Guitar Hero II (Xbox 360) Preview
Posted by Greg Bruno on 02.22.2007
Vitals
Genre
Simulation
System
Xbox 360
Release Date
Q0 0000
Free Bird! Finally!
Publisher: Red Octane
Developer: Harmonix
System: Xbox 360
Release: April 2007
I've come to the realization that I will never be a rock star. It's just not in my cards. Those of you who fall into the same musically challenged group as me can officially rejoice. Finally, we can now fulfill our dreams and perform on stage...a virtual stage that is. Guitar Hero II for the Xbox 360 promises to deliver everything its predecessor on the PS2 did and then some. With the addition of Xbox Live, players will see many exclusive tracks appear online just waiting to be shredded with your trusty (and sleek looking) new guitar, the X-Plorer. Continue reading, fellow hero of guitars, to see just what new and exciting features the Xbox 360 version will have for you.
X-Plorer...drool.
Features
If you've played the original Guitar Hero, you pretty much know what to expect in this title. Chords come racing towards you prompting you to press the corresponding "frets" one the guitar while strumming as well. Once your "star power" reaches its rock out level, tilting the guitar upwards increases your points. The concept is pretty straightforward. It may sound like a lot at first, but once you pick it up and play a few songs on easy, you'll crave a harder difficulty. There is a practice mode for the too hesitant to jump right in. The second installment in this franchise includes 3 fret chords, which is a step above the previous 2 in the original game. Also new in this addition, is the ability to play co-op multiplayer, where both players try to complete the songs together. There is also competitive multiplayer, with players competing for the best score. This includes the ability to have one player play as lead guitar and the other as bass guitar. The Xbox 360 version also boasts 5.1 surround sound and HD graphics with better lighting and textures than the previous version.
Track Listing
The track listing for this version is a bit broader than the original game. The songs start out relatively easy and progressively become harder and harder. The track list is as follows:
* "Shout at the Devil" - Mötley Crüe
* "Mother" - Danzig
* "Surrender" - Cheap Trick
* "Woman" - Wolfmother
* "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight" - Spinal Tap
* "Strutter" - KISS
* "Heart-Shaped Box" - Nirvana
* "Message in a Bottle" - The Police
* "You Really Got Me" - Van Halen
* "Carry On Wayward Son" - Kansas
* "Monkey Wrench" - Foo Fighters
* "Them Bones" - Alice in Chains
* "Search and Destroy" - Iggy Pop and The Stooges
* "Tattooed Love Boys" - The Pretenders
* "War Pigs" - Black Sabbath (Encore)
* "Cherry Pie" - Warrant
* "Who Was in My Room Last Night?" - Butthole Surfers
* "Girlfriend" - Matthew Sweet
* "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" - The Rolling Stones
* "Sweet Child O' Mine" - Guns N' Roses
* "Killing in the Name" - Rage Against the Machine
* "John the Fisherman" - Primus
* "Freya" - The Sword
* "Bad Reputation" - Thin Lizzy
* "Last Child" - Aerosmith
* "Crazy on You" - Heart
* "Trippin' On a Hole in a Paper Heart" - Stone Temple Pilots
* "Rock This Town" - Stray Cats
* "Jessica" - The Allman Brothers Band
* "Stop!" - Jane's Addiction
* "Madhouse" - Anthrax
* "Carry Me Home" - The Living End
* "Laid to Rest" - Lamb of God
* "Psychobilly Freakout" - The Reverend Horton Heat
* "YYZ" - Rush
* "Beast and the Harlot" - Avenged Sevenfold
* "Institutionalized" - Suicidal Tendencies
* "Misirlou" - Dick Dale
* "Hangar 18" - Megadeth
* "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Bonus tracks
* "Arterial Black" - Drist
* "Collide" - Anarchy Club
* "Elephant Bones" - That Handsome Devil
* "Fall of Pangea" - Valient Thorr
* "FTK" - Vagiant
* "Gemini" - Brian Kahanek
* "Jordan" - Buckethead
* "Laughtrack" - The Acro-brats
* "Less Talk More Rokk" - Freezepop
* "The Light that Blinds" - Shadows Fall
* "Mr. Fix-it" - The Amazing Royal Crowns
* "The New Black" - Every Time I Die
* "One for the Road" - Breaking Wheel
* "Parasite" - The Neighborhoods
* "Push Push (Lady Lightning)" - Bang Camaro
* "Radium Eyes" - Count Zero
* "Raw Dog" - The Last Vegas (Winner of the "Be a Guitar Hero" Contest)
* "Red Lottery" - Megasus
* "Six" - All That Remains
* "Soy Bomb" - Honest Bob and the Factory-to-Dealer Incentives
* "Thunderhorse" - Dethklok
* "Trogdor" - Strong Bad
* "X-Stream" - Voivod
* "Yes We Can" - Made in Mexico
In addition to this massive track listing, the Xbox 360 version will include 10 brand new, Xbox 360 exclusive songs right on the disc with no need to download. They are:
* Billion Dollar Babies (Alice Cooper)
* Hush (Deep Purple)
* Dead! (by My Chemical Romance) - Master Track
* Life Wasted (as made famous by Pearl Jam)
* Rock N Roll Hoochie Koo (Rick Derringer)
* The Trooper (Iron Maiden)
* Salvation (Rancid)
* Possum Kingdom (by Toadies) - Master Track
* Drink Up (by Ounce of Self)
* Kicked to the Curb (by Noble Rot)
You'll notice that the My Chemical Romance and Toadies songs are both master tracks, meaning they are recorded by the original artists themselves. The rest of the tunes, aside from indie bands, are, for lack of a better term, covers due to licensing issues. Harmonix promises that there will be many songs available via Xbox Live Marketplace and that some may even be able to be purchased when the game launches. It has been rumored that the original Guitar Hero line up will appear.
Be on the lookout, or should I say rock out, for Guitar Hero II for the Xbox 360 early this April.
