designer(s)Greg LoPiccolo, Rob Kay, Chris Canfield, Josh Randall
Platform(s)PlayStation 2, Xbox 360
ReleasePlayStation 2

NA November 7, 2006
AU November 15, 2006
UK November 24, 2006
EU November 30, 2006

Xbox 360
NA April 3, 2007
AU April 3, 2007
DK April 4, 2007
EU April 6, 2007

BR April 6, 2007
Genre(s)Music video game
Mode(s)Single player, multiplayer

Guitar Hero II is a music video game and a sequel to Guitar Hero. The second entry in the series, it was released for the Sony PlayStation 2[1] video game console in November 2006 and for the Xbox 360 console in April 2007.[2]

Like the original Guitar Hero, the player uses a guitar-shaped peripheral to play rock songs as notes scroll towards the player. Most of the gameplay from the original game remains intact, with new modes and note combinations being added.

Since its release, Guitar Hero II has been met with critical and commercial success, helping the Guitar Hero series become a cultural phenomenon. It has spawned a spin-off, Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s for PlayStation 2, and a full-fledged sequel, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock for the PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Nintendo DS.

History

Guitar Hero II was released for the PlayStation 2 on November 7 2006 in North America, November 15 2006 in Australia,[3] and November 30 2006 in the United Kingdom and Europe.[4] Guitar Hero II for the Xbox 360 console was released on April 3 2007 in North America and on April 5 2007 in Europe. Controllers from the first Guitar Hero game (shaped like Gibson SG guitars) for the PlayStation 2 are compatible with that system's version of Guitar Hero II. Pre-ordered copies of Guitar Hero II for the PlayStation 2 included a classic cherry red SG Guitar, a Guitar Hero II T-shirt, and sticker set.[5] Retail versions of the game controller are cherry red in color. Xbox 360 versions have an exclusive Mini white Gibson X-Plorer guitar controller. Both the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox 360 guitar support wired controls; however, to date, only the PlayStation 2 has wireless functionality.

A demo version of the PlayStation 2 version of Guitar Hero II was released with issue #110 of Official Playstation Magazine on October 5 2006.[6] Features of the demo included four playable songs on four difficulty levels for single player and co-op modes. Demo releases do not feature the ability to flip the notes for left-handed players. Demo versions feature the songs "Shout at the Devil", "You Really Got Me", "Strutter" and "YYZ".

The Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero II includes additional content available through the Xbox Live service.[7] The Xbox 360 version also supports an optional foot pedal for effects, based on the game manual, but this is not yet available at retail.

Gameplay

Screenshot from the PS2 version of the game.

Gameplay is based on the successful formula created in the Guitar Hero game series; the player may use the guitar peripheral to play scrolling notes by holding the corresponding fret button on the guitar neck and simultaneously pressing the strum bar. Alternatively, one can use the "DualShock 2" controller by using the L2, L1, R1, R2 and X buttons (in the order of the respective frets, from green to orange). On the Xbox 360, the notes are played (from Green to Orange) with the LT, LB, RB, RT, and A buttons.

Several changes have been made to the gameplay mechanics of Guitar Hero II. Hammer-ons and pull-offs controls have been improved. Three note chords have been introduced, and scored as triple points if played correctly. There are additional statistics available for a song upon completion, and the scores achieved from either "Quick Play" or Career mode are saved to the same in-game high-score list. The handedness of the guitar can now be toggled from the Pause menu when playing a song (previously, this was only available from the game's main menu). For the Xbox 360 version, scores can also be compared with other players through Xbox Live via the Leaderboard feature, and there are 50 Achievements that can be earned in the game.

Career

Screenshot from the Xbox 360 version of the game.

In career mode, players create a band name and select a guitarist from among the available characters. Eight characters are available from the start of the game: Eddie Knox, Axel Steel, Casey Lynch, Lars Ümlaüt, Izzy Sparks, Judy Nails, Johnny Napalm, and Pandora. Additional characters Clive Winston, Xavier Stone and the Grim Ripper can also be purchased, allowing them to be played in later sessions.

Only the lead guitar is available to be played in this mode. Over the course of the career mode the band plays at eight available venues. The venue system from the original game has been altered slightly. Every venue is in a different city, and the career mode has the band traveling from town to town in order to play at the next arena. The band starts out at Nilbog High School, in an unspecified city in Ohio, referred to only as the "Midwest", in a Battle of the Bands competition. Then the band progresses to bigger New England venues: the Rat Cellar Pub in Boston, Massachusetts (playing homage to the legendary, defunct punk-rock club The Rathskeller or "The Rat" which was located in Kenmore Square); the Blackout Bar in Providence, Rhode Island; the RedOctane Club in Brooklyn, New York; and the Rock City Theater in Detroit, Michigan (named after the Kiss song "Detroit Rock City"); before crossing back to the West Coast, making a stop at the Vans Warped Tour in Austin, Texas; the Harmonix Arena in Oakland, California; and culminating at Stonehenge in the United Kingdom. The latter is a reference to the film, This is Spinal Tap, in which the band performed the song "Stonehenge" on stage with a model of the monument. The venues now feature lighting and pyrotechnics that are synchronized with the music.

After completing the required songs, three, four, or five depending on the difficulty, fans in the crowd will chant for an encore. Passing the encore song will unlock the next tier of songs. In Easy mode, no encores are available.

Successful completion of a song on Medium or higher skill levels during Career mode will earn the player in-game cash. Higher difficulty levels and better scoring performances are rewarded with more cash. In-game money can be used at The Store to buy various items. Some items are available only after completing all songs at higher difficulty levels or 5-star performances. Purchases in The Store carry over to each difficulty in career mode and all game modes. Within the Store, the player can purchase new Gibson guitars, finishes for these guitars, three additional characters, alternate outfits for the eight characters available from the start, bonus songs, and videos. Within the Xbox 360 version, there is also an option to access the Xbox Live Marketplace content for Guitar Hero II.

Multiplayer

File:Guitar-hero-2-xbox360-multiplayer.jpg
Screenshot of the Cooperative mode from the Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero II.

There are three different multiplayer modes available:

  • Cooperative mode
Depending upon the song, a player can play the lead guitar while another can play bass or rhythm guitar. Both players share a score, rock meter, star power meter and streak multiplier. Co-op mode is the only multiplayer mode in which a song can be failed. There are five bass guitars that can be unlocked in cooperative mode. Players must simultaneously tilt their guitars vertically or press the Select/Back button to activate Star Power.
  • Face-Off mode
This is the same multiplayer mode as featured in the original game, though in Guitar Hero II, both players can individually select their level of difficulty. The scores are weighted so that a player who hits more notes on the Easy difficulty than an opponent on Expert difficulty may or may not win the round, depending on how many more notes the player hits.
  • Pro Face-Off mode
Players play the full lead guitar track on the same difficulty. This mode is available after completing Career Mode on medium or higher difficulty level on the PlayStation 2 version and Xbox 360.

While online multiplayer was not available at the release of Guitar Hero II for the Xbox 360, RedOctane has stated that they hope to be able provide this later once they are able to work out the technical issues.[8]

Practice mode

Practice mode is a new addition to the game, allowing a player to practice certain sections of a song ("Verse 2," "Chorus," "Bridge 3," etc.) on different difficulties and instruments. Practice mode gives the player the ability to toggle the speed of the notes (Full Speed, Slow, Slower and Slowest) and does not stop a song no matter how many mistakes are made. Players can play the bass lines on most songs. On others, a rhythm guitar line is available instead.

Soundtrack

Both the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 versions of Guitar Hero II feature the same core 64 playable songs. The Xbox 360 version contains 10 exclusive tracks not found in the Playstation 2 version, in addition to downloadable songs that can be purchased in packs of three for 500 Microsoft Points ($6.25) per pack. Most of the songs featured are cover versions, with the exception of "Stop", "Dead!", "Possum Kingdom", "John the Fisherman", and the unlockable bonus songs (which are original artist performances). Cover songs are credited on screen with the phrase "as made famous by" (e.g. "Surrender, as made famous by Cheap Trick"), while the original songs are credited with "as performed by" (e.g. "John the Fisherman, as performed by Primus").

In addition to exclusive tracks, the Xbox 360 version features a reorganized setlist that progresses in difficulty better than the PlayStation 2 version.[9]

Not all songs in the main set list are available from the start. When working through Career mode at a specific difficulty level, each set is unlocked once the requirements for the previous set (3, 4, or 5 songs depending on difficulty) is completed. Additionally, the encore song is only made available for that set once the set requirements are completed; the player is given the option of playing the encore for an additional cash bonus. Once a song is unlocked within Career mode, or by purchasing it in the Store, it becomes available for both Practice, and Quick Play modes. Bonus songs purchased at the store are available for all bands you create and require only a single purchase to be available in all modes. While playing in Easy during Career mode, neither encore songs nor the 8th set is available.

The following is the complete list of songs of Guitar Hero II:[10][11]

† - denotes rhythm guitar as alternate instrument for song in co-op mode (all other songs feature bass guitar)
bold denotes song performed by the original artist (all other songs are covers)
italics denotes Xbox 360 exclusive tracks

Main setlist

PlayStation 2

1. Opening Licks


Xbox 360

1. Opening Licks

2. Amp-Warmers


2. Amp-Warmers
3. String-Snappers


3. String-Snappers
4. Thrash and Burn


4. Thrash and Burn
5. Return of the Shred


5. Return of the Shred
6. Relentless Riffs


6. Relentless Riffs
7. Furious Fretwork


7. Furious Fretwork
8. Face-Melters


8. Face-Melters

Bonus tracks

All bonus songs are performed by the original artist

Xbox 360 downloadable tracks

Guitar Hero Track Pack 1 (30.87 MB, 500 MSP) - Released April 11 2007

Guitar Hero Track Pack 2 (30.64 MB, 500 MSP) - Released April 11 2007

Guitar Hero Track Pack 3 (32.71 MB, 500 MSP) - Released April 11 2007

It was originally suggested by Dusty Welch of RedOctane[12][13] and later confirmed by IGN[14] that many of the songs from the original Guitar Hero would be available for download from the Xbox Live Marketplace a week after the release of the game. The first three of these packs were made available on April 11, 2007.[15] Additional content will be made available sometime mid-July, 2007, according to Red Octane.[16]

In a GameSpy interview, RedOctane said that versus online gameplay was a probable future addition, and that downloadable songs would be priced the same as other similar services.[17] RedOctane has stated that "Guitar Hero II is planned to feature more downloadable content than any other 360 title".[18]

In the August 2007 issue of Alternative Press Magazine, it was confirmed that the song "Devotion and Desire" by Bayside will be one of the new downloadable songs in mid-July.[citation needed]

Featured instruments

Guitar Hero II features many popular real world Gibson, Epiphone, and Kramer guitars, including the Gibson Les Paul, Gibson SG, and Gibson Explorer. Oddities such as the double necked Gibson EDS-1275 and unusual looking Gibson Corvus also make an appearance. Several available finishes are also recognizable from popular guitarists, including Zakk Wylde's bullseye Les Paul. As play progresses, several custom shaped guitars become available, although some are notable in the real world such as the USA and Battle Axe (a similar looking bass is played by Gene Simmons and guitar was played by John Christ of Samhain/Daniz fame). Basses, such as the Music Man StingRay, Gibson Thunderbird, and the Höfner bass are also available for co-op play.

The band itself plays with Orange amps and DW drum kits, along with more in-game endorsements. When the player passes each set of songs in career mode, his/her band is rewarded with money and equipment endorsements, including Boss effects, Line6 guitar amplifiers, VHT amplifiers, Mesa/Boogie amplifiers, and Roland keyboards. These products then appear on stage while the band plays the ensuing setlists.[19]

Reception

Reviews and awards
PlayStation 2
Publication Score Notes
1UP.com 9.0[20]
Game Informer 9/10,9.25/10[21]
GamePro 4.5/5[22] Editor's Choice
GameSpot 8.7/10[23]
IGN 9.5/10[24] Editor's Choice
Official PlayStation Magazine 10/10 Game of the Month
Play Magazine 9/10[25]
Compilation review site Aggregate score
Game Rankings 93 of 100[26]
Metacritic 92 of 100 (based on 69 reviews)[27]
Awards
E3 2006 Game Critics Award for Best Puzzle/Trivia/Parlor Game[28]
IGN's Best of 2006 Best Music Game,[29][30] Best Licensed Soundtrack,[31][32] Best PlayStation 2 Offline Multiplayer Game[33]
2007 IEAA Awards Post Logistics PlayStation Game of the Year[34]
Next Generation's Top 50 4th best game of 2006[35]
2006 Spike TV Video Game Awards Best Soundtrack
Xbox 360
Publication Score Notes
1UP.com 9.0[36]
Game Informer 9.5/10,9/10[37]
GamePro 4.75/5[38] Editor's Choice
GameSpot 8.9/10[39]
IGN 9.4/10[40] Editor's Choice
Official Xbox Magazine 9.5/10
Play Magazine 9.5/10
Compilation review site Aggregate score
Game Rankings 93 of 100[41]
Metacritic 93 of 100 (based on 33 reviews)[42]

The PlayStation 2 version of Guitar Hero II was welcomed with very positive reviews. It received a 10/10 review in the December issue of Official PlayStation Magazine and was awarded the Game of the Month award. The game received a rating of 9.5/10 from IGN,[24] ranking higher than the original game in the series and amongst IGN's highest rated PS2 games ever. It was also nominated for Best Game of 2006 on Gametrailers[43]. GameSpot reviewed the PlayStation 2 version with a rating of 8.7/10,[23] and the Xbox 360 version 8.9,[39] both slightly lower than its predecessor. Game Informer gave it a 9 out of 10, while its "second opinion" rating was even better, at 9.25/10. According to Game Rankings,[44] the average critic score of Guitar Hero II is 93%, making it the 9th best reviewed game of 2006.

The Xbox 360 version has earned similarly positive reviews and slightly higher scores with a 9.5/10 in the March issue of Official Xbox Magazine, a 4.75/5 from GamePro, a 9.5/10 from Play Magazine and a 9.4/10 from IGN. As of April 3 2007, the Game Rankings score is 94%.[41] The popular G4 television show X-Play gave both versions of the game a 5 out of 5. Additionally, the Australian Xbox Magazine has also awarded the game, for the first time, an 11/10, in a reference to This Is Spinal Tap.

Common praise for the game by critics is aimed at the new multiplayer and practice modes. Common critiques concern the song list, which includes more hard rock and metal than the previous game, deeming it less accessible to casual players. Other common critiques concern the quality of the covers.

The downloadable song packs for the Xbox 360 version have been criticized for being too pricy. Each song is priced at 166.67 MSP using the Microsoft Points system, which is approximately $2.08 USD for one song. The price was seen by many fans of the series as being far too expensive and was met with resistance and angst with a large number of people pledging to boycott the content.[45] Microsoft's Xbox Live Director of Programming, Major Nelson, defending the pricing and release scheme, and attributed the high cost of the content to "licensing issues" on the Xbox 360 platform, as all contracts drawn up for songs from the original game had to be rewritten, since they are playable on an additional console.[46]

In 1UP.com's review for the Xbox 360 version of the game, the downloadable song packs are noted as a "mixed blessing"; praise is given for retooling the songs with better gameplay elements such as the inclusion of co-op modes, but the fact that the songs come in pricy packs of three "defeats much of the appeal".[36] In an interview with RedOctane president Kai Huang,[47] Huang stated that the decision to pack the songs in three was made to keep the cost of the tracks down. Though Huang felt the pricing was fair, he noted afterward "we do listen to the fans and take any feedback we receive seriously."

Sales

In December 2006, Guitar Hero II for PlayStation 2 was the second top-selling video game of the month,[48] selling 805,200 units. It was outsold only by Gears of War for Xbox 360 (which sold 815,700 units).[48]

It was the fifth top-selling video game of the fiscal year of 2006, with 1.3 million copies sold. It was also the third best-selling game for the PlayStation 2, behind Madden NFL 07 and Kingdom Hearts II.[48]

Both the December and annual figures are interesting in that they refer to the version of Guitar Hero II that is packaged with the guitar controller, which was priced considerably higher than most games for the PlayStation 2 at the time (about $80 USD).

Technical issues

No official statement from RedOctane or Activision has been made about the discs or the game itself having any issues, but players have reported songs freezing or skipping, causing the audio to be unsynchronized, unusually long loading screens, and menus that freeze or lock up entirely causing the game to crash. The RedOctane Support Center Answer Guide states, "We’re already in the process of looking into this and testing to replicate the experience. We’ll notify everyone with our results shortly, and will have a positive resolution if need be."[49]

Two models of the Xplorer controller were released for the Xbox 360 version of the game: Model No.95055 and No.95065. Of the two versions, the No.95055 has an RJ-11 jack for effect pedals near the controller cord and is suspect to having an unresponsive whammy bar. RedOctane later responded, saying that they "isolated this issue to two model numbers that can be found on the guitar's packaging." Customers are able to exchange these models for new models.[50]

On April 13, 2007, Activision revealed that the issue was not a problem with the hardware, and that the guitars were not defective. The cause of the problem was anti-cheat protection software, and Activision released a patch on Xbox Live on April 14, 2007 to remedy it.[51][52] However, this patch may have caused some unintended side effects. Starting on April 16, 2007, numerous users began reporting lockups and failures of their system (such as the "Red Ring of Death") after downloading and installing this patch, and required hardware repair service through Microsoft. RedOctane has stated "We're aware of the problem and we're looking into it."[53]

Future games

Activision, which agreed to acquire RedOctane in May 2006, has announced that a third installment of the Guitar Hero series is set to launch sometime in 2007, most likely during the fourth quarter of 2007 or the first quarter of 2008.[54] Activision has also confirmed that the Guitar Hero franchise will be making appearances on other gaming consoles by next year. The only new versions confirmed so far are ones for the Xbox 360,[2] and Wii .[55] It has yet to be revealed if any other system(s) will receive Guitar Hero II or its sequels, as each version would require its own special controller.[56] The multiplatform version(s) will be released this year.[57] It was also recently announced that Guitar Hero will have a version released for mobile phones. It is currently in development at Hands-On Mobile.[58]

Activision has said that the names Guitar Villain and Drum Villain have been copyrighted as well for possible future sequels. It was confirmed by GameSpot that the Guitar Hero series would be ported to "all significant consoles" this year.[59][60]

GameSpot has also confirmed in an interview with Dusty Welch of RedOctane that Activision will not rely on Harmonix for future game development. This duty has been reassigned to Activison's internal studio, Neversoft, which RedOctane assures will not have any impact on the series' quality.[61]

References

  1. ^ "IGN: Guitar Hero II Interview". Retrieved 2007-05-21.
  2. ^ a b "X06: Guitar Hero 2 Announced for 360". IGN.
  3. ^ "PALGN Updated Australian release list, 13/11/06". Retrieved 2007-05-21.
  4. ^ "Spong confirm release UK date". Retrieved 2007-05-21.
  5. ^ "Guitar Hero II Single Player Bundle (Game+Guitar)".
  6. ^ "Playstation.com - OPM - Issue 110".
  7. ^ "TeamXbox: Guitar Hero II for Xbox 360 Box Art and Bundle Picture". Retrieved 2007-05-21.
  8. ^ "Gamespy - CES 2007 Preview for Guitar Hero II for the Xbox 360". Retrieved 2007-05-21.
  9. ^ "Guitar Hero II (XBox 360) review". Retrieved 2007-06-21.
  10. ^ "IGN: Guitar Hero II Final Tracklist Revealed".
  11. ^ "Guitar Hero II IGN Set List".
  12. ^ "Guitar Hero 2 New songs and new guitar on 360 -- in-depth impressions". Retrieved 2007-05-21.
  13. ^ "Ars Technica: Guitar Hero 1 songs in Guitar Hero 2, and the best interview answer ever... twice!". Retrieved 2007-05-21.
  14. ^ "Guitar Hero II Review".
  15. ^ GH II: Song Packs (3 of 'em), Major Nelson
  16. ^ Xbox 360 Fanboy - Red Octane New GHII DLC in July
  17. ^ "Guitar Hero II Preview".
  18. ^ "Guitar Hero II 360 Interview".
  19. ^ "A Day Spent in the Presence of the Mighty Guitar Hero 2".
  20. ^ Guitar Hero II PS2 Review, "Dude, we're getting the band back together" at 1UP.com
  21. ^ Guitar Hero II for PS2 review on Game Informer Online
  22. ^ Guitar Hero II for PS2 on GamePro
  23. ^ a b Guitar Hero II for PlayStation 2 review at GameSpot
  24. ^ a b Guitar Hero II Review (PS2) at IGN
  25. ^ PS2: Guitar Hero 2 Review at play online
  26. ^ Guitar Hero II Reviews at Game Rankings
  27. ^ Guitar Hero II: (ps2: 2006) reviews at Metacritic
  28. ^ "2006 Winners". gamecriticsawards.com.
  29. ^ "Best Music Game". Retrieved 2007-05-21.
  30. ^ "Best PS2 Music Game". Retrieved 2007-05-21.
  31. ^ "Best Licensed Soundtrack". Retrieved 2007-05-21.
  32. ^ "Best PS2 Licensed Soundtrack". Retrieved 2007-05-21.
  33. ^ "Best PS2 Offline Multiplayer Game". Retrieved 2007-05-21.
  34. ^ "2007 Awards Winners" (PDF). IEAA. 26 February 2007.
  35. ^ "Next-Gen's Top 50 Games of the Year".
  36. ^ a b Guitar Hero 2 Xbox 360 Review, 1UP.com
  37. ^ Guitar Hero II review (Xbox 360) at Game Informer Online
  38. ^ Review:Guitar Hero II for Xbox 360 at GamePro.com
  39. ^ a b Guitar Hero II for Xbox 360 Review at GameSpot
  40. ^ Guitar Hero II (Game Controller and Game Bundle) review at IGN
  41. ^ a b Guitar Hero II at Game Rankings
  42. ^ Guitar Hero II (xbox360: 2007): Reviews at Metacritic
  43. ^ "Game Of The Year Awards 06". Gametrailers.
  44. ^ "Guitar Hero II Reviews". Game Rankings.
  45. ^ Major Nelson's Blog, Major Nelson
  46. ^ "Joystiq - Major Nelson Talks Guitar Hero Downloads, Halo 3". Retrieved 2007-05-21.
  47. ^ Rocking on with Guitar Hero, IGN
  48. ^ a b c NPD Releases December Numbers, Fanboys Riot, 1UP.com
  49. ^ "www.redoctane.us/support-center/index.php?x=&mod_id=2&id=120". Retrieved 2007-05-21.
  50. ^ Sliwinksi, Alexander (2007-04-07). "Red Octane Says Two Xbox Guitar Models Defective". Joystiq. Retrieved 2007-04-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  51. ^ "It's Not the Guitar, It's the Software!".
  52. ^ "RedOctane post information Guitar Hero II patch".
  53. ^ "RedOctane admits to Guitar Hero II patch problem". Eurogamer. 2007-04-16. Retrieved 2007-04-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  54. ^ "New Call of Duty, Guitar Hero, and 007 coming in 2007–8 69". Gamespot.
  55. ^ "Nintendo Wii gets Guitar Hero".
  56. ^ "IGN: Guitar Hero to Rock All Consoles".
  57. ^ "Gamespot: Guitar Hero going multiplatform".
  58. ^ "Gamespot: Guitar hero to rock mobiles".
  59. ^ "Gamespot: Guitar Hero going multiplatform".
  60. ^ "Nintendo Wii gets Guitar Hero".
  61. ^ "Gamespot: Q&A: RedOctane's Dusty Welch".

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Guitar_Hero_II&oldid=143792037"